Boxcar Curry BeanLoaf

Yep. It’s a loaf of beans.

In my ongoing campaign of replacing everything beef with beans, I came to my toughest test yet. Taking meatloaf – the poster boy recipe of ground beef – and replacing it with beans. Behold, the BEANLOAF.

And not just any beanloaf, no. This loaf of beans is loaded with 3 bean varieties, a hearty helping of veggies, and slathered in a curry simmer sauce. And with the help of generous pinches of cumin, turmeric, crushed beef bouillon (and a variety of other spices) you’ll have an easy time saying goodbye to beef.

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Time You’ll Need

• ~20-30 minutes prep
• ~45 minutes cooking
• Yields: one loaf of beans

What You’ll Need

• 1 white onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 can of fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• ~1 cup of Tikka Masala simmer sauce
• 5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 2 cups of cooked lentil beans, drained and dried
• 1 can of chickpeas, drained and dried
• 1 can of red kidney beans, drained and dried
• 2 beef bouillon cubes, finely crushed
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Salt, to taste
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp cayenne
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• ~1 ½ breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp room temp butter

What You’ll Do

• Preheat oven to 375.
• In a skillet over medium heat, add a tbsp of olive oil and cook onions, peppers, and garlic until soft.
• After draining and drying beans, add all three varieties to a large mixing bowl. Mash the beans to form a rough paste.
• Next, add the onion, green pepper, garlic, tomatoes (make sure they are drained first), basil, beef bouillon powder, black pepper, salt, cayenne, cumin, turmeric, 1 tbsp olive oil, butter, bread crumbs,  1/3 cup of tikka masala sauce and the beaten egg. Mix everything together evenly.
• Using a loaf pan, transfer the paste into the pan and shape it into a loaf.
• Coat the top of the loaf with a layer of breadcrumbs, and 2/3 cups of tikka masala simmer sauce.
• Throw it in the oven and let it cook for around 45 minutes. Serve with more curry sauce!