Vegan Hamburger Casserole

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 45

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 1 10

Servings:

Calories: 347kcal

Author: Jacq

Vegan Hamburger Casserole or Vegan Cheeseburger Casserole is a meat-free version of the traditional American Cheeseburger Casserole. This family favourite recipe has all your favourite veggie burger flavours but in a casserole form!

This casserole can be easily prepared as gluten-free.

Print Recipe

US Customary - Metric

Equipment

Sauté pan/skillet
Small saucepan
Casserole dish at least 3-4 litres (3-4 quarts) capacity

Ingredients

Rehydrate TVP mince:

80 grams textured vegetable protein [TVP] mince, dried
1 teaspoon marmite [or yeast extract]
500 millilitres vegetable stock [hot]

Sauté vegetables:

250 millilitres vegetable stock [or 1 tablespoon of oil]
1 medium onion [chopped]
140 grams carrots [1 large, sliced]
100 grams celery [about 2 sticks, diced]
4 cloves garlic [thin sliced or minced]

Rest of casserole filling:

750 grams potatoes [chopped into roughly 1-1 ½ inch chunks]
1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce [or replace with 1-2 tablespoons of brown sauce or tomato ketchup. Or an extra tablespoon of soy sauce.]
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs
600 millilitres vegetable stock [use a vegan beef flavour if available.]

Vegan cheese sauce:

1 tablespoon margarine
2 tablespoons plain flour [or gluten-free plain flour/ all-purpose/wholemeal plain flour]
400 millilitres plant based milk
6 tablespoons vegetable stock
20 grams nutritional yeast flakes

Topping:

100 grams breadcrumbs
50 grams vegan cheese [grated, or replace with 20 grams of nutritional yeast flakes]
3 medium tomatoes [thin sliced, optional, can replace with mushrooms]
4 small pickled gherkins/dill pickles [diced, optional use more if liked or replace with sliced jalapeños from a can]

Instructions

Rehydrate the TVP mince:

Add the TVP to hot vegetable stock and mix in the Marmite. Let it soak for at least 30 minutes, stirring a few times.
Once soaked, drain the liquid but reserve it for later use.
80 grams textured vegetable protein [TVP] mince, dried, 1 teaspoon marmite, 500 millilitres vegetable stock

Sauté vegetables:

Heat 250ml/1 cup of vegetable stock to a gentle boil. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Alternatively, cook the vegetables in 1-2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat, stirring frequently for 5-8 minutes. Add the garlic during the last few minutes of cooking.
250 millilitres vegetable stock, 1 medium onion, 140 grams carrots, 100 grams celery, 4 cloves garlic

Continue preparing the filling:

Add the TVP mince and give everything a good mix.
Next, stir through the soy sauce, vegan Worcester sauce, mixed herbs, and potatoes
Cook for 2-3 minutes.
750 grams potatoes, 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs
Pour in the vegetable stock and any reserved soaking liquid from the TVP.
600 millilitres vegetable stock
Pop a lid on the pan and cook for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 200 fan/ 210 Celsius/ Fahrenheit 410/ Gas 6.
Leave the filling to cook while you prepare the cheese sauce. Just give it a stir every now and then and add extra stock or water if needed.
Remove the lid and cook for an extra 5-10 minutes. The potatoes should be soft before adding to the casserole dish.

While the potato-mince filling is cooking prepare the sauce:

Melt the margarine in a saucepan. Once melted add vegetable stock and stir.
1 tablespoon margarine
Once melted add the vegetable stock and stir.
6 tablespoons vegetable stock
Mix through the flour.
2 tablespoons plain flour
Slowly add the plant-based milk stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
400 millilitres plant based milk
Bring to the boil, then lower the heat, and simmer for 3-5 minutes.
Stir frequently and extra milk just to thin the sauce if it looks too thick although the sauce should be quite thick.
Don't worry if lumps appear it doesn't affect the casserole, but if preferred you can can be sieved or blend the sauce if you end up with quite a few lumps.
Take the pan off the heat and stir through the nutritional yeast flakes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
20 grams nutritional yeast flakes

Assemble the casserole:

Add the potato-mince mixture into the casserole dish.
Pour over the cheese sauce and spread it over to cover the filling.
Mix the breadcrumbs and grated vegan cheese together. Sprinkle over the sauce.
100 grams breadcrumbs, 50 grams vegan cheese
Scatter over the chopped gherkins and slices of tomato. Season with salt and pepper.
3 medium tomatoes, 4 small pickled gherkins/dill pickles

Bake:

Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the topping is golden, melted, and crispy and the filling is hot and bubbly.
Serve with your favourite veggie burger sides and sauces. Such as hot sauce, tomato ketchup, brown sauce, BBQ sauce, vegan sour cream or mayonnaise, guacamole, salsa, mustard, etc.

Notes

Nutritional information is provided for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients vary.
Instead of TVP mince you can use 350-400grams of fresh or frozen meat-free mince.
Instead of vegan mince use 300 grams of mushrooms chopped really small into mince size pieces. A small food processor is great for crumbling the mushrooms into tiny pieces.
For a change replace the potatoes with pasta or thick noodles - adjust liquid quantities to suit.
The breadcrumb topping is optional, if you are in a hurry simply omit and just add grated vegan cheese or nutritional yeast flakes.
The cooked potatoes and mince can be enjoyed without baking as a casserole, just add extra water or vegetable stock to create a gravy and serve in a bowl. A slice of thick crusty bread to mop up the savoury gravy is nice.
Leftovers can be stored, covered, for 3 days.
Or frozen for 2-3 months.
Thaw before reheating.
Reheat at the cooking temperature, you can add a layer of kitchen foil over the casserole to prevent over-colouring the top. Reheat for 25 -35 minutes until piping hot.
Leftovers are tasty served over a slice of toasted/grilled bread.
Or use the leftover casserole as a filling for grilled cheese toasties.
Alternatively, give the leftovers a mash and use as a sloppy joe filling.

Nutrition