Another year, another Thanksgiving to host where we try to desperately accommodate our loved ones food preferences and dietary restrictions. While it’s impossible to accommodate everyone, being a great host includes having at least some options for our guests who either can’t, or choose not to, eat as freely. Being a vegan myself for 6 years it’s been a passion of mine to reinvent many of my old dishes to, shall I say, a new and improved version. But, unless you’re vegan, many people simply don’t have the time to experiment with modifying their recipes or have no idea where to start. I wanted to share some tips on how I’ve updated my own recipes to be vegan friendly without having to learn completely new recipes. Here’s how I “veganized” some of my favorite southern Thanksgiving staples:
Mashed Potatoes
I typically like to make my mashed potatoes from scratch for the holidays. It takes a bit more time but the taste is unmatched. After boiling my potatoes and transferring to a bowl, begin mashing the potatoes to break them down. Next, instead of your usual milk swap for Unsweetened Unflavored Cashew Milk. Continue mashing just to mix the ingredients and then switch to an electric mixer. Add vegan butter, my suggestion is Mykynos, and about half as much Unsweetened Unflavored Coconut Milk as you did with the Cashew milk. Use the electric mixer to whip, adding salt to your desired preference.
Gravy
Gravy might be one of the most controversial topics at holiday dinners! Though your typical is likely made with part of the bird you can use mushroom gravy to accommodate those who are plant based. Follow your typical recipe for gravy except sauté your mushrooms, onions, and garlic to release the flavor. Add more water, and more olive oil to begin to make the gravy. Add your usual all purpose flour to thicken the mixture. Season as normal. I do not recommend trying this with Coconut flour. I’ve done this in the past and the consistency and flavor left much to be desired.
Stuffing
Assuming that you’ll likely continue to stuff your bird as normal for your loved ones, many hosts opt to make an additional, smaller side of stuffing for those who are plant based. Simply prepare your stuffing as normal but swap any meat based broths with a vegetable broth. Voila!
Greens
One of my favorite dishes to cook! I learned my Greens recipe from my ex-husband's grandmother, Nannie. It was important to me to learn some dishes from his side of the family so that I could pass them down to my children when they got older. I make my greens with a combination of Collards and Kale (curly). I added this spin on her recipe after getting comfortable with her recipe which I actually had to reverse engineer because we all know many of our elders like to keep their recipes close to the chest! I start with a mix of sliced orange, red, and yellow peppers sautéed with garlic and onions. I add vegetable broth (instead of turkey broth with the neck bone), my Collards, Kale, and any additional seasonings. Bring it to a boil and then let the mixture simmer while you prepare your other dishes. Another very simple modification.
Sweet Potatoes
Another controversial recipe! There are many ways to make Sweet Potatoes but the recipe I prefer is whipped casserole topped with marshmallows borrowed from my older sister. The only substitutes I make here are using Raw Sugar versus Cane Sugar and Vegan butter. As far as the marshmallows go they are in fact not vegan. There are vegan marshmallows around however it’s been my experience that they don’t rise the same as normal marshmallows. Making a version without the marshmallow topping is a good alternative for a vegan friendly sweet potato casserole.
Mac and Cheese
I saved the best for last. This, no doubt, is the most controversial dish amongst families during the holidays. Even without being vegan there is often debate, or should I say competition, on whose mac and cheese is the best. When I became vegan this was one of the things that I missed eating the most. I still make it each year using my usual recipe despite not being able to savor the deliciousness. Finally, one year I was fed up and determined to learn how to make my famous mac and cheese vegan. This recipe originated with my ex-husband's mother, Hytha and we looked forward to the creamy goodness each year. While these days there are a variety of vegan cheeses to choose from, this recipe is still the most complex because it involves making your own cheese sauce. Preparing the noodles is fairly simple and there are many dried options that you can buy so I will focus on how to prepare the cheese sauce and the products that have worked best for me.
You will need Unsweetened Unflavored Cashew Milk, Unsweetened unflavored Coconut Milk, and Unsweetened Unflavored Almond Milk. You will also need Daiya Block Cheddar Cheese and Daiya Shredded Cheddar Cheese. They come in small packages I would purchase 4-5. Slice the block cheese into medium cubes. Bring a cup of Cashew milk to a boil in a medium to large saucepan. Add the cubed cheese and stir until it begins to melt, add more cubed cheese and turn the heat down to medium. Add 2 cups of coconut milk. It’s important to use coconut milk as this is what actually makes the sauce creamy and not watery. If your sauce begins to get too thick add more Cashew Milk to thin it out. If that doesn't work add a small amount of Almond milk to thin it out. I wouldn't add more than a half a cup however you should play it by ear. Combine the noodles and cheese sauce to a bowl, stirring to blend. Add a layer of the mixture in your baking dish. Sprinkle Daiya Shredded Cheddar Cheese on top, add another layer of mac and cheese. Continue until your baking dish is full with the final layer being shredded cheese. Again this has been a favorite for my family and no one can tell the difference between this and normal mac and cheese so I stopped making my non-vegan mac and cheese and we eat this each year.
Hopefully by now you’re noticing a pattern. Anything creamy uses Unsweetened Unflavored Coconut Milk, Unsweetened Unflavored Cashew Milk (or a blend of both). If your dish requires milk but isn’t as creamy you can use Unsweetened Unflavored Almond Milk. Items that typically call for a meat based broth or stock you can substitute it with a vegetable broth or a mushroom stock. If your dish calls for egg you can use aquaflaba (the water in the chickpea can) to substitute. If your dish calls for cheese sauce or cheese now you know how to make it and which vegan cheese brand melts the best. I hope this helps make your holiday season a bit less stressful and more confident that your tried and true recipes can accommodate all your loved ones.
Happy Holidays from my family to yours.
AB
Products I mention and Thanksgiving Inspo on our Vegan Thanksgiving Pinterest Board: