Who says you can’t enjoy the flavor of bacon when you don’t eat meat? This casserole gives it to you triple fold. With shiitake “bacon” inside, along with diced tomato, spinach, and green onion. All mixed up with gluten free pasta and creamy cauliflower sauce, and finally topped with both coconut “bacon” and bacon flavored breadcrumbs! Yum!
I had some nice, summery salads and sandwiches to whip up this week, but last week’s sunshine is now hidden behind the clouds. Here in Southern California, it’s unusual for us to have this much rain in May (or any rain at all), and even though I come from further north, I’m a wimp when it comes to the cold. Being cold, however, does give me a nice excuse to turn on the oven. So what did I do? Instead of making a sandwich, I turned one of America’s favorite sandwiches into a casserole!
I don’t eat a whole lot of pasta, and when I do I’m picky about which one I choose. I love this chickpea rotini pasta made by Banza, because not only is it gluten free, but compared to regular wheat pasta, it has almost twice the protein, almost half as many net carbs, and a ton of fiber! Of course you may already have your favorite gluten free pasta, and are welcome to use that instead, or if gluten isn’t an issue for you, go ahead and use regular Rotini. Wheat pasta expands more when cooking however, so you’ll want to cut the amount down by probably about a third.
I contemplated for a while how to do the sauce. I had some cauliflower in my fridge without a purpose and thought it would be perfect. Why not add some more vegetables? That never hurt anything! The cauliflower worked perfect because it kept the sauce very thick and I didn’t have to add any flours or cornstarch. I did use just a little white wine to sauté the garlic, but if that’s something you avoid, it won’t make a big difference if left out. Once the sauce is all mixed up with the pasta and veggies, it absorbs some of the flavor of the “bacon,” which makes it even more delicious.
Speaking of “bacon,” let’s talk about it, shall we? If you’ve never made coconut bacon, be careful, because it can be addictive. I always struggle to not pick at it while it sets to crisp up. There have been times I’ve made it for a soup topping and it’s almost gone by the time the soup was done being prepared. This can be double trouble if you have vagabonds near by. My husband gets caught picking at things when walking through all the time!
I made a casserole similar to this once before, and that was the first time I’d ever used mushrooms for bacon. I knew I wanted bacon, but wasn’t sure what to use. I didn’t think the coconut would work for the inside (but is perfect for a crispy topping, if I do say so myself). I can’t remember what made me decide to use the shiitakes, but I was so glad I did! They compliment the marinade very well and easily absorb the flavors. The breadcrumbs were a last minute, impromptu add. There was some marinade left over, and why not have a little more crunch? Just be careful when purchasing the bread crumbs. It’s pretty easy these days to find gluten free ones, but be sure to read ingredients — they’re not always vegan.
One last thing… I did sprinkle a little vegan Parmesan shreds on top at the very end. I love this stuff, but know so many of us try to stay away from processed foods. I don’t think it would affect the dish much if you leave this off. I basically did it so it would melt and hold down the coconut. Honestly though, we’re eating all these yummy, good-for-you ingredients, a tiny sprinkle of some nondairy cheese won’t hurt. That’s the way I see it anyhow.
If you try this, let me know! Please leave a comment below or take a pic and tag me on Instagram, @veggiesattiffanis. Okay, BLT casserole, let’s go!
Creamy Vegan BLT Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 oz shiitake mushrooms thinly sliced
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 6 Tbsp tamari gluten free soy sauce, *coconut aminos, or regular soy sauce
- 4 Tbsp 100% pure maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp liquid smoke can substitute smoked paprika
- 2 Tbsp olive oil divided
- Florets from 1 medium head cauliflower after trimming I had 1 lb 10 oz of cauliflower
- 1 cup unsweetened/unflavored cashew milk or non-dairy milk of choice (soy for nut-free)
- 3/4 lb diced tomatoes I used Compari tomatoes, however, quartered cherry tomatoes would also work nicely
- 1 cup sliced green onions divided (1 bunch)
- 16 oz 2 boxes Banza rotini chickpea pasta, or pasta of choice, use less if using regular wheat pasta
- 1/3 cup white wine can substitute 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 cups fresh spinach I used baby spinach
- 1/2 cup gluten free bread crumbs ensure vegan
- small handful Follow Your Heart Vegan Parmesan Shred optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a medium sized bowl whisk together 2 tbsp of the tamari, 1 tbsp + 1 tsp maple syrup, and 2 tsp of the liquid smoke. Add the coconut flakes and toss to coat. Using tongs, transfer coconut flakes to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Do not simply dump the bowl over, you do not want the coconut laying in excess liquid. Make sure flakes are somewhat scattered and not clumped together. Place baking sheet in preheated oven. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, removing to toss up flakes after 6 minutes. When they're done, they'll be getting dry but not burnt. Remove from oven. Pull parchment paper, with coconut, off of baking sheet and onto the counter. Coconut flakes will crisp up more as they cool.
- Steam cauliflower florets for 10 minutes, or until soft. Once soft, transfer to an additional baking sheet and place in the top rack of oven to dry out, checking periodically. They'll be done when starting to brown on top.
- In the same bowl used for coconut bacon, whisk the remaining tamari, maple syrup, and liquid smoke together with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the mushrooms, toss to coat, and set aside to marinate (at least 20 minutes).
- Boil water and cook the pasta according to package directions. When pasta is done, rinse with cold water to prevent additional cooking.
- When cauliflower is ready, transfer to blender with cashew milk and blend on high until smooth.
- When mushrooms are down marinating, again using tongs, place on a parchment lined baking sheet and put in oven for 20-30 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes. SAVE THE MARINADE! I let my mushrooms start to get dry, but not completely crisp. I thought they'd go better in the casserole if still a little soft.
- To finish your sauce, heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the wine and then the minced garlic. If you do not care to use wine, cook garlic in a little olive oil. Sauté garlic for 2-3 minutes. Turn heat to low and add the blended cauliflower, sea salt, black pepper, dried basil, and nutritional yeast. Sauce will be very thick, and this is okay, that is how you want it. Stir well, taste, and adjust seasonings, if needed. Next, stir in tomatoes, spinach, shiitake bacon, pasta, and half of the green onions.
- Add pasta mixture to a lightly oiled 13"x9" baking dish. Using a silicon spatula, pat ingredients down and smooth out, making sure casserole is evenly distributed. Cover with foil and place in oven for about 30-35 minutes, until bubbly.
- While casserole bakes, add a tablespoon olive oil to a medium sized skillet, over medium heat. Pour bread crumbs into skillet and stir completely with the oil. Once they're starting to get dry, drizzle in some of the reserved bacon marinade and stir again until dry. Continue to do this, tasting in between, until you are satisfied with the flavor of the bread crumbs.
- When casserole starts to bubble, remove from oven and take off foil. Switch oven to broil. Sprinkle bread crumbs evenly over the top of the casserole, then do the same with the coconut bacon. Lastly, lightly sprinkle some vegan parmesan shreds, if using. Place casserole in the top third of the oven tobroil for just a moment. Casserole is done when top is lightly browned and "cheese" is melted. Top casserole with the other half of green onions. Approximately 6 servings. Enjoy!