Tofu Meatloaf
豆腐のミートローフ
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
This meatloaf stretches ground pork with crumbled firm tofu, which makes it lighter and noticeably softer than an all-meat loaf, so even small children can break it up easily with a fork or spoon. The seasoning is kept to a little salt and pepper, and a spoonful of ketchup on the side gives kids the familiar flavor they love. It is shaped free-form on a baking sheet rather than in a loaf pan, then sliced to serve, so it is an easy oven dish to have going while you make the rest of the meal.
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 18 gonion
- 48 gfirm tofu
- 48 gground pork
Seasonings
- 1.5 gvegetable oil
- 10.5 gegg
- 8.3 gpanko
- 0.3 gsalt
- to tastepepper
- 4.5 gketchup
Directions
Video is in Japanese and may show a different version of this dish (other ingredients or steps). Follow the ingredients and steps on this page, especially when cooking for allergies.
- 1
Finely mince the onion. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and sauté the onion well.
- 2
Turn the tofu out into a colander to drain, then transfer it to a bowl and crush it with your hands, breaking up the lumps as much as you can.
- 3
Add the sautéed onion from step 1, the ground pork, beaten egg, panko, salt and pepper to the tofu from step 2 and knead well until thoroughly combined.
- 4
Place the mixture on a baking sheet and shape it into a rounded log, like a kamaboko fish cake (a half-cylinder with a domed top). Bake in an oven preheated to 200°C (400°F) for about 30 minutes.
- 5
Once baked, slice it into portions and serve with ketchup on the side.
The mixture spreads sideways and flattens as it bakes, so in step 4 shape it a little taller and narrower than you want the finished loaf to be.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 202.5 kcal | 405 kcal | 202.5 kcal |
| Protein | 14.6 g | 29.1 g | 14.6 g |
| Fat | 13.5 g | 27 g | 13.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 9 g | 18 g | 9 g |
| Fiber | 1.7 g | 3.3 g | 1.7 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.6 g | 1.2 g | 0.6 g |
| Calcium | 57 mg | 114 mg | 57 mg |
| Iron | 1.5 mg | 3 mg | 1.5 mg |
| Potassium | 262.5 mg | 525 mg | 262.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 202.5 kcal | 14.6 g | 13.5 g | 9 g | 1.7 g | 0.6 g | 57 mg | 1.5 mg | 262.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 405 kcal | 29.1 g | 27 g | 18 g | 3.3 g | 1.2 g | 114 mg | 3 mg | 525 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.





