Creamy, salty, and satisfying. This casserole goes well with fresh broccoli or another vegetable of choice.

1/2 of a 1lb bag of fusilli noodles, cooked
1 lb ground sausage, cooked and drained
6 oz of Tofutti brand (dairy-free) sour cream(about 1/2 of a 12 oz container)
few shakes of garlic powder
few shakes of nutritional yeast (optional)
few shakes of black pepper
1 "cream of" mixture: 4 Tbs of Earth Balance butter, 1/3 cup flour, 2 cups chicken  
                                broth
bread crumbs (panko or other type) for topping  (optional)


Method:
1. boil noodles. cook sausage.
2. in a saucepan, combine with a whisk: "cream of" mixture ingredients (Earth Balance, flour, chicken broth). Add garlic powder, pepper and bring to low boil to thicken. Remove from heat and add nutritional yeast and dairy-free sour cream. 
3. Mix "cream of" mixture with noodles and sausage. Scoop into casserole dish.
4. sprinkle bread crumbs on top and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until golden on top and a little 'bubbly'. Let cool down and enjoy!

This is similar to some of the dishes I've seen in Italian restaurants. I threw it together one night and it has been a regular ever since. Pretty basic and you can add as much flavorings as you like. If you like lots of garlic, add more or even some fresh. Even some Italian seasoning would be good too.






Ingredients:
1 package of thinly sliced ham, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
1 onion
noodles
4 shakes of garlic powder
2 shakes of onion powder

This is another one I got from my mom. I'm not a "huge fan" of spinach, but I'll eat it if it is well flavored, and this dish defiantly is! We typically serve it in bowls with a side of bread or on top of rice. I prefer to make it with chicken because I always overcook my beef making it tough. Fresh onions are best, but when out, I've used dried onion flakes with no problem.

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 package of thinly sliced beef (or 2 chicken breasts cut into small pieces)
1 cup onion, sliced and sautéed until tender (or 2 Tbs dried chopped onion flakes)
2 cups fresh baby spinach (or 1 box of frozen, thawed)
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper
1 Tbs mild yellow curry powder
1 can of coconut milk
(may add bell peppers if desired; original recipe had them though we never add them)

Method:
1. In 1 cup of water, boil beef or chicken until cooked. 
2. Add remaining ingredients and boil on low until well incorporated. 

This recipe has a silly story behind it. I got the recipe from my mother one night that I couldn't figure out what to cook for dinner. After she read the ingredients to me over the phone, I thought:

"I will NEVER make this dish, it sounds flavorless and yucky. I don't even really like raisins." 

She must have heard a pause in my voice and told me that EVEN my dad liked it. I must have asked "really?!? are you SURE he liked it?" at least 5 times. I told my husband the ingredients and he said "so even your dad liked it??" Finally, we decided we should give it a try because if dad liked it, why not, I have nothing else to fix.

 Just like that, it is a new FAVORITE of ours. It reminds me of a Moroccan dish I had once, but my mother said she got it from a Filipino lady. Anyways, don't let the simple ingredients or un-picturesque-ness (is that even a word?) fool you, it is really delicious!

Filipino "Comfort Food" Dish
1 lb ground sausage, cooked and drained
1/2 large onion
1 Tb minced garlic (store minced or fresh are both fine)
approx. 1 cup of tomato sauce (we use the Classico's Tomato & Basil)
1/4 cup rasins
few shakes of black pepper
few shakes of red pepper (add to individual plates)
couscous, cooked to box instructions (or rice is a fine substitution)
(the original recipe calls for some carrots, but we haven't included them yet)


Method:
1. Cook the ground sausage.
2. In a large wok type pan, saute the onion in some olive oil, until tender.
3. Add sausage, tomato sauce, rasins, garlic, and pepper. Stir until well mixed and warmed.
4. Cook the couscous according to the box. Takes about 5 minutes.
5. Serve couscous and top with sausage mixture. Season with red pepper according to individual tastes and enjoy!

I love creamy casserole dishes. This does not disappoint. It is easy because the chicken and spinach are already cooked! It goes well on rice OR noodles.

 I adapted this recipe from godairyfree.org and nourishthis.com



Shredded Chicken Bake
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded with forks
1 package of frozen spinach, thawed
Panko breadcrumbs, seasoned with Italian seasoning and olive oil
1-2 cups of artichoke hearts (optional)

"creamy" sauce:
4 Tb Earth Balance "butter"
3 Tb white flour
2 cups rice milk
1/2 tsp salt
few shakes of garlic powder
few shakes of pepper
1/2 tsp ground sage
3/4 tsp thyme
few shakes of nutritional yeast (optional, but it does give it some nice extra flavor)

Method:
1. Shred chicken with fork while thawing the spinach in microwave (or pot on the stove). Add the spinach to the chicken.
2. In a pan, place as many breadcrumbs as needed to top your dish (anywhere from 1-2 cups). Add some olive oil and some italian seasoning. Turn on the burner, and just slightly brown the topping. 
3. In a pot, melt the "butter", then add the flour, rice milk, salt, garlic powder, pepper, sage, thyme, and nutritional yeast. Boil gently until thickened and bubbly (approx. 2-5 minutes). Remove from heat.
4. Add creamy sauce  to the chicken and spinach in the bowl. Stir until well mixed. Add artichokes. Scoop into casserole dish. Top with breadcrumb mixture.
5. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Serve on top of rice or noodles!

This is a dish my mom came up with one night when we were visiting. To make fun of my husband (who thought being vegan only meant only not eating dairy/eggs-- aka that vegan people ate meat) she named this beef casserole for him.


It is a "shepherds pie" like dish. As with many recipes, for maximum flavor, use fresh ingredients (though it is still good with frozen or store canned ingredients)


Ingredients
1/4 of a large onion
1 quart of home canned tomatoes (or 2 cans of store bought)
1 Tb olive oil
1 lb lean ground beef
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground oregano
1 1/2 tsp basil
2 dashes of cayenne pepper
2 cups of fresh corn off the cob (of frozen corn, boiled until soft)

8 small potatoes, pealed, chopped, and boiled until soft. Mashed with 2-4 Tbs of Earth Balance "butter" and some soy or rice milk until creamy. Salt to taste.

Method
Saute onion in olive oil until soft. Add tomatoes and uncooked beef and spices. Stir until beef is cooked. Add corn. Put into casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes and cover. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Warning: MANY taco seasoning mixes from the store contain dairy in some form (usually whey is added)! Here is one I found online and altered to our personal tastes.

Taco Seasoning Blend
1 Tbs chili powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin 
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp ground oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper


Season your ground beef for tacos, burritos, or enchiladas. 

Add sweet corn, Mexican rice, black olives, and salsa for a complete dish. For enchiladas: top with enchilada sauce and green chilies and bake in oven.

This recipe is a new one for our family and we LOVE it. I got it from the Six Sisters' Stuff website.

It reminds me of sweet, flavorful, breaded coconut shrimp, but it's chicken! It has a sweet, nutty, curry tone to it. 



1 cup sweetened coconut flakes, chopped
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp salt
3.4 tsp mild yellow curry powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
dash of red pepper
chicken breasts, sliced in half and then cut into approx. 3 inch pieces
my egg-like mixture: 1 cup dairy-free milk, boiled for 1 minute with approx. 1/4 cup white flour to thicken.

Method:
1. Combine coconut flakes and seasonings.
2. Slice the chicken breasts
3. Make egg-like mixture on stove
4. Coat chicken with egg-like mixture, roll in coconut seasoning mixture
5. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and bake chicken at 450 for 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on it so it gets crispy, but not burned.

This is my grandmother's meatloaf recipe with some changes to spice amounts and ingredients. I think the original recipe may have been from Betty Crocker.

1 lb uncooked ground beef
1/3 cup (or a bit more) dairy-free/egg-free bread crumbs 
2 Tb dried onion flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground sage
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 Tb worcester sauce (optional)
1/2 cup soy or rice milk
1/2 cup ketchup

Method: 
1. In a mixing bowl combine bread crumbs, onion flakes, salt, pepper, sage, garlic. 
2. Add ground beef and fork/stir until well mixed.
3. Add worcester sauce, soy milk, and ketchup
4. Place in bread pan (lined with parchment paper helps for easy clean up). Pat down meat mixture until it is low down in the pan and looks loaf-like. Top with extra ketchup (by swirling some on top in whatever design or lack of design you want).
5. bake at 350 for 1hr (or until internal temperature is over 180 degrees)

Serve with roasted potatoes or mashed potatoes and vegetable of choice.