When I was younger, I used to cringe at the very idea of casserole dinners. Perhaps my hesitation was born out of my childhood associations with the dish: tuna casserole, beef casserole, mystery(!) casserole...these were enough to send me away from the dinner table with nothing more than a dinner roll.
Now, as a vegan, I know better. Casseroles are incredibly versatile and span across cuisines and flavors; they can be light or heavy, a main dish or a side. So it's no surprise that I had to try a vegan take on lasagna, one of my favorite dishes. This version offers an autumnal spin with a creamy pumpkin cheese sauce, a little bit of vegan cheese, and vegan meat crumbles (because sometimes you're lazy and don't want to make everything from scratch). That said, feel free to try different fillings, like roasted squash or another plant-based protein.
YIELDS
6-8 servings
PREP TIME
COOK TIME
TOTAL TIME
- 1/3 cup sunflower seeds, soaked in water for 2-3 hours
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 3 small garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup non-dairy milk
- 12 lasagna noodles
- 2 cups spinach
- 11 oz vegan beef crumbles
- 2 cups shredded vegan cheese (optional)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Boil a large pot of water and cook lasagna noodles according to package directions.
3. While noodles are cooking. Make the pumpkin cheese sauce. In a blender, add sunflower seeds, pumpkin puree, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and spices. Blend, adding milk slowly until the mixture has reached a thick but spreadable consistency. Set aside.
4. In a 9x13" pan, spread a small amount of the cheese sauce along the bottom. Layer four noodles on top (it's fine if they overlap a bit). Next, add more of the pumpkin cheese sauce--enough to generously coat the noodles. Add spinach, beef crumbles, and vegan cheese if using. Add another layer of noodles and repeat layering the cheese sauce, spinach, beef crumbles, and cheese. Add one more layer of noodles and top with remaining sauce and cheese.
5. Bake for 35 minutes or until the top is beginning to brown and the cheese is melting. Serve warm.
2. Boil a large pot of water and cook lasagna noodles according to package directions.
3. While noodles are cooking. Make the pumpkin cheese sauce. In a blender, add sunflower seeds, pumpkin puree, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and spices. Blend, adding milk slowly until the mixture has reached a thick but spreadable consistency. Set aside.
4. In a 9x13" pan, spread a small amount of the cheese sauce along the bottom. Layer four noodles on top (it's fine if they overlap a bit). Next, add more of the pumpkin cheese sauce--enough to generously coat the noodles. Add spinach, beef crumbles, and vegan cheese if using. Add another layer of noodles and repeat layering the cheese sauce, spinach, beef crumbles, and cheese. Add one more layer of noodles and top with remaining sauce and cheese.
5. Bake for 35 minutes or until the top is beginning to brown and the cheese is melting. Serve warm.
Also by Molly: Vegan Superfood Recipes: REBBL Reishi Chocolate Chili
Related: Vegan Zucchini Eggplant Lasagna Rolls
Vegan Curried Stuffed Acorn Squash
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Photos: Molly Lansdowne
