I have a seriously delicious, creamy vegetable casserole recipe to share with you this week. The best part is that you can add and substitute vegetables you like best – no rules, except: make sure you add plenty of greens!
The mushroom sauce I created for this one, combined with the noodles, gives it almost a “mac and cheese” texture – absolutely scrumptious!
This is a convenient dish to make on the weekend and have leftovers for quick reheating during the week when you are more rushed to get lunches and dinner on the table quickly.
With vegetable dishes this delicious, I’m confident that I can make you and your whole family love veggies! Try it and let me know how it goes.
Veggie Lover’s Casserole
Ingredients:
Makes approximately 6 servings
4 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
4 cups Swiss chard, kale, spinach or rapini, stems removed and chopped
1 ½ cups of peas
2 cups of broccoli, chopped
4 cups of noodles of your choice, you may use gluten-free options
6 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 teaspoon dry chives
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Sea salt
Jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced, for garnish, if desired
Ingredients for Mushroom Sauce:
3 cups of mushrooms, chopped
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ cup raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours, drained
½ teaspoon oregano
1 ¼ cups water
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup nutritional yeast
¼ cup hemp seeds
½ teaspoon black pepper
Method:
1. To prepare the mushroom sauce, heat 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil in a large frying pan. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic, and after 1 minute, add chopped mushrooms. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sea salt and chipotle powder. Sauté until mushrooms are soft, about 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Place ⅔ of the mushrooms in a blender with the soaked cashews, oregano, tahini, olive oil, nutritional yeast, hemp seeds, black pepper and water. Blend until creamy.
3. Add remaining mushrooms to the sauce and set aside.
4. Place the chopped potatoes and sweet potato in a large pot and cover with water. Add one teaspoon of sea salt and 2 cloves of garlic. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and let simmer until potatoes are soft, about 15-20 minutes.
5. Once potatoes are cooked, drain water. Add 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, chives, onion powder and 2 tablespoons of the mushroom sauce. Mash. Set aside.
6. Place peas in a small pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and after 2 minutes, remove from heat and drain. Set aside.
7. In a large frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil. Add 4 cloves of minced garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add chopped broccoli, sprinkle ½ teaspoon sea salt and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add chopped Swiss chard, spinach, kale or rapini. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sea salt and sauté until wilted. Spinach will cook the fastest, and rapini or kale will take longer. Once cooked, remove from heat and set aside.
8. Cook your choice of pasta according to the instructions on the package. Drain.
9. In a large bowl, combine pasta and peas. Pour mushroom sauce over them and stir.
10. In a large glass casserole, place pasta and pea mixture as your bottom layer. Top it with the cooked broccoli and leafy greens. Spread the mashed potato mixture as the top and final layer. Sprinkle paprika for garnish and add thin slices of jalapeno pepper if desired. Serve warm.
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” ~William James
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