Mushrooms in your meatloaf?

Beef and mushroom meatloaf is a great and filling lunch or dinner option! This meatloaf recipe starts with the traditional ground beef, but adds roasted mushrooms which provide additional nutrients and umami flavor. Have you ever thought about adding mushrooms to your favorite comfort food like meatloaf? We’ve also added mushrooms to taco meat and burgers!

What You’ll Need

  • 8-12 oz mushrooms (cremini or portobello are my favorite)
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1/2 onion
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp dried thyme

How to Make a Mushroom Meatloaf:

This recipe has 2 main steps. First, you need to prepare the mushroom mixture. Mushrooms are roasted until soft. Drain off any excess liquid. Let cool and then add to a food processor and process until finely chopped. Next you make your meatloaf by combining all the ingredients, forming into a loaf, and baking.

Adding the mushrooms does create that extra step, but I think it’s worth it!

How to Store the Meatloaf:

You can store the meatloaf in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Alternatively, you can wrap tightly in cling wrap and place in a freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Why Make a Blenditarian Meatloaf?

Blenditarian cooking is the process of adding mushrooms to meat. There a few reasons to do this, but my personal favorite reason is the added moisture and umami flavor that it adds, especially to lower fat meats like turkey or chicken.

Take a look at the recipe below and read more about blenditarian below. By eating more blenditarian recipes, you are also moving in the direction of more plant-forward foods and meals.

Mushroom Meatloaf
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Beef and Mushroom Meatloaf

Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American, Gluten Free
Keyword: Budget-friendly, Easy, Fall, Kid-friendly, Lean protein, Low carb, Winter
Cooking Method: Oven
Condition: Cancer, Dairy Free, Diabetes, Nut Free, PCOS
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 8-12 oz mushroom cremini and portobello
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 onion diced
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp thyme dried
  • 1/4 cup ketchup

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425° F. Roughly chop mushrooms and toss in olive oil. Spread in an even layer on a sheet pan and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes, until soft. Drain off excess liquid.
  • Place mushrooms in food processor and process until it reaches the consistency of ground beef.
  • Place ground beef, mushroom mixture, onion, egg, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and thyme into a large bowl. Mix with a spatula until well combined.
  • Reduce heat to 350° F. Place meatloaf mixture into a loaf pan and bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven, spread ketchup over top of meatloaf and return to oven. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 160° F. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 9g | Sodium: 270mg | Potassium: 175mg | Fiber: 1g

What is Blenditarian?

Blenditarian? If you haven’t heard of this new movement, it is the idea of supplementing a meat recipe with ground up mushrooms. It gives you moisture, a similar meaty texture, and that oh-so-popular umami flavoring.

So what are the benefits to supplementing your meat with mushrooms?

FLAVOR! NUTRITION! BUDGET FRIENDLY! PLANET-FRIENDLY!

  • Flavor! Mushrooms boost the umami taste in the dish. Umami is often described as a savory, meaty flavor.
  • Nutrition! Mushrooms are a great source of nutrients like fiber, B vitamins, potassium, etc. By adding them to your meat mixture, you also decrease the amount of meat consumed per serving. This could mean reducing the amount of saturated fat, which is great for heart health.
  • Budget! Meat (ground beef)  is typically the expensive component of a meal. Stretch your dollar further by adding mushrooms. A pound of beef that typically makes 4 burgers can then make 5 or 6 (depending on the beef to mushroom ratio used).

benefits of eating blended blenditarian

More Recipes:

If you liked Mushroom Meatloaf, see our Blenditarian Taco Meat recipe using mushrooms as well as our Beef and Mushroom Burger!

We also like adding veggies in other way! Like our Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese!

Please note:

Nutrition info is an estimate and may contain errors. 

-Blog reviewed and updated Feb 2024

An award winning recipe developer, Dietitian Kaitlin’s mission is to empower others to reach their health goals by encouraging them to get back into the kitchen. Co-author of Nourished: 10 Ingredients to Happy, Healthy Eating and Cooking with Diabetes.