Vegan Tuesdays - Big Veggie Casserole

Casseroles may not qualify as "gourmet" food, but, sometimes a casserole is exactly what I am craving. I love that they are hearty and filling old-fashioned comfort food, and are easy to make.

This is a vegan casserole and it's a good way to use up leftover veggies. It's something I make frequently. There is no exact recipe as you use whatever you have on hand. The basic structure is a layer of stuffing, a layer of cooked vegetables, and then the top layer is mashed potatoes-made with veggie broth instead of milk.

I make many different types of stuffing, but my go-to recipe is toasted whole grain breads, and any other leftover bits of bread I have on hand, veggie broth, butter or vegan margarine, and some sauteed onions, celery and mushrooms. I usually season with salt, pepper, hot sauce, and maybe a small amount of sage. I break up the toasted bread into large pieces and moisten the bread with broth and maybe melted butter or margarine. I add the cooked onions, celery, and mushrooms and season to taste. Then, I bake the stuffing until the top is nice and golden brown.

For this casserole, I had a layer of my basic stuffing, a layer of leftover cooked carrots, peas, and corn, and then mashed potatoes on top. I baked the casserole in a 350F oven until the top was lightly browned, about 25 minutes. It may not sound very glamorous, but it really is delicious.

The next time you have a bunch of leftover veggies you need to use up, try making a casserole. Put everything in a baking dish and cover with mashed potatoes. You'll be surprised at how good leftovers can taste!

Please check-out what Wendy at Pink Stripes made for Vegan Tuesday. http://pinkstripes.wordpress.com/