Vegan Hash Brown Casserole

This recipe from Fat Free Vegan's blog got mixed reviews. I personally loved it and so did Nick (which was evident because we ate about half the dish by ourselves after eating an entire dinner). It definitely does not taste like hash brown casserole though it is similar in texture. Instead it has a lot more flavor from delicous spices like turmuric and mustard powder to make up for the lack of dairy.

Sauce

• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 cup plain soy yogurt
• 3/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 3 tablespoons potato flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 heaping teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• lots of black pepper to taste

Casserole

• 1 large purple onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 3-4 pounds potatoes, diced with skins on
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Oil a 9x13-inch baking dish.
2. Place sauce ingredients in blender and blend at high speed until smooth. The potato flour will thicken the sauce to a nice consistency.

3. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, abiyt 7 minutes.
4. Mix the potatoes, garlic, and onions in the baking dish. Pour sauce evenly over the potato mixture into prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until casserole is set (no longer liquid in the middle), 25 minutes. Serve hot.

I served this with bread crumbs on top and some daiya cheese on top. My friend makes her hash brown casserole with cornflakes baked into a crispy crust on top. Sadly I didn't have any cereal, but next time for sure. Also, the chef from Fat Free Vegan uses this cheese mixture for Macaroni and cheese which would also be delicious.