Savory autumn bake

With the first dark, damp mornings and the smell of chill in the evening breeze, it's time for something simple, rich and comforting: casseroles! This dish was inspired by my garden abundance of potatoes and delicata squash; the creamy, delicate flavor of scalloped potatoes; and an awesome coconut milk-based casserole from Slappy Cakes, a breakfast spot here in Portland.

The idea was for a scalloped potato base or "crust" to a mix of autumnal vegetables in a light, creamy sauce. This didn't come out exactly as I had planned, and Erik didn't really like it, but the leftovers made a pretty darn good lunch. Hopefully I can revisit the spice mix and making the potatoes crispy at the edges.

Although prep takes a bit of time, most of this recipe is just dumping everything together and then baking for a while, so it goes quickly.

Savory autumn bake

vegan, gluten-free

serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 C potatoes, sliced thin, about 1/8" (preferably on a mandoline so they're even)
• 1 delicata squash, chopped (leave the skin on-- yay, delicata!)
• 1 bunch lacinato kale, chopped, about 4 C uncooked
• 1 C crumbled sausage-- a local brand, SortaSausage is vegan and soy- & gluten-free and Food Fight carries it. Tempeh also works well
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 can coconut milk (usually around 14oz)
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp Trader Joe's South African Smoke Seasoning
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground yellow mustard
• 1/4 C Daiya white cheeze, to top

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400. Grease a deep nine inch cake pan.
• Slice potatoes and arrange in the pan, layering to cover.
• Mix delicata, kale, sausage and bell pepper together in a bowl, then cover over potatoes in the cake pan.
• Whisk the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl for the sauce. Pour evenly over the ingredients in the cake pan. Sprinkle Daiya on top.
• Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10 more minutes, or broil til golden brown on top. Let sit for at least 10 minutes to set.