Sneakily delicious dishes that bring all the omnivores to the yard! Look for the cookbook in 2010!

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Cheesy Potato Casserole



Having grown up in the Mormon church, there will always be a special spot in my heart {and on my dinner plate} for casseroles. If you're not familiar with Mormon food culture, let me introduce you to our world in one quick sentence: Casseroles, and lots of them. There are casseroles for every occasion, but one of the most "telling" of the Mormon casseroles is the beloved funeral potatoes {aptly named because they are generally served to the grieving family after a funeral}. These creamy cheesy potatoes are comforting, full of fat, and decidedly not vegan.

Imagine my nostalgic delight upon finding this similar recipe on VegWeb. After a bit of tweaking, I think this recipe will satisfy any vegan's longing for Mormon Funeral Potatoes. Here is my version:

Vegan Funeral Potatoes
Makes 1 9x13" pan

1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup no-chicken broth {I use Better Than Bullion No-Chicken Broth Paste}
8 oz. vegan sour cream {I use Tofutti Better-Than-Sour-Cream}
1 recipe Favorite Cheese Sauce {recipe below}
2 lb bag of frozen hash browns, thawed {squares}
3 cups corn flakes cereal
3 tbsp vegan butter, melted {I use Earth Balance Buttery Sticks}

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13" casserole dish {preferably glass} and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, stir together soy milk, broth, sour cream, and cheese sauce until well combined. Fold in hashbrowns gently until well coated. The mixture will be very soupy. Do not be alarmed, it will thicken in the oven. Spoon the mixture in the prepared casserole dish.

3. Crush the corn flakes and mix with the melted butter. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.

4. Cover the casserole with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake for another 15 minutes or so, until the casserole is heated and has thickened, and the corn flake topping is crisp. Serve immediately.

Favorite Cheese Sauce
Makes 3 cups

1 cup raw cashews {pieces is fine, they don't have to be whole}
2 cups water
1 small red bell pepper {or 1/4 cup canned pimentos or roasted red peppers}
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1 tsp prepared yellow mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth, several minutes. Pour the sauce into a medium-sized pan, bring to a slow bubble, and cook until it has thickened.

9 comments:

  1. Oh YUM. There ain't a Mormon bone in my body, but I'd love little bowl of this right now.

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  2. I will definitely be trying as soon as I can restock my cashews I used up!! P.S. Had a dream about you last night...you looked great, and as skinny as college, and I blamed it on you being vegan :-)

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  3. OH yea yea yea!!! Totally not mormon but my grandmother makes this casserole for every Easter and Christmas. I'll have it again, awesome!

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  4. I made this for Zombie day yesterday and while it was good it wasn't really like I remember it? I think I'd omit the red pepper, maybe add a little onion and perhaps a little tofutti better then cream cheese.

    It was tasty, don't get me wrong, just not exactly how I remember my grandmother's version. I'm sure this varies region by region.

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    1. Wanting to make this to bring to Thanksgiving dinner. Wondered about the red pepper, myself, so thanks for that and the idea of adding onions and cream cheese. Thank you vegancognito!!

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  5. Made these up last night...and it was DELICIOUS!! Had my parents and hubby raving, too (which is always hard to do)...thanks!

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  6. I am totally trying this recipe this weekend! I just found out I'm allergic to just about everything (especially eggs and dairy) and have been craving funeral potatoes. Thanks so much for posting this!

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  7. Can you use vegan/soy shredded cheese instead of the Favorite Cheese Sauce? If so, how much would you use? We have a little one with dairy/lactose and allergy issues so I don't want to use the nuts and peppers in the sauce. Or could you just omit the peppers and nuts?

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  8. Yes, it takes a Utahn to come up with this! Thanks. :)

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