Vegan MoFo 10: Crunchy Cheezy Casserole
I have been craving a creamy & cheesy casserole for days. Yesterday was the perfect day to make one, especially since I needed a big bowl of comfort food to eat while catching up on Private Practice. I had no idea how this was going to come out because I kinda made it up as I went along, but it came out exactly how I wanted it to. Next time you want a creamy casserole with a crunchy top you should make this.
Crunchy Cheezy Casserole
Servings: 6 ● Points Plus: 7
Ingredients:
- 2 cups unsweetened soy milk
- 3 TB Light Smart Balance
- 2 TB flour
- 3 TB nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 cup Daiya shreds (I used pepper jack)
- 1 bag frozen broccoli & cauliflower
- 1 bag frozen carrot slices
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
Directions:
1) Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees & cook the rice.
2) Melt the Smart Balance in a sauce pan. Once melted whisk in the flour to form a blonde roux. Slowly whisk in the soy milk & bring to a boil then simmer. When it begins to bubble add the salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Whisk in the nutritional yeast & Daiya. Let simmer a few minutes, whisking every once in a while.
3) Place the brown rice on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish & pour the frozen vegetables on top. Pour the cheeze sauce over the vegetables & toss everything together with the sauce. You don’t want layers. You want a creamy mix of everything.
4) Pour the panko bread crumbs over the top & bake on the middle rack of your oven for 30 minutes. If you want, season the panko crumbs with a little salt, pepper, and garlic before using them.
