Creamy Vegan Noodle Casserole – Connoisseurus Veg

This vegan noodle casserole is made with veggies, noodles and a creamy sauce, baked to bubbly perfection and topped with a crispy panko breadcrumb coating. A scrumptious dairy-free consolation meals meal that is infinitely customizable!

A number of years in the past I attempted to develop a recipe for vegan tuna noodle casserole. It was not good. I’ve efficiently mimicked the flavour and texture of tuna in dishes like my vegan tuna salad, however within the casserole it was simply bizarre and mistaken.

However there have been numerous issues I actually preferred in regards to the dish.

So I made a decision to maintain the great things and ditch what I did not like. I ended up right here, with a easy vegan noodle casserole. On it is personal the dish is reassuring and creamy. It is also VERY child pleasant.

However it’s additionally customizable! If the prospect of creamy breadcrumb topped veggies and noodles sounds too primary for you, attempt one in every of my customizations talked about beneath to jazz it up. In my home we loved it plain, doused in scorching sauce, and with added vegan sausage. We cherished each model.

Elements You may Want

• Pasta. The noodles you may discover in most typical noodle casseroles include eggs, so we’re utilizing dried pasta as an alternative (pasta is technically quite a lot of noodle). I used rotini, however you would additionally use one other small pasta form like macaroni or mafalda.
• Uncooked cashews. It is necessary that the cashews are uncooked (not roasted) to ensure that the sauce to prove proper. We’ll be soaking them in water and mixing them up.
• Water.
• Vegan butter. That is offered close to the common butter at most grocery shops. Earth Stability, Soften and Miyoko’s are a couple of manufacturers to look out for.
• Button mushrooms.
• Onion.
• Carrot.
• Celery.
• Garlic.
• Flour. I’ve solely examined the recipe with all-purpose wheat flour, so I can not say if some other varieties will work.
• Non-dairy milk. Nearly any selection that is unflavored and unsweetened will work. I used Almond Breeze almond milk.
• Bouillon. You should use vegetable bouillon cubes or paste. I used Higher Than Bouillon in seasoned vegetable taste.
• Dried thyme.
• Lemon juice. Use freshly squeezed juice for the perfect taste.
• Frozen peas.
• Salt and pepper.
• Panko breadcrumbs.

How It is Made

The next is an in depth picture tutorial on tips on how to make this dish. Scroll all the best way down if you would like to skip proper to the recipe!

• Begin by boiling your pasta in line with the bundle instructions. Drain in right into a colander when it is accomplished.
• Mix the cashews. Drain them of their soaking water and provides them a rinse, then add them to a blender with some water. Mix till clean!

Tip: Mixing cashews till completely clean could be a problem if you happen to’re not utilizing a high-powered blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec. Strive mixing them first in a small quantity of water (¼ to ½ cup), till a clean paste types, then add the remainder of the water.

• Warmth some vegan butter in a skillet, then add the mushrooms in a comparatively even layer. If you cannot match all of them with out crowding, cook dinner them in two batches.
• Prepare dinner the mushrooms for about 5 minutes on either side, till they flip golden brown, then take away them from the skillet.

• Add some extra butter to the skillet, the add diced onion, celery and carrot. Prepare dinner the greens for about 5 minutes, till they begin to soften.
• Add minced garlic and sprinkle within the flour. Stir the whole lot up effectively in order that the flour coats the greens, and proceed cooking the combination for almost a minute.

• Slowly pour within the non-dairy milk. Add a bit at at time and stir effectively earlier than including extra. This may assist stop the flour from clumping.
• Add the cashew combination, bouillon, and dried thyme. You may also return the mushrooms to the skillet at this level. Elevate the warmth and convey the sauce to a simmer.
• Let the combination simmer for about 10 minutes, till it thickens a bit.

• Take away the skillet from warmth and stir within the lemon juice.
• Mix the cooked noodles, sauce combination, and (thawed) frozen peas in a casserole dish. Make sure you give the combination a taste-test and season it with some salt and pepper if wanted at this level.

• Cowl the dish and pop it into the oven. Bake it for about 20 minutes, then uncover it, sprinkle the highest with panko breadcrumbs, and bake it for five minutes extra.
• Make sure you let the casserole sit for at the least 5 minutes when it comes out of the oven. You then’re able to serve and revel in it!

Variations

• Add cheese. Sprinkle a layer of your favourite shredded vegan cheese over the casserole earlier than topping it with panko breadcrumbs.
• Scorching sauce. Boost your noodle casserole by including scorching sauce to style to the pasta/sauce combination earlier than baking. I used Cholula and cherished it.
• Add protein. Add your favourite meat substitute, reminiscent of vegan hen or chopped up sausage hyperlinks. You can additionally add seitan or a savory baked tofu like this smoked tofu or this lemon and herb tofu.
• Vegan tuna casserole. Though I wasn’t a fan of my completely selfmade vegan tuna casserole talked about above, you would in all probability make this recipe work with a industrial vegan tuna like Good Catch.
• Topping variations. As a substitute of panko breadcrumbs, prime your casserole with crushed potato chips or French fried onions.

Leftovers & Storage

Leftover vegan noodle casserole will hold in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or within the freezer for about 3 months.

Extra Vegan Casseroles

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Creamy Vegan Noodle Casserole

This vegan noodle casserole is made with veggies, noodles and a creamy sauce, baked to bubbly perfection and topped with a crispy panko breadcrumb coating. A scrumptious dairy-free consolation meals meal that is infinitely customizable!

Whole Time 5 hours 10 minutes

Elements

• 10
  ounces
  dried rotini pasta
  (about 3 ½ cups of pasta)
• ½
  cup
  uncooked cashews,
  soaked in water 4 to eight hours, drained and rinsed
• 1
  cup
  water
• 3
  tablespoons
  vegan butter,
  divided
• 8
  ounces
  button mushrooms,
  cleaned and sliced
• 1
  medium onion,
  diced
• 2
  medium celery stalks,
  diced
• 2
  medium carrots,
  diced
• 2
  garlic cloves,
  minced
• 3
  tablespoons
  all-purpose flour
• 2
  cups
  unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
• 3
  vegetable bouillon cubes,
  crushed (Be aware 1)
• 1
  teaspoon
  dried thyme
• 1
  tablespoon
  lemon juice
• ½
  cup
  frozen peas,
  thawed
• Salt and pepper,
  to style
• ½
  cup
  panko breadcrumbs

Directions

1. Deliver a big pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook dinner it in line with the bundle instructions. Drain the pasta right into a colander when accomplished.

2. Place the cashews and water right into a blender and mix till clean. Put aside.

3. Coat the underside of a big skillet with two tablespoons of the vegan butter and place it over medium warmth.

4. When the butter has melted, add the mushroom slices in a comparatively even layer. (Be aware 2)

5. Prepare dinner the mushrooms for about 5 minutes on either side, till golden brown. Take away them from the skillet and switch them to a plate when accomplished.

6. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the skillet. As soon as the butter melts, add the onion, celery, and carrots.

7. Prepare dinner the veggies for about 5 minutes, stirring ceaselessly, till they start to melt.

8. Add the garlic and flour. Stir the combination effectively to coat the greens with flour and proceed cooking the combination for about 1 minute.

9. Slowly start including the non-dairy milk, stirring in only a bit at a time to stop the flour from clumping. As soon as all the milk has been added, stir within the cashew combination, bouillon, thyme, and cooked mushrooms.

10. Elevate the warmth and convey the combination to a low boil. Decrease the warmth and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring ceaselessly, till thickened barely. Preheat the oven to 350°F whereas the sauce simmers.

11. Take away the skillet from warmth and stir within the lemon juice.

12. Mix the cooked pasta, sauce combination and peas in a 2-quart casserole dish. (Be aware 3)

13. Season the combination with salt and pepper to style.

14. Cowl the casserole dish and place it into the oven. Bake the casserole for about 20 minutes, till heated all through.

15. Take away the foil from the dish and sprinkle the casserole with panko breadcrumbs. Bake 5 minutes extra.

16. Let the casserole sit out for five minutes earlier than serving.

Recipe Notes

1. Bouillon paste can be used. Ensure that to solely use as a lot bouillon as you’d want for 3 cups of broth (some manufacturers of bouillon cubes are made for two cups – verify the label).
2. Prepare dinner the mushrooms in batches if the skillet turns into too crowded.
3. A 9 x 9 inch baking dish is ideal.
4. This recipe makes 4 fairly beneficiant servings. You can additionally get 5 or 6 smaller servings out of it.

Vitamin Info

Creamy Vegan Noodle Casserole

Quantity Per Serving

Energy 558
Energy from Fats 177

% Every day Worth*

Fats 19.7g30%

Saturated Fats 4.9g25%

Sodium 917mg38%

Potassium 684mg20%

Carbohydrates 79.9g27%

Fiber 7.2g29%

Sugar 8.6g10%

Protein 17.2g34%

Calcium 287mg29%

Iron 6mg33%

* % Every day Values are based mostly on a 2000 calorie weight loss plan.