This recipe is a staple dish from my childhood, made vegan. Far from how my mother made her meat casserole for me when I was young but taste so close to how I remember it, maybe even better.
Being vegan doesn’t mean you have to eat like a rabbit and I think this recipe is a good example of that. Even my omnivorous husband really likes this dish.
Would pair great with a loaf of french bread, side salad, or a glass of red wine.
Would also be a great meal to prep, pop into the freezer, and pull it out to simply heat it in the oven on a busy day when you don’t have time to cook.
If you try this recipe, don’t forget to let me know what you think! Leave a comment below, on Facebook, or snap a pic of your results and tag #healthconsciouskitchen on Instagram.
Ingredients:
12 oz Fusilli noodles
White cheesy sauce (recipe below)
8 oz Vegan cream cheese
1 small bunch green onions
1 Tbsp Olive oil
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1/2 Tsp Garlic, minced
11 oz Vegan beef style crumbles (I use Beyond meat’s feisty beef-free crumbles)
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp Black pepper
15 oz Tomato sauce
1 Cup vegan Cheddar style shreds
Directions:
Cook noodles according to package directions, drain and rinse. Mix noodles with vegan cream cheese, white cheesy sauce, and chopped green onions.
In a skillet, sauté the bell pepper, garlic and beef style crumbles in olive oil on medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until bell peppers are softened up a bit and beef style crumbles are heated through. Mix in salt, pepper, and tomato sauce. Lower heat and simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Spoon half of the meat-less sauce into a shallow 2-quart baking dish, spread evenly. Spoon and spread all of the noodle mixture on top, then add the rest of the meat-less sauce. Sprinkle cheddar style shreds on top.
Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or until heated and bubbly around the edges.
White cheesy sauce
1 cup plain unsweetened Almond or Soy milk
2 Tbsp Flour
3 Tsp Nutritional yeast
1/4 Tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Lemon juice
A pat of vegan buttery spread
Directions:
In a small sauce pan whisk flour, nutritional yeast, and salt together. Slowly whisk in dairy- free milk. Should be smooth, not lumpy. Add in lemon juice and a pat of buttery spread, stir.
Place on medium heat, stirring constantly. Simmer until it is thickened, takes about 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool.
Enjoy!
