I’m so excited to share this recipe with you, because it’s not my recipe! It’s my daughter’s.
You will probably hear me mention this often, my daughter is my food stylist assistant and actually more like a partner. Her name is Danni.
We have a great set up. She is more culinary than I am and I am more artistic than she is. So, she will do a lot of the heavy cooking then hand it off to me to style and work on the set.
She, along with one of my sons, is Vegan.
So what happens when you have an awesome vegan cook and baker? You get amazing vegan recipes. Lucky me, Lucky you!
Of course I want her to be part of my blog, YOU want her to be a part of my blog.
I asked her if she wanted to help come up with some great vegan recipes for Thanksgiving and she immediately had several ideas of dishes she wanted to test.
Danni is a huge potato lover, so her first thought was to do something with potatoes.
She wanted to make a classic gratin, well, vegan.
To do this, clearly she needed to replace all the dairy and cheese, but give you the same amazing creamy flavors, and she definitely did with this Vegan Classic Gratin.
The creaminess comes from a cashew sauce, seasoned with garlic, shallots and thyme.
It’s all blended up so smoothly and quickly. This really is an easy recipe to make.
If you’re vegan, you know how hard it can be to be invited to a social event and worry and wonder if there will be anything for you to eat, so, you bring food.
You go to so much time and trouble to bring a side dish or dessert and when people find out it’s ‘vegan’ they assume it must be weird or gross, and no one will eat it. Talk about feeling rejected.
I know Danni has experienced this many times.
But, because she is such a great cook and so knowledgeable about vegan food alternatives, she is slowly but surely proving how amazing the food can be.
Even if you’re not vegan, this is a great recipe. Of course you don’t need to be vegan to enjoy it!
I know you’ll love it as much as I did.
I can’t wait to have it again this Thanksgiving!
- 1 cup cashews soaked
- 3 cups water
- 4 lbs russet potatoes sliced 1/8 inch thick
- 2 small shallots thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 tbs thyme leaves
- 1 tbs salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- Allow cashews to soak at least 3 hours before making the cashew cream. Alternatively, soak cashews in boiling water for 25 minutes if you are short on time.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a blender, combine soaked and drained cashews with 3 cups of filtered water. Blend on high for 1 minute and strain through a fine mesh strainer, transfer to a medium saucepan. Add shallots, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Gently simmer until shallots are soft, do not boil. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Grease a 9x13 pan and set aside.
- Slice potatoes 1/8 inch thick and arrange into greased baking dish, fanning out a handful at a time and placing in the dish at an angle, until dish is covered. Tuck smaller pieces into any gaps. Pour cashew cream mixture over potatoes and cover dish with foil. Bake potatoes until tender, about 60-75 minutes. Remove from oven and heat broiler. Broil until top is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Top with more thyme leaves and serve.
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