Thanksgiving Casserole (Dump & Bake)
Make this Thanksgiving casserole next time you're craving Thanksgiving dinner but don't want to make a lot of different recipes. This dish has it all and is very versatile, so you can make it your own.
Servings: 6 servings
Equipment
- 9x13 inch baking dish with lid, foil, or upside-down sheet pan
Ingredients
For the Casserole
- ¾ cup vegetable broth
- 12 ounces green beans trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 cups one-inch cubes of bread from a nice loaf of bread
- 1 large sweet potato ½-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons butter divided
- ½ teaspoon each thyme, sage, poultry seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms roughly chopped
- 7 ounces meatless sausage see notes for options
- 1 medium shallot roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds pecans or walnuts also work
- ½-1 cup shredded Parmesan
- 1 cup French fried onions
For the Gravy
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspon dry thyme
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Cranberry Sauce
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Add ¾ cup vegetable broth to a kettle or pot on the stove. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.
- Add the green beans, cubed bread, diced sweet potato, 2 tablespoons of butter, thyme, sage, poultry seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to a 9x13-inch baking dish. Carefully add the vegetable broth. Stir to combine.
- Cover tightly with foil, an oven-safe lid, or an upside-down baking sheet. Bake at 375F for 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter or a drizzle of olive oil. Once melted, add the mushrooms, sausage, and shallot. Saute until the sausage is browned, about 4-6 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and almonds, sauteing until toasted, just a few minutes.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and stir. The sweet potato should be fork tender. If not, return the lid and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
- Stir in the ingredients from the skillet. Top with Parmesan then fried onions. Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is golden.
- Meanwhile, make the gravy. Start by whisking together 1 tablespoon water with 1 tablespoon corn starch in a small pot, then add the remaining gravy ingredients. Simmer over medium-low heat until thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Make the cranberry sauce by adding the cranberries, sugar, water, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a medium pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Simmer until the cranberries have burst, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Serve the Thanksgiving Casserole with gravy and cranberry sauce. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Sausage: I use spicy Impossible sausage, Beyond hot Italian style, or homemade Italian-seasoned tofu crumbles. If using the tofu recipe, start cooking it at step 4 at the same time as the mushrooms. It will take 15-20 minutes. The sausage recipe includes shallot, so you do not need to add the extra shallot from this recipe.
- Parmesan: Traditional Parmesan is not vegetarian, so if this matters to you make sure to check for "vegetarian rennet" in the ingredients list. Asiago is also a good option, and vegan Parmesan is another swap.
- Swap out the proteins: There are plenty of delicious vegetarian protein options these days. Try sliced meatless turkey cutlets (cook according to package instructions) or even sliced Tofurky roast (also cook based on package instructions.
- The gravy and cranberry sauce are optional. The gravy and cranberry sauce recipes make about 1 cup each. The recipes can be cut in half, as needed.
- Leftovers: Best within 3-4 days. Keep covered and refrigerated.
- Reheating: Reheats well in the microwave. To reheat the entire baking dish, cover tightly with foil and bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes, or until hot throughout.
