As Thanksgiving rapidly approaches, and the Friendsgiving potluck dinners are in full swing, I thought it would be appropriate to share one of my favorite thanksgiving side dishes, completely revamped and veganized. Growing up, I always looked forward to my mom’s mashed potatoes around the holiday or whenever she felt like making them. I would create mashed potato mountains sky high on my plate and devour every last bite.
THE POTATOES
- 3 lbs Organic Yellow Potatoes, skinned + boiled
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 2 tbs vegan butter (Earth Balance)
- 8 oz vegan cream cheese (I used Kite Hill Chive flavor)
- 1 tbs garlic powder
- 1/8 cup scallions, finely chopped
- 1/8 cup fresh chives, finely chopped
- 1 tsp rosemary
- salt + pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Add skinned and boil potatoes to large bowl and mash with fork or other mashing apparatus until fluffy
- Add remainder of ingredients to bowl and mix in throughly until smooth and creamy
THE MUSHROOM GRAVY
Modified from Jasmine’s recipes on SweetSimpleVegan.com
- 2 Tbsp vegetable broth, + more as needed (for cooking)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup white or yellow onion, diced
- ⅓ carrot, peeled and diced
- 4 oz cup thinly sliced mushrooms, chopped small
- ¼ tsp fresh sage
- ½ tsp fresh thyme, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons Trader Joes gluten-Free flour blend
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk*
- 2 teaspoons coconut aminos
- ⅛-1/4 teaspoon salt, to taste
- Fresh black pepper, to taste
- Add a bit of water or vegetable broth to a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in the garlic, onion and carrot, and cook until the onions are translucent. Add in the mushrooms, sage thyme, rosemary, and cook until mushrooms soften, about 3 mins.
- Add flour and coat, mix well and cook for 1 minute.
- Slowly add in liquids, ½ cup at a time.
- Cook until thickened, stirring frequently, on low. Add salt and pepper, taste, then adjust seasonings as needed.
- Pour into blender or food processor and blend until smooth
- Serve over the potatoes and enjoy!
I suggest making a little bit extra, maybe a double batch, so you can enjoy these well after the festivities pass. You can create awesome and ridiculous meals like mashed potato sandwiches (photo coming to Instagram @consciouschris soon), thanksgiving leftover pizza, and more—the possibilities are limitless.
Wishing you all a very happy Thanksgiving—please pardon all turkeys!
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