Thanksgiving was Thursday, and by Saturday morning we’d been milking Thanksgiving leftovers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so it was time to throw everything together in a baking dish for Shepherd’s Pie! I make one with Thanksgiving leftovers every year, and each time my Shepherd’s Pie is different depending on what I have left. This year I had extra sweet potatoes and it really rounded out the dish by adding some sweetness! Also, my husband and I had already devoured our Tofurkey, so I used Wednesday night’s leftovers of Nate’s Meatless Meatballs in marinara sauce as the “meat” base for the dish. This took the place of traditional ground beef in tomato paste which is in standard Shepherd’s Pie. Below is the recipe, which is all approximate since it came straight out of the leftover containers in the fridge!
Vegetarian Thanksgiving Leftovers Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
- About 6 Nate’s Meatless Meatballs in marinara sauce
- 3/4 C candied yams (I peel and cube 3 lb of sweet potatoes and cook in a saucepan on medium for 20 minutes with white sugar, brown sugar, and butter)
- 1/2 C cooked frozen corn kernels
- 1/2 C frozen pearl onions
- 1/4 C frozen peas
- 2 C leftover mashed potatoes
- 1 C shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 T butter (I use Earth Balance)
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a square 9 inch baking dish and set aside. In a small saucepan, reheat the meatballs in marinara sauce, smashing slightly to create crumbles. In a medium sauté pan, reheat the yams and corn until warm. Add the frozen pearl onions and frozen peas and heat until thawed. Mix meat mixture with vegetable mixture and spoon into greased baking dish. Place leftover mashed potatoes in a microwave safe bowl and heat until spreadable, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on high. Spread mashed potatoes on top of meat and vegetable mixture. Top with shredded cheddar and dot with 1 T of butter. Bake until edges of potatoes have browned and sides are bubbly, 20-25 minutes.
This dish has worked its way into our normal dinner rotation. I lacked a good “chicken and rice” type recipe, and after trying several over the years, this is my #1 favorite. It’s very unique with the dill Havarti, which is what gives this dish most of its flavor (you can find dill Havarti in the deli with other specialty cheeses). The “crunch” on the top from the broiled cheeses is delicious. Adapted from this Food Network magazine recipe.
Skillet Baked Vegetarian Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice Casserole with Dill Havarti
Ingredients
- 2 T butter
- 8 oz vegetarian chicken, your choice (I use Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Chicken Strips)
- 2 C frozen corn kernels
- 4 scallions, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 head of broccoli
- 1 cup of medium grain rice
- 1 tomato, chopped
- Salt and pepper
- 2 C vegetable broth
- 1/4 C sour cream
- 6 oz shredded parmesan cheese
- 5 oz dill havarti
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Melt the butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the vegetarian chicken strips and fry until warmed through. Add the frozen corn and cook until just beginning to brown. Add the garlic and about three-quarters of the scallions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the broccoli, rice, tomato, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; stir to combine.
Whisk the veggie broth and sour cream in a bowl, pour into the skillet and bring to a simmer. Stir in half each of the havarti and parmesan. Cover tightly with a lid or aluminum foil, transfer to the oven and bake until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
Turn on the broiler. Uncover the skillet and sprinkle with the remaining havarti and parmesan, then broil until golden, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with the reserved scallions.
Maybe you’ve never had a Runza. If you’re an adult and you’ve never tasted one, you probably wouldn’t be too impressed. To fully appreciate a Runza–a fast food, breaded meat pouch filled with ground beef, cabbage, onions, and American cheese–there needs to be an element of nostalgia. “Remembered flavors” produce some of the strongest sensory emotions, as much as seeing an old photo of your childhood home, or running your fingers along the fuzzy fur of the teddy bear your grandmother gave you when you were 4. Remembered flavors are the definition of comfort food. They evoke a sense of peacefulness, security, and most importantly, home.
Nebraska is my home. Born and raised, I’ve lived here for all 32 years of my life. I’m not sure when the first time I had a Runza was, but I’m guessing, along with most Nebraskans, it was as soon as I could chew. When I became vegetarian 12 years ago, I relegated Runzas to a thing of my past, a comfort food I would never taste again, until just a few months ago when I was perusing a coworker’s Facebook and saw she had posted this recipe.
I made it the very next day. I used cheddar cheese at first, then a few days later, already addicted, tried swiss. They were both good, and both almost satisfied that childhood remembered flavor, but I finally did some research and discovered Runza itself uses American on its infamous Cheese Runza. I took one bite, closed my eyes, and after 12 years going without, Runza was finally back in my life.
Speaking of American Cheese: The secret to this dish is ignoring that small voice inside your head whispering screaming, “THAT IS WAY TOO MUCH AMERICAN CHEESE!” Runza, Inc. doesn’t listen to that voice, and neither should you. This is comfort food, after all, and one pan of this stuff will be your dinner, lunch, and leftovers for days.
Vegetarian Runza Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 package Morningstar Farms crumbles
- 1 head green cabbage, cored and large dice
- 2 yellow onions, diced
- 8 oz American Cheese
- 2 tubes crescent rolls
- 2 T butter (I use Earth Balance)
- salt and black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 2 T butter in large stock pot. Add entire head of chopped cabbage, 1 t salt, and 1/2 t pepper. Saute on medium heat with lid on, stirring frequently until cabbage is very soft, about 20-25 minutes. Do now allow cabbage to brown much at all. For the last 5 minutes of sauteeing, remove lid to release moisture so that cabbage is not too watery. While cabbage is cooking, sweat onions in 1 T canola/vegetable oil. You want the onions to retain a bit of crunch. Add Morningstar Farms crumbles and heat through. Set aside. When cabbage is done cooking, combine beef/onion mixture to cabbage and mix well. Season again with salt and pepper, to taste. Layer one roll of crescents flat on the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish (no need to grease). Spread cabbage/MSF crumble mixture on top. Put a single layer of the 8 oz of American cheese slices to completely cover the mixture. Top with remaining tube of crescent rolls, spread flat. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes until crescent rolls are golden brown.
The Portly Vegetarian 
