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It’s hard to beat a really good smash burger. ♡

Crispy-edged, juicy in the middle, perfectly seasoned, and piled high with all the fixings — this recipe checks all the boxes. Best of all, they’re super-easy to make with just a handful of simple ingredients and can be ready to go in less than 15 minutes!

We usually cook ours on a cast iron skillet or griddle indoors, but they’re just as fun to make on a Blackstone (or your favorite outdoor griddle) when the weather’s nice. The magic, of course, is all in the “smash” — pressing the patties quickly and firmly onto a hot surface to create those irresistible sizzling, golden, caramelized edges while keeping the centers tender and juicy. (Highly recommend adding a burger press to your cart, if you don’t own one already!)

From there, you can go classic with melty cheese, crisp lettuce, fresh tomatoes, and tangy pickles — or mix things up with whatever toppings you love most. I’ve also included a recipe for my favorite zesty burger sauce that always gets rave reviews.

However you top them, these smash burgers never disappoint. So fire up the skillet tonight and let’s smash some burgers!

Smash Burger Tips

Detailed step-by-step ingredients are included in the recipe below, but here are a few tips to ensure that your smash burgers turn out perfectly every time:

• Use 80/20 ground beef for the juiciest flavor. The higher fat content gives the burgers that classic juicy, rich flavor everyone loves. Leaner beef can work too, but the burgers won’t be quite as tender.
• Make loose meatballs, not compact patties. This keeps the burgers more tender and helps them smash more easily on the skillet.
• Smash just once. Avoid pressing the patties down again after the first smash, so that you don’t accidentally squeeze out more of the juices.
• Toast the buns. Buttering and toasting the buns is a small step that’s worth the extra time and adds big flavor.
• Cover to melt the cheese. If your cheese isn’t melting quickly, place a lid over the skillet for a few seconds. The steam will trap in the heat and give you perfectly melty cheese every time.

Recipe Variations

Here are a few more recipe variations that you’re welcome to try with these smash burgers:

• Try a double smash. Smash burgers are thin by design, so stack two patties together if you’re extra hungry.
• Swap the cheese. American cheese is classic and melts beautifully on smash burgers, but cheddar, Swiss, provolone, or pepper jack all work well too.
• Serve with a different sauce. Mix things up by adding on some BBQ sauce, chipotle mayo, or even a drizzle of ranch.
• Add some heat. Top your burger with sliced jalapeños, spicy pickles, chili crunch, or add a pinch of cayenne to the beef.
• Make it vegetarian. Use a plant-based ground “beef” substitute and cook it the same way for a meatless option.

FAQ

Can I make the patties ahead of time? Sure! You can shape the patties a few hours in advance, stack them between layers of parchment paper, store in a sealed container, and refrigerate until ready to cook. Just be sure to keep them cold so they stay juicy once they hit the hot griddle.

Can I freeze smash burger patties? Absolutely. Stack raw patties with parchment sheets in between, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before cooking as directed.

How do I reheat leftover burgers? For best results, reheat the patties quickly in a hot skillet or on the griddle to help the edges crisp back up. (The microwave works in a pinch, but the texture won’t be quite the same.)

How do I make Oklahoma onion smash burgers? I personally love these oniony smash burgers. Simply pile a thin layer of paper-thin sliced onions (I recommend using a mandoline) on top of each beef ball before smashing, pressing the onions directly into the patty as it cooks so they caramelize into the burger. So good!!!

Do I really need a burger press? You can use a sturdy spatula to smash, but a burger press will give you more even edges and consistent caramelization. I’m generally not into single-use kitchen gadgets, but a press is definitely worth it if you make these often!

Smash Burgers

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Ali
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins
• Total Time: 15 mins
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Description

Learn how to make the best juicy, crispy-edged homemade smash burgers with this quick and easy recipe.

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Ingredients

Smash Burger Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef (80/20 for best flavor and juiciness)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
• 4 slices American cheese (or your favorite melt-friendly cheese)
• 4 burger buns, buttered and toasted
• toppings: crisp lettuce leaves, pickles, thinly-sliced onions, tomato slices,  etc.

Favorite Burger Sauce Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1 tablespoon each: Dijon mustard, ketchup, pickle juice
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

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Instructions

1. Prep the beef. In a large mixing bowl, gently combine the ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder and smoked paprika. Try not to overmix, so that the patties stay tender. Divide into 4 equal portions (about 4 ounces each) and roll into loose balls. Transfer to the refrigerator until just before cooking.
2. Preheat your griddle or skillet. Heat a cast iron skillet or flat-top griddle over medium-high heat until very hot — you want instant sizzle when the meat hits the surface.
3. Smash the burgers. Season the top of each beef ball with salt and pepper. Place 1–2 balls in the hot skillet, seasoned-side down, leaving enough room so they won’t touch after smashing (you may need to work with just one at a time). Immediately lay a piece of parchment paper on top of each and use a burger press or flat metal spatula to firmly smash them down to about ¼-inch thick. Remove the parchment, then let the patties cook undisturbed for 1½–2 minutes, until the edges are deeply browned and crispy.
4. Flip and add cheese. Use a sturdy spatula to flip each patty, firmly scraping the bottom of the pan to keep the crust intact. Immediately top each with a slice of cheese. Cook for another 45–60 seconds until cheese is melted and the burger is cooked through.
5. Assemble & serve. Place patties on toasted buns, add your favorite toppings, and serve immediately while nice and hot.

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Equipment

Burger Press

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9-Inch Cast Iron Skillet

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Trader Joe’s curry chicken salad has long been a favorite in our house. But when we moved to Barcelona seven years ago and found ourselves an ocean away from TJ’s grab-and-go option, I quickly figured out how to make my own homemade version from scratch, which honestly couldn’t be easier and (bonus) was just a fraction of the cost! ♡

Many years later, this recipe is still one of my go-to’s for a protein-packed lunch. It comes together quickly with cooked chicken (diced or shredded), toasted cashews, shredded carrots, cilantro, red onion, and a simple Greek yogurt curry sauce. I also like to add in lots of fresh red grapes for extra texture and sweetness (versus the raisins used in the TJ’s version), and prefer to lighten up the curry sauce with plain Greek yogurt instead of mayo. Together, the ingredients combine to create the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors, crunchy and tender textures, with a perfectly spiced creamy dressing. And the leftovers taste even better the second day after the the flavors have had a chance to meld. So good!

Feel free to serve this curry chicken salad up between slices of bread to make a sandwich, roll it up in a tortilla to make a wrap, scoop it into lettuce wraps, serve it with crackers for dipping — there are so many ways to enjoy this delicious and versatile salad. So enjoy, enjoy! (more…)

Cheers to spring salads! ♡

After making this winter farro salad countless times over the past year, I decided we needed to try a springtime version with fresh seasonal veggies and herbs. And thus, this zippy spring farro salad recipe was born.

It’s loaded up with chewy farro and chickpeas, a crisp mix of cucumber, radishes and shallots, a sprinkling of tangy crumbled feta, loads of fresh herbs (I opted for mint and dill), and my favorite lemony everyday vinaigrette that pulls everything together. Each bite tastes wonderfully light and springy, especially thanks to all of those fresh herbs. And this salad holds up beautifully in the fridge if you’d like to prep the salad in advance for easy lunches or sunny picnics or springtime nights by the grill.

As you can imagine, it’s also an easy recipe to customize with whatever seasonal veggies, herbs or cheeses you would prefer to toss in. And if you need a gluten-free option, no prob, just swap in some quinoa for the farro. Let’s make some salad!

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I’m returning to my Midwestern roots today to pay homage to the potluck dish that will forever be a nostalgic favorite…my classic potato salad recipe. ♡

There are of course a million different takes on how to make potato salad. But if you grew up in the Midwest or South and spent any amount of time at backyard barbecues, church basement dinners, or summertime picnics, you know exactly what I’m talking about when it comes to a “classic” creamy potato salad. We start with freshly-diced potatoes, boiled until perfectly tender and then tossed with a hint of vinegar. Then to the potatoes, we add the classic building blocks of hard-boiled eggs, crisp celery and tangy red onion. A big scoop of pickle relish adds a deliciously briny kick, although some may argue it’s optional. Then everything gets tossed with a rich and creamy dressing spiked with mustard, celery salt, vinegar, and paprika to bring everything together. Potato salad perfection.

Now I know that there are strong opinions out there on the topic of Miracle Whip versus mayo, so you do you! Feel free to also add in any extras you might like, such as bacon, avocado or fresh herbs. And while I personally love leaving the potato skins on for extra texture and nutrients, you’re totally welcome to peel the potatoes here if you prefer.

Let’s make some potato salad together! (more…)

Say hello to the yummy banana baked oatmeal cups that my son and I have been loving lately. ♡

Teo has recently crossed over into that delightful stage of toddlerhood where he’s proudly vetoing most new recipes I make for him lately. But these baked oatmeal cups (and these very similar healthy banana muffins) continue to be a big hit…which I’m all for!

This baked oatmeal recipe is incredibly easy to mix up with a simple base of oats, bananas, egg, milk (dairy or non-dairy) and warming spices. We typically just add in a hint of maple syrup to sweeten, since those ripe bananas are already quite sweet on their own. And then while I usually go the banana nut route and add in some chopped pecans or walnuts while making these for Teo, you could totally add in some chocolate chips or dried fruit to your baked oatmeal cups if you’d like.

This recipe freezes also well if you’d like to meal prep a big batch ahead of time, and happens to be naturally gluten-free and can easily be made vegan if you’d like. And if you don’t feel like making individual baking cups, you can also also just pour the batter into a baking dish and cut it into slices too.

So many good reasons to make this recipe, but more than anything, we keep making these banana baked oatmeal cups because they’re simply delicious. Teo thinks you’re going to love them too!

Banana Baked Oatmeal Cups Ingredients

Here are a few quick notes about the ingredients you will need to make this baked banana oatmeal cups recipe:

• Old-fashioned oats: Be sure to use old-fashioned (aka “rolled”) oats for this recipe and not quick oats. If you are making this recipe gluten-free, be sure to also check the label to be sure that you are purchasing certified gluten-free oats.
• Ripe bananas: Use bananas that are nice and ripe in order to give this recipe the richest, sweetest banana flavor.
• Milk: Feel free to use whatever dairy or non-dairy plain milk that you prefer. We typically use plain oat milk with this recipe here in our house.
• Egg: I always use an egg will help to bind all of these ingredients together, but you are welcome to use a flax egg if you would like to make this recipe vegan (see instructions below).
• Maple syrup: This is my natural sweetener of choice for this recipe, since the flavor of maple syrup always pairs so deliciously with banana and nuts. But feel free to sub in brown sugar, coconut sugar or honey if you prefer.
• Baking powder: This helps to give the oatmeal cups a slight rise as they bake.
• Spices, vanilla extract and salt: I typically make these oatmeal cups with a mix of ground cinnamon, ground ginger, vanilla extract and fine sea salt. But feel free to play around with whatever warming spices (such as cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, etc) that you love best.
• Nuts or chocolate chips: We love adding chopped pecans or walnuts to these oatmeal cups for extra protein. But you’re welcome to toss in a handful of chocolate chips instead, or use a mix of chocolate and nuts!

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There are many virtues I could point out about this simple, fresh and flavorful couscous salad. But the most notable one for me is this:

I genuinely get so excited to eat the leftovers the next day. ♡

As someone who doesn’t exactly love working my way through tuppers full of leftovers in our fridge, I have to say that this salad is so tasty that I typically make a double batch just to be sure that we have extras for the week ahead. It’s loaded up with many of the usual Mediterranean faves — tender couscous, crisp fresh veggies, chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts and tangy feta cheese. But the addition of loads of fresh mint and parsley really brighten it up, and the cumin-sumac-garlic lemon dressing and that brings everything together is perfection.

Feel free to add in an extra protein (such as chicken, shrimp or salmon) if you’d like, or sub in whatever other veggies, cheeses, or nuts you currently happen to have on hand. This is one of those recipes that’s endlessly flexible, so make it your own and enjoy, enjoy!

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Move over, canned creamy soup, frozen green beans, and packaged fried onions.

This modern homemade green bean casserole recipe is made entirely from scratch and tastes a million times better than the retro casserole full of processed ingredients. And it is my hands-down fave. ♡♡♡

For too many years, I always passed on the green bean casserole at Thanksgiving because it was so mushy, bland and boring. But as it turns out, when homemade green bean casserole is well-seasoned and made with better ingredients, it comes to life and tastes SO fresh and flavorful. And it’s still quite simple to make!

Instead of soggy frozen green beans, fresh green beans are the star of the show here, which are ever-so-briefly cooked in order to preserve their crisp texture and bright flavor. Instead of canned cream of mushroom soup, fresh mushrooms are sautéed and folded into a lightened-up creamy Alfredo sauce. And instead of dry, packaged, palm-oil-fried onions, fresh red onion is sautéed with crispy panko breadcrumbs, which toast to golden perfection as the casserole bakes.

Together, all of these ingredients combine to make a casserole that is legit delicious and anything but boring. I make it every Thanksgiving, and friends and family all agree that it’s the best!

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Ever made homemade pickled red onions before?

It’s so easy! Also, super speedy.

All you need are 5 basic ingredients, about 5 minutes of prep time, plus another 30 minutes to let the marinade work it’s quick-pickling magic. Then a delicious batch of pickled red onions can be yours to enjoy immediately! (No long brining times or canning required!)

We’re big fans here in our house of serving pickled red onions with all sorts of Mexican dishes, from tacos to burritos, enchiladas, soups, salads, nachos, chilaquiles and more. But pickled red onions can also liven up everything from burgers to curries, pizza to falafel, eggs to potato salad and beyond. Basically anytime you need an extra pop of tangy, colorful, zippy flavor to balance out your dish, these quick pickled red onions are here for you.

Let’s make a quick batch! ♡ (more…)

Friends, have you ever tried making a nut roast before?

I was admittedly unfamiliar with this traditional vegetarian dish until my British friend, Catherine, served us her famous nut roast for dinner a few months ago…and everyone around the table could not stop raving about how delicious it was! We seriously could not get enough of this sweet, savory, hearty, and flavor-packed vegetarian “roast”! ♡

My first question to Catherine, of course, was what sorts of delicious ingredients were hiding in her beautiful confetti-ed loaf. As she explained, there are about a million ways to make British-style nut roasts, but they are traditionally made with a base of chopped nuts, veggies and lots of herbs, plus sort of hearty ingredient added in to give the loaf some texture (such as lentils, rice, grains, oats, torn bread, or various types of flour blends), as well as whatever extra dried fruits or fun seasonings the cook feels like adding in. The best nut roasts seem to strike the perfect balance between sweet and savory. And when served with cranberry sauce (a must, according to Catherine) and/or some savory vegetarian gravy, I’m telling you, this dish will be a showstopper with vegetarians and meat-eaters alike!

The brilliance of nut roasts is that they are also easy to make ahead of time and require very little oven space. So since they happen to be a traditional holiday food in the UK, and so many of us were already planning to cook smaller holiday meals this year, I thought that this would be the perfect week to share this recipe.

Catherine’s favorite nut roast is based off of a recipe from Deliciously Ella, made with lots of fresh sage, rosemary, mushrooms and dried apricots, which my husband and I absolutely loved. We’ve since tinkered around with the recipe a bit and added in some lentils for extra protein, as well as a generous hint of orange juice and zest, which pairs deliciously with the other ingredients and tastes extra-festive this time of year. I’ve also kept this recipe gluten-free, and given the option to use either traditional eggs or flax eggs as a binder, if you would like to make the recipe vegan. As I explain below, the types of nuts/seeds, veggies and legumes here are also quite flexible, so please feel free to tinker around with the ingredients and make this nut roast recipe your own.

Bottom line, my husband and I can’t believe that it took us this long to be introduced to nut roasts. But we are now full-on fans, and look forward to making them a tradition in our house for the occasional “Sunday roasts” and the holiday dinners. Big thanks to Catherine and some of our other British friends here in Barcelona for all of the great tips and inspiration for this recipe. I really think you all are going to love it!

Nut Roast | 1-Minute Video

Nut Roast Ingredients:

Before we get to the full nut roast recipe below, please take a few moments to read these notes about the ingredients you will need to make this recipe…

• Lentils: I used lentils as the base for this nut roast to give it some extra moisture and protein, which I recommend cooking in water (or veggie stock, for extra flavor) until they are super-soft. I went with basic brown lentils, but you could really use just about any type of lentils here that you have on hand. Or if you’re not a big fan of lentils, see notes below for some other alternative ingredients you could try.
• Veggies: I used a mix of onion, carrot, bell pepper, baby bella mushrooms and fresh spinach, which you can either finely-dice by hand or blitz in the food processor. That said, feel free to sub in whatever other veggies in the fridge sound good! (For example, parsnips, leeks, sweet potato, or butternut squash would all be delicious in this recipe too.)
• Garlic: I used four large cloves of garlic to season the roast, but feel free to add in more or less garlic if you prefer.
• Herbs and spices: I also strongly recommend adding lots of chopped fresh herbs to your nut roast, as there are lots of densely-packed ingredients in here that need seasoning! I went with a mix of fresh sage and rosemary, plus dried thyme, smoked paprika, fine sea salt and black pepper. But feel free to use whatever fresh (or dried) herbs that you love best, adjusting the amounts as needed, to taste.
• Orange: One fresh orange, zested and juiced, which really brightens up the flavors and adds a festive holiday note to this nut roast.
• Mixed nuts: I honestly just cleaned out the nut and seed section of our pantry to make this nut roast, so as you can see in the photos above, there’s a bit of everything in this one! That said, feel free to select any blend of nuts and seeds that you prefer. You can use either salted or unsalted nuts/seeds (you’ll just need to add less salt to season the roast in Step 5 if your nuts/seeds are pre-salted). And if your nuts/seeds are raw, I recommend toasting them briefly before adding them to the recipe, in order to bring out their best flavor. You can either blitz the nuts/seeds in the food processor, seal them in a ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin or mallet, or just chop-chop-chop them by hand until they reach your desired consistency.
• Dried apricots: My friend, Catherine, introduced us to nut roast sweetened with dried apricots, which I absolutely loved and included here. But feel free to use dried cranberries instead or any other dried fruit that you love best, or skip the dried fruit altogether if you prefer a more savory roast.
• Eggs: Finally, I used traditional eggs to bind all of the ingredients together in this roast. But if you would like to make this recipe vegan, flax eggs will work great too!

Tips for How To Make Nut Roast:

Full directions are included in the recipe below, but here are a few key tips I’ve learned about making nut roasts:

• Finely-chopped vs chunky. So, the texture of the ingredients in your nut roast is completely up to you — you can either go with ingredients that are finely-chopped or more chunky. As you can see in the images above, I went more of the finely-chopped route, which I find helps the nut roast to hold together and slice much more easily. But bigger chunks are lovely too, and may simply cause your nut roast to crumble a bit more when slicing.
• Put that food processor to use (if you own one). If you do happen to own a food processor or some sort of chopping tool, you can totally use it to save time chopping the veggies and nuts, and it also does a great job with helping to purée the nut roast (as directed in Step 6). That said, if you do not own a food processor, no worries — you can still easily make everything by hand!
• Don’t forget to taste and season. Be sure to pause during Step 5 to take a taste of the nut roast mixture and adjust the seasonings as needed! I add quite a bit of salt and pepper to this recipe, plus you’re welcome to add more herbs or citrus too, if needed. But the amount of salt will also depend on whether your nuts were pre-salted, so please taste and adjust the seasonings accordingly.
• Firmly pack your ingredients. It’s also up to you how firmly or loosely you choose to pack the nut bake mixture into the bread pan. I recommend packing the mixture in fairly tightly, which helps it to hold together and slice well. But if you don’t want the ingredients to be too mashed together, you can also opt to pack yours in a bit more loosely.
• Sauce is essential. My friend, Catherine, strongly believes that cranberry sauce is essential with nut roasts! We also loved serving ours with my favorite mushroom gravy, so feel free to go with whichever sweet or savory option you prefer. Or of course — a much better idea — both!
• Have fun and experiment! Nut roasts recipes aren’t meant to be exact, so please feel free to experiment with whatever fun ingredients and amounts sound best to you and make this recipe your own! The base recipe here is quite flexible and can accommodate quite a few variations (see ideas below).

Possible Nut Roast Variations:

Here are a few more fun ways that you can customize this nut roast recipe if you’d like…

• Make it vegan: In order to make a vegan nut roast, just sub in flax eggs in place of traditional eggs. They will work great!
• Add cheese: Feel free to add in up to 1 cup of shredded cheddar or gruyere cheese if you would like to make a cheesy nut roast.
• Use different legumes, rice, grains or oatmeal: In place of lentils, feel free to substitute chickpeas, white beans, or any other beans that you prefer. Or alternately, you could sub in any type of rice, quinoa, farro, oatmeal, or other grains in place of the lentils. (I recommend adding in an equivalent amount of cooked rice or grains, or about 1 cup of cooked oatmeal.)
• Use different veggies: As mentioned above, feel free to sub in any other veggies that might sound good in this recipe too, such as parsnips, leeks, sweet potato, or butternut squash. (Any veggies will need to be cooked until completely softened before being added to the nut roast.)
• Use different herbs/spices: This nut roast recipe could also be customized with any number of other fresh or dried herbs that might sound good.
• Decorate the top: I kept things simple and just pressed the confetti-ed nut roast mixture into the bread pan. But feel free to “decorate” the top of the nut roast with fun veggie or nut designs if you would like before baking. Just be sure to keep a closer eye on the nut roast as it cooks so that any decor ingredients do not accidentally burn.

What To Serve With Nut Roast:

Here are some traditional sides to serve with cranberry sauce for the holidays or Sunday dinner:

• Cranberry sauce: We served this nut roast with my favorite 3-ingredient maple cranberry sauce, which I highly recommend.
• Gravy: I also loved the nut roast paired with this mushroom gravy, which I fully puréed this time, although you are welcome to leave the mushrooms chunky if you prefer.
• Potatoes: It’s also very traditional to serve nut roast with some type of potatoes. You could go with roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, or smashed potatoes (pictured below).
• Veggies: Any veggies would make for a delicious side dish here, such as roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted asparagus,
• Salad: If you would like a side salad, I’d highly recommend my everyday salad or this festive pear salad this time of year.
• Bread: I will be making my favorite 1-hour dinner rolls to serve with our nut roast for Christmas this year. But some crusty no knead bread, honey beer bread, or rosemary focaccia would be delicious too.

Nut Roast

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.3 from 10 reviews

• Author: Ali
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 mins
• Yield: 8 servings 1x

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Description

This Nut Roast recipe is packed with a deliciously sweet and savory blend of nuts, veggies, lentils, dried fruit and fresh herbs. Serve with cranberry sauce and/or gravy and enjoy! (Please see notes above for possible ingredient modifications too.)

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Ingredients

• 1 cup (200 grams) green or brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
• fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small white onion, peeled and finely diced
• 1 large carrot, finely diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, cored and finely diced
• 8 ounces (225 grams) baby bella mushrooms, finely chopped*
• 4 large cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 2 large handfuls baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 10 ounces (300 grams) mixed nuts, finely chopped*
• 5 ounces (140 grams) dried apricots, finely chopped
• zest and juice (about 1/4 cup) of 1 small orange
• 3 eggs, whisked*

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Instructions

1. Cook the lentils. Combine the lentils with 4 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until the water reaches a vigorous simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain the simmer, cover and cook until the lentils are completely tender, about 20-30 minutes. Drain the lentils completely using a strainer, and set aside until later.
2. Prep oven and bread pan. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C).  Line a 9 x 5-inch bread pan with parchment paper.
3. Sauté the veggies and herbs. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large sauté pan.  Add the onion, carrot and bell pepper and sauté for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.  Add the mushrooms and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are softened and most of the liquid in the pan has evaporated.  Add the spinach, sage, rosemary, smoked paprika, and thyme.  Sauté for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Remove pan from heat.
4. Combine all ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked lentils, cooked veggie mixture, nuts, dried apricots, and orange juice and zest.  Toss until the mixture is evenly combined.
5. Taste and season. Before we add the eggs, go ahead and give the mixture a taste and season it with salt and pepper as needed.  (The level of saltiness will vary considerably based on the type of nuts you used, but you will likely need to add a generous amount of salt and pepper, so don’t be shy!)
6. Purée or mash part of the mixture. If you own a food processor, transfer about 1/3 of the mixture to a food processor and pulse a few times until the mixture is fairly puréed.  (Or alternately, use a potato masher to mash about 1/3 of the mixture on one side of the mixing bowl until it is puréed.)  Stir the puréed mixture back into the overall mixture along with the whisked eggs until everything is evenly combined.
7. Press the mixture into the pan. Transfer the entire nut loaf mixture into the prepared bread pan, packing it down fairly firmly (which will help the loaf to slice more easily later).
8. Bake. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and the loaf is cooked through.  (I also like to remove the roast about 5 minutes before it has finished baking to brush the top of the roast with a bit of melted butter or oil to help it crisp up on top during those final few minutes in the oven, but this step is totally optional. Alternately, if the top of the roast starts to get too browned during cooking, just gently lay a sheet of aluminum foil on top of the bread pan.)
9. Rest the nut roast. Transfer the pan to a wire cutting rack and let the nut roast rest for about 15-20 minutes.
10. Serve. Carefully lift the edges of the parchment paper up to remove the nut roast from the pan and transfer it to a cutting board.  Use a bread knife to slice the roast into your desired size of pieces.  Then serve warm with gravy or cranberry sauce and enjoy!

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Equipment

Brown Lentils

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Bread Pan

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Mixing Bowls

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Notes

Chopping the veggies and nuts: As mentioned in the notes above, you are welcome to chop the veggies and nuts as finely or coarsely as you prefer.  (I recommend a pretty fine chop, so that the nut loaf will hold together and slice better.)  If you happen to own a food processor, it makes chopping the nuts (and veggies, if you would like) a breeze!  Otherwise, you can place the nuts in a ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin or mallet, or just chop them with a knife.

Vegan flax egg alternative: To make this recipe vegan, feel free to whip up some flax eggs (1 tablespoon ground flax mixed with 2.5 tablespoons water, per flax egg, whisked together and rested for 15 minutes to thicken) to use in this recipe instead.  They work great!

Make-ahead instructions: If you would like to prep this recipe in advance, I recommend cooking the entire nut roast filling and refrigerating it in a sealed food storage container for up to 48 hours before baking.  Then transfer the filling to the prepared bake pan and bake as instructed.  Alternately, you can go ahead and bake the nut roast, let it cool completely to room temperature, wrap it tightly with beeswrap or plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days (or freeze for up to 3 months).  Then on the day you are ready to serve the nut roast, let it return to room temperature, place it in a bread pan, cover with foil and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 15-20 minutes until warmed through.