Potato-Vegetable Bake with Gravy

By the Gracious Vegan

This is a variation on the British “Bubble and Squeak,” a dish using potato and cabbage leftovers, fried with butter, bacon, or other fats. Adding other vegetables and baking instead of frying result in a healthier dish with tons of savory goodness, especially when topped with gravy. Baked beans also go well with this dish.

Makes 7 servings 

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Choose a large casserole dish. 

The potatoes. You’ll need peeled, cooked smashed potatoes. If you have leftover baked potatoes, they will work fine, as will leftover mashed or smashed potatoes The fastest way to cook potato chunks is to place the chunks in a microwave-proof casserole or bowl, add a couple tablespoons of water, cover, and cook on high for 5-10 minutes, until tender, stirring once halfway through. Timing will depend on your microwave and the chunk size. 

• About 1.5 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

When the potatoes are done, use a potato masher or pastry cutter to coarsely mash them. 

The vegetables. Separately, in a Dutch oven, water-sauté the onion and mushrooms together until the onion is transparent and the water released by the mushrooms has evaporated, about 7-10 minutes. (What is water-sauté?)

• 4 large mushrooms (any kind), chopped or sliced (3-4 ounces) (or more if desired)

• 1 large onion, chopped or thinly sliced

• 3 cloves garlic, chopped or minced

Add the following vegetables and continue water-sautéing until the vegetables are tender, another 5-8 minutes or so. Add additional liquid if necessary.

• 3 cups chopped or shredded cabbage

• 3 cups other chopped or sliced vegetables (e.g., carrot, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, broccoli slaw, celery, kale, green beans, frozen corn, frozen peas) 

Putting it all together with the spices and sauce. In a large bowl, whisk the following ingredients together until well blended. 

• 3/8 cup water

• 3 Tablespoons almond butter

• 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast (What is Nutritional Yeast?)

• 1 Tablespoon white or yellow miso (What is Miso?)

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon dried sage 

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme 

• 1 teaspoon salt 

• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

• Freshly-ground black pepper

Add the potatoes and the vegetables to the bowl and mix well, leaving it a rather rough mixture.

Taste the mixture for seasoning and adjust if needed. Scoop into the casserole dish, smooth it out, and press down a bit so things hold together. If desired, top with breadcrumb mixture.

• 1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs (Italian or plain) mixed with 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Bake for about 20 minutes, until you can hear it fizzing and the top has some nice brown bits on it. 

Enjoy with Gracious Vegan Easy Gravy, ketchup, or other sauce. A good side dish is baked beans. 

Timing: Timing: Hands-on time 30 minutes, total time 50 minutes

Gluten-free