Cheddar & Mixed Vegetable Loaf

This cheddar and mixed vegetable loaf is nutritious, hearty and oh so flavourful. It’s great to meal prep at the start of the week to enjoy on busier days – simply slice off a wedge or two, and reheat (or eat cold!).

As a nutritionist, I’m all about healthy dinner recipes. While the humble egg often stars on the menu at brekkie time, this egg loaf is great eaten any time of the day. At dinner, just plate up with a leafy side salad and I promise your tastebuds will be very happy🤙.

This recipe is vegetarian-friendly and can be made low-carb or gluten free too – as always, you do you.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Eggs. While not quite a frittata, this dish is a great way to use up a stash of eggs. Use the whole egg in this recipe.
• Cheddar cheese. You can substitute in different hard yellow cheeses (e.g. colby or edam), but I do love the sharpness of mature cheddar here.
• Vegetables like onion, courgette, carrot and dark leafy greens. For the latter, feel free to use whatever is lonely in the crisper – substitutions wise, this recipe is very forgiving.
• Flour, your choice. Use almond meal, plain flour or a gluten-free blend. The loaf puffs up more if you use a flour or gf blend (my preference). If you want a low-carb or keto friendly loaf opt for almond meal.
• Fresh herbs add vibrance and flavour. I like parsley, chives or basil.
• Extra virgin olive oil. A great source of heart-healthy fats.
• Seeds. Sprinkle pumpkin and sunflower seeds overtop for beautiful texture and colour.

No fresh herbs on hand? No problem! Swap in dried herbs. As dried herbs are more potent and concentrated than fresh, you’ll need less. Flavour with just a light sprinkle.

Kitchen Tips

Here are some kitchen tips to help your loaf-making flow:

• Remove moisture from high-water content veggies. Boo to soggy loaves! To prevent excess moisture ruining the fun, put the grated carrot and courgette in the middle of an old tea towel, bring the corners together, twist the top and squeeze out water into a sink.
• Use a standard size loaf tin. If veering off-course with a different shaped tin, keep in mind you may need to bake for a little more or less based on the size of your vessel. This isn’t a problem – just keep an eye on it.
• Add grated cheese overtop before baking for an insanely tasty cheesy crust, that also keeps the seeds in place. Delicious and functional✌️.

Storage Suggestion

Once cooked, let cool to room temperature, place in a food-safe container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. You can slice into wedges before storing or keep it whole as is.

You can also freeze leftovers in an airtight container for a one month – it’ll be the gift that keeps on giving! To avoid needing a hand saw to hack a piece off, I recommend slicing before freezing (kidding on the first part, but not the second).

Thanks for reading! Looking for another egg-based meal idea? Try this roast vegetable and feta frittata🥚.