Vegan Au Gratin Potatoes (Gluten-free, no yeast flakes) A traditional rich, creamy au gratin flavor complimented by asparagus and pepper.
I am in the midst of a major love affair with my Creamy Vegan Alfredo recipe! As I mentioned in the Alfredo post, I am very happy with my plant-based diet. I feel so great and I’m so much healthier than I was before. But there are just certain times that you crave that creamy, cheesy yumminess from dishes of days gone by. My goal is to bring healthier, vegan/plant-based, and gluten-free versions of those dishes into the present, while making them equally as delicious. As I was consuming my Creamy Vegan Alfredo for the–well to be honest I’ve lost track of how many times–I realized I was daydreaming of Au Gratin Potatoes (yes, that’s what I daydream about!) With just a few minor tweaks to the flavor and consistency, it would also make the perfect white sauce for Au Gratin Potatoes.
I am not deceitful by nature. But let’s face it, if I had told my peeps that this Au Gratin Potato recipe was dairy free I think they would have tasted it with a little bias. So, I served it up without full disclosure. After they had consumed a few bites and raved a little bit about how good they thought it tasted – I dropped the bomb! It’s vegan, that’s right, dairy free cheesy, creamy, tasty goodness. Well, at this point what could they say but “Wow, I never would have guessed!”
I am so excited to share this recipe with you! Below you will find the recipe for the white sauce with the modifications (and the recipe for the Au Gratin itself). While making the white sauce, should you find yourself longing for process photos, cooking options, or more detailed explanations, you can find all of that in the Creamy Vegan Alfredo post. The prep and cooking times in the recipe card are a grand total for making both the sauce and the Au Gratin. Also, I would encourage you to read the Notes section in the recipe card as I have included some possible substitutions. So without further adieu, let’s get cookin’!
Vegan Au Gratin Potatoes (Gluten-free, no yeast flakes) Traditional rich, creamy au gratin flavor complimented by asparagus and pepper!
Ingredients
- White Sauce
- 1 bulb garlic roasted (5 large cloves needed)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium/large head cauliflower (steamed)
- 1/2 cup raw cashews (softened)
- 1/2 cup cashew milk
- 1/2 teaspoon finely ground sea salt
- 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper (more or less to taste)
- Au Gratin Potatoes
- 18 ounces or approx.14 two bite purple potatoes
- 4/5 pound fresh asparagus (thinner is better)
- 1 cup Daiya pepperjack style cheese (divided)
- white sauce to top vegetables (see above)
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- White Sauce
- 1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut off top of garlic bulb, spoon on olive oil, wrap in aluminum foil, place on baking sheet and roast for 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and open to cool.
- 2) While garlic is roasting, cut cauliflower into florets and steam until fork tender (approx. 25 minutes).
- 3) While garlic and cauliflower are cooking, place cashews in 1 cup of water and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Soak for 10-15 minutes and drain. Cashews should be swollen and very soft.
- 4) Place cauliflower and 5 cloves roasted garlic in Vitamix or high-speed blender. Pulse into small pieces, then blend until smooth. Taste to see if additional garlic cloves are desired. Add cashews, cashew milk, salt, pepper and blend until smooth. This will take a couple of minutes. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if desired. If sauce is too thick, add more cashew milk 2 tablespoons at a time. The sauce should not be runny but thin enough to spread over vegetables.
- Au Gratin Potatoes
- 1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice potatoes into 1/4 inch slices. Cut off the bottom 1/4 of asparagus stalks and discard (the thick, white part). Chop remaining stalks into 1 inch pieces.
- 2) Grease 10x10 inch or 3 1/2 quart baking dish (I used walnut oil). Layer potato slices on bottom of baking dish. Layer asparagus on top of potato. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- 3) Layer 1/2 cup of Daiya cheese on top of potatoes and asparagus. Dollop on white sauce and spread to coat - you may not need to use all of the white sauce. Layer remaining Daiya cheese and sprinkle again with salt and pepper.
- 4) Bake in a covered baking dish for approx. 30 minutes until potatoes are fork tender. Uncover and bake another 5-8 minutes until the edges begin to brown. Remove from oven and allow to set for 2-3 minutes then serve!
Notes
If more detail or prep photos are desired when making the white sauce please see my post for Creamy Vegan Alfredo. While the ingredient proportions are a little different, the detailed explanation for roasting the garlic, soaking the cashews and blending the sauce are still applicable.
Prep and Cooking times include making both the white sauce and the Au Gratin Potatoes
Substitutions
Cashew Milk I have not tried this recipe with other "milks", such as almond or rice, but I think they may also work.
Daiya Cheese I do not recommend using another brand of vegan cheese as Daiya has a very good melting character. If you want a less spicy version of this dish you can substitute Daiya Mozzarella for the Pepperjack.
Potatoes You can use baby red potatoes instead of the baby purple/blue potatoes.
Enjoy!!
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Sandra says
That looks SO good!!
Jana says
Hi Sandra! Thanks so much. I hope you enjoy the recipe!