Broccoli Cheese Casserole

It's been a while! I have not forgotten about my little blog, my life has just been busy busy! I'm going to cheat this week and re-post a couple great recipes for Thanksgiving!!!  No table should be without the famous BROCCOLI CHEESE!!! *As is, this is not Gluten Free, but with a few simple substitutions, it easily could be! BONUS: If you're thinking about making a Green Bean Casserole, you can use the Cream of Mushroom Soup recipe below!


Broccoli Cheese was the highlight of my holiday dinners.  The responsibility (and high honor) of making it would alternate between us and the McDevitt cousins.  One year when it was our turn, our beloved dog, Goober, enjoyed the entire casserole to herself while we stopped at McDonald's on the way to the family gathering.  I guess that was our karma for stopping at McDonald's - gross!

This tasty concoction consisted of a block of velveeta cheese, a can of cream of mushroom soup, frozen broccoli and spinach and fried onions (the canned kind).  When I became vegan, I mourned one dish only - Broccoli Cheese.  How could I replicate coagulated cream of mushroom soup? And a mysterious block of orange goop with such questionable edibility??  Impossible!  Well not anymore.  We've done it!  With real ingredients that will make your heart skip- not stop.  This year I had the pleasure of having non-vegans over for Thanksgiving.  They were self-proclaimed cheese fanatics who couldn't believe their taste buds.  "This isn't cheese?! Really?!?."  Really.  So now, I have the great honor of presenting one of my most proud moments in vegan cooking history.  I give you...the Broccoli Cheese.  

Serves 8-10 with a lot of other food on the table or 6-8 if it's the only side dish.

This requires a little love although it looks more complicated than it actually is.  If you're intimidated, here's an overview:
1. Soak the cashews overnight.
2. Make the Cheese.
3. Make the Cream of Mushroom Soup.
4. Create your Casserole. 
5. Bake it. 

Cheese 

Ingredients for Cheese

2 cups raw (unsalted) cashews or raw cashew pieces, soaked overnight.

1⁄2 cup milk

2 Tbsp lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

1⁄2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1 Tbsp tahini

4 cloves garlic
1 tsp onion powder 

1 1⁄2 tsp of salt (to start)
1⁄2-3⁄4 tsp ground black pepper 

Directions for Cheese
1. Soak the cashews.  Place cashews in a small bowl and fill the bowl with water until the cashew are submerged.  Cover with plastic wrap and soak on the counter overnight.
2. Drain the cashews and blend ingredients.  Drain the cashews and add them and the rest of the ingredients to a blender.  We use a Vitamix.  If you're able to purchase one of those bad boys, do it.  It will be your most popular kitchen gadget and you'll have it for life.  Blend on high until mixture is smooth and creamy.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

If you're making this dish during the holiday and you're making the amazing Truffle Scented Mushroom Gravy, it's that recipe with a little milk added to it: 

Ingredients for Soup
1 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp butter
1 large Portobello mushroom, finely chopped
5 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
2 cups veggie broth
3 tsp arrowroot powder (or corn starch if you don't have arrowroot)
salt and pepper to taste
1⁄2 cup milk 

Directions for Soup
1. Make a roux (rhymes with "do" - it's French).  In a sauce pan over low heat, whisk together butter and flour.
2. Add mushrooms and sage.  Add mushrooms and sage and cook until mushrooms have released liquid and then dried up again.
3. Add the rest.  Add veggie broth, arrowroot, salt and pepper.  Whisk until there are no more lumps.  Simmer on low until soup thickens. Remove soup from heat and let cool for a couple minutes.  Stir in the milk.

Casserole 
Ingredients for Casserole 
3 1-lb bags of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and very well drained (make sure to squeeze all the excess water out of it.  Use those muscles!)
2 1-lb bags of frozen chopped broccoli, also thawed and very well drained
1 8-oz can fried onion pieces
2 cups Daiya cheese

Directions for Casserole
1. Heat oven to 375° F.
2. Grease a large casserole dish.
3. Combine Cheese and Soup.  In a bowl or the blender, mix together the cheese and the soup until well combined.  It should be a little thicker than heavy cream.  If it is too thick, add some milk, a tablespoon or two at a time.
4. Combine all ingredients.  Start with the broccoli and spinach.  Place them in the casserole dish and fluff with a fork.  Add 1 1⁄2 cups of the Daiya cheese and mix until well incorporated into the spinach and broccoli.  Next, add the cheese and soup mixture and mix well.  Spread ingredients evenly in casserole dish and top with the remaining Daiya cheese and then the onion pieces.
5. Cover and Bake.  Cover with tin foil and bake for 40 minutes.  Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes.  The casserole will be bubbling when it's ready.

Ta Da!!!