Cottage Cheese Roast (Vegetarian Meatloaf)

I know, this sounds disgusting. At least that's what I thought when I first read it. I couldn't wrap my mind around how a cottage cheese based loaf could be anything but nasty. Which is exactly why I had to make it and find out. And damned if it wasn't good. I never expect vegetarian loaves to taste like meat (I just try to appreciate them in their own right). But this one actually does taste similar to meatloaf. I'm sure it wouldn't fool a real meatloaf connoisseur, but someone like my dad (who inhales his food way too fast and isn't all that discerning) could probably be duped.

COTTAGE CHEESE ROAST

(VEGETARIAN MEATLOAF)

Makes 8 servings

loaf:

1 1/3 cups walnuts, finely chopped (about 5 oz.)

2 cups corn flakes, Special K or other non-sweet flake cereal

16 oz. cottage cheese (I used small curd, 1%)

4 large eggs

1 envelope Lipton dry onion soup mix (or other vegetarian onion soup mix)

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

glaze:

1/4 cup ketchup

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1.      Heat oven to 350º F (175º C). Grease a standard size loaf pan with vegetable or canola oil.

2.      Combine all the loaf ingredients in a large bowl and mix until thoroughly combined.

3.      Spoon mixture into prepared loaf pan.

4.      Combine glaze ingredients in a small bowl; mix until smooth. Spread evenly over the loaf.

5.      Bake for 60 to 70 minutes.

6.      Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

slightly adapted from food.com by Connie K.

walnuts

finely chopped walnuts

Since I chopped my walnuts in the food processor and it was
already dirty, I decided to mix everything else in there too.

I actually used 1 package of Knorr leek soup mix, not realizing it
had beef powder in it. Good thing I'm not a vegetarian anymore
(then again, if I was, I probably would have read the ingredients first).

mixed (looks like lumpy hummus)

in the pan

glaze spread over the top

baked

cottage cheese roast (vegetarian meatloaf)

.