Instructions: Using any of the "crumbles", such as Green Giant, Morning Star, Yves Veggie Grounds, etc, is akin to using pre-browned ground meat. Thats why you cant get them to stick together.

Veggie burgers can also be used for pre-browned meat. Simply crumble the patties first. (I didnt like the Green Giant version of crumbles, and have been leary to try the other brands. So I use crumbled veggie patties instead.)

If you want a "raw" ground meat substitute, try Gimme Lean hamburger or sausage flavor. Or you can reconstitute TVP granules with liquid and herbs or spices. (The directions for reconstituting are on the package or the bulk bin.) Once reconstituted, you can proceed as you would with ground meat and create a meatloaf, burger patties, meatballs, etc.

Some of the veggie burgers might be soft and moist enough to shape into meatballs, but I havent tried that.

Either version of these fake ground meats can be used in things like Sloppy Joes, tacos, chilis, sauces, etc. The resulting texture may be different depending on which one you use. The crumbles products tend to remain chewier, and thus more meat like.

If you are using dry TVP in dishes with a fair amount of liquid (sauces, chiles, Sloppy Joes), you do not necessarily have to reconstitute it first. My taste preference is to reconstitute the tvp first if the dish isnt going to be cooked for a long while. So I tend to add dry tvp to chilis, but not to Sloppy Joes.

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