Cheesy Kale Casserole

It’s happened.

You’ve been invited to a potluck, a family meal or a party in the throws of your 6 week Eat to Live program.

You’re stressed, you’re anxious, you’re absolutely terrified of falling off of the nutritarian plan that’s helping you loose weight, regain your health and feel amazing.

No one likes suffering through the night with a crudite platter, and (if you’re lucky) some afterthought-hummus.  Especially while watching fellow partygoers stuff their faces with buffalo wings, mystery meatballs and constantly asking you “Why you aren’t eating anything?!”  Ugh.

Now, you just stop all that worrying–I got you!

I’d like you to meet your new best friend–Cheesy Kale Casserole.

She’s cheesy,

She’s vegan,

(yes, she’s a she)

She’s loaded with plant-based protein and nutrient-powerhouse superfoods like mushrooms, onions and kale,

She’s nutritarian (that means there’s no added salt, no oil, no processed foods),

She’s sexy and so freakin’ delicious!  (Okay, that will be enough of the she-ing!)

Bottom line: This recipe is going to become your social-eating shield.  You are going to take this baby with you every time you get invited to a food-centric social gathering.

And guess what?  Everyone is going to love you for it!

If you’re just about done with all the build up, just scroll down to the end of the post for the printable recipe!

If foreplay’s your favorite part, come read with me…

I cannot wait for you to try this dish!  I mean just look at all that freshness up there!

You’re going to be so pleasantly surprised to see that with the aid of a few pantry staples, these ingredients are going to be elevated into a savory, deeply-flavorful dish that’s going to leave you completely satisfied and content.

This is a soulful dish–those flavors run deep.

And, hello!  Cheese sauce.  Luscious, nutritarian cheese sauce makes life better.  Just look at that:

So, this recipe takes time.

It’s not a mid-week kinda meal.  It’s a special occasion, dinner party, Sunday-supper-classic.

When I food prep for the week, I keep my meals simple and then do more complicated dishes, like this one, on the weekend.  Especially Saturdays–that’s when I have the extra time, since Sundays are my meal prep days.

You can see my weekly meal prep routine here and get a free weekly meal planner while you’re at it!

What I love about this casserole is you can make it a day ahead.  Get it all ready to go the day or night before and then pop it in the oven when it’s showtime!

This is easy to do!  In no way would I say this is a difficult recipe.

But it does take time.  Time and love.  There are two components to prep before, the cheese sauce and the tofu eggs, and a lot of sauteing and layering to build flavors.

This is real cooking–and your taste buds are going to love you for it!

This casserole also has pizzazz!

Yes, this necessitates bringing the word pizzaz back!

It’s pretty to look at.  That’s another reason why it’s perfect for special family meals, dinner parties or when you’re invited to a potluck.   Your hostess will be happy to have it on her spread and it’s hearty enough for vegans and meat-lovers alike.

Yeah, I’m pretty pumped up on this dish because it’s the very first nutritarian casserole recipe I’ve developed!  It’s been through revisions, corrections, rigorous testing–and now my hubby and I can’t live without it.

I make it every. single. weekend.

Okay, okay enough foreplay…

Let’s do this!

First you’re going to need to make a batch of these recipes:
• Nutritarian Cashew Cheese Sauce
• Nutritarian Tofu Scrambled Eggs
• Vegan Parmesan (omit salt)

4.86 from 7 votes

Print

Cheesy Kale Casserole

A nutritarian-friendly, vegan, no-oil, no added salt casserole, packed with superfoods and plenty of soulful flavor!  Welcome to your go-to party, potluck and Sunday dinner meal!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 8 people

Author Kristen Hong

Ingredients

• 6 cups Tuscan or dinosaur kale (center ribs removed)
• 3 cups Cremini mushrooms, chopped
• 2 cups low-sodium veggie stock
• 2 cups brown rice, cooked
• 2 cups tofu eggs (see notes for link to recipe)
• 1 1/4 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 cup Nutritarian Cashew Cheese Sauce (see notes for link to recipe)
• 1 cup diced red pepper
• 1/4 cup Cashew Parmesan Cheese (see notes for link to recipe)
• 1 tbsp no-salt seasoning
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup crushed no-salt-added kale chips (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
   

2. Add 1 cup low-sodium veggie stock in large skillet, over medium-high heat.  Add diced onions and saute for 6 minutes or just translucent.

3. Add 3 cups chopped mushrooms, 1 cup of veggie stock, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder and 1 tbsp. no-salt seasoning. Saute for 6 to 7 minutes.

4. Add 6 cups kale and reduce heat to medium.  Saute for 7 minutes

5. Add 3/4th cup of the diced red peppers, reserve 1/4 cup for garnish.  Saute mixture for another 2 minutes.

6. Reduce heat to low, and add 2 cups brown rice, 2 cups tofu eggs, and 1 cup Nutritarian Cashew Cheese Sauce.  Mix well.

7. Transfer mixture to oven-safe casserole dish.  Sprinkle the top with 1/4th cup vegan Parmesan cheese and optional crushed cheesy kale chips. Top with 1/4 cup diced red peppers.

8. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes

I recommend having the cheese sauce and tofu scrambled eggs ready to go before starting the recipe. You can make this up to a day before and store it in the fridge before baking--just let it go for an extra 10-15 minutes in the oven. Leftovers keep for up to 7 days in glass containers in the fridge.