Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes: Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

When I was growing up, each year at Thanksgiving my dad would ask us to go around the table and name what we were grateful for. I was never a huge fan of this tradition, mainly because I hate forced expressions of thanks and their attendant perfunctory speeches (I can only say I'm grateful for my health so many times before it loses its meaning). This year, it feels especially challenging to make such declarations when most things feel pretty chaotic in the world. Just a few weeks ago, I thought this holiday season would be marked by celebration and relief, but it turns out that's hardly the case. Maybe instead of giving thanks, we can sit down to our meal and set intentions for the coming year. What can we do next year to ensure that we honestly feel grateful for what we have, what we've done for others and ourselves? Here's what I plan to do: compost regularly; adopt a cat; donate to organizations that fight bigotry; and share my writing publicly. The true measure of our commitment is not how much we pour into the work, but rather our sustained effort over time. Don't forget to keep fighting for what you know is right. We're in this for the long haul. And when you do sit down for Thanksgiving dinner, I hope you'll be enjoying these cheesy scalloped potatoes, which are vegan and made of whole, unprocessed foods. The cheese sauce is my go-to--thickened with sunflower seeds--and it's poured over sliced potatoes and baked until perfectly browned. It doesn't require a ton of prep work, but you can definitely make the cheese sauce ahead of time and refrigerate it until the casserole is ready to go in the oven.