3 Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes Even Your Trump-Supporting Grandma Will Love

Thanksgiving is a time to feast. Some say it is a time to be grateful and count your blessings, others say it is a time to grate cheese and count your servings of turkey! Maybe though, your family isn't having a "Vegan Thanksgiving," and no one's asking them to. I grew up staying overnight at my cousins on Thanksgiving Eve just to get up at 5 am and witness my Italian Godfather in a blue bandana belting country music and manhandling turkeys with absolute glee. Now that I'm older, and I'm not as interested in turkey, I still want to enjoy a meal with my family without having to make calls ahead of time or change any traditions that could rip the fabric of family into dietary shreds. 

So here are a couple recipes to remedy the awkward relative questions — might even stoop a few!

The last recipe's crust is inspired by Minimalist Baker's "Coconut Oil Crust."

Spank Yo Mama Stuffing

• Prep Time:10 mins
• Cook Time:45 mins
• Total Time:55 mins
• Servings:4
• Easy

Ingredients

• 5-6 slices stale bread
• 4 tbsp vegan butter or 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 2 small chopped parsnips
• 1/2 chopped medium sweet potato
• 1 chopped small purple sweet potato
• 2 tbsp garlic
• 6 oz crumbled tempeh
• 1 tbsp rosemary
• 1 tsp sage
• 1/2 tbsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 cup stock vegan chicken or veggie
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Half lemon juiced
• 2 tbsp flaxmeal + 4 tbsp warm water
• 1/2 cup crumbled cashews

• Step 1

  Preheat oven to 400. Mix flaxmeal and warm water and let sit.
  Sautee onion, celery, and carrot in vegan butter or olive oil in cast-iron pan until onions are translucent.

  

• Step 2

  Add sweet potato, purple sweet potato, parsnips, garlic and spices. Cook for 10 minutes.

  

• Step 3

  Add tempeh and stir in for a couple of minutes. Squeeze half lemon over top.

  

• Step 4

  Add bread slices torn into bite size chunks, after stirring, pour stock over the top and cook out some of the liquid for 5 minutes.

  

• Step 5

  Mix in flaxeggs and cashews then put into the preheated oven. Let roast for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown crust forms.

  

Cheesy, Creamy, Green-y Bean Casserole

• Prep Time:10 mins
• Cook Time:45 mins
• Total Time:55 mins
• Servings:4
• Medium

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 cups chopped mushrooms
• 1 cup veggie stock
• 1 1/2 tsp rosemary
• 1 tsp sage
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 cup Unsweetened Original Ripple Milk or other non-dairy milk
• 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp non-dairy milk
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast optional
• 1 bag green beans cooked and drained
• 1/2 - 1 cup fried onions

• Step 1

  Preheat oven to 375.
  Sautee onions and garlic in pan until slightly translucent

  

• Step 2

  Add mushrooms and seasoning and sautee, adding stock a bit at a time. Stir and let stock evaporate for a while.

  

• Step 3

  Add non-dairy milk and let it heat through before adding cornstarch and allowing it to thicken.

  

• Step 4

  Once it coats the back of a spoon/spatula, or resembles cream of mushroom soup, you can add nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor, or just mix in cooked green beans. Add mixture to oven-safe container, coat with fried onions and cook for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown on top.

  

Punkin' No Chunkin' Pie

• Prep Time:40 mins
• Cook Time:1 hr 30 mins
• Total Time:2 hrs 10 mins
• Servings:0
• Medium

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour plus some for rolling
• 2/3 cup solid coconut oil or vegan butter
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp saltrepeat for crust and filling
• 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice repeat for crust and filling
• 1/2 tbsp cinnamon repeat for crust and filling
• 1 tsp ground ginger optional for filling
• 1 tsp baking powder repeat for crust and filling
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3-6 tbsp ice cold water
• 4 tbsp flaxmeal
• 1 can pumpkin
• 1 can sweetened condensed coconut milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar optional
• Non-dairy whipped topping optional

• Step 1

  Preheat oven to 350.
  Combine pumpkin, sweetened condensed coconut milk, vanilla, flaxmeal, baking powder, and spices into a bowl and put in fridge to set. Optional to add 2 tbsp of water to thin out.

  

• Step 2

  Combine flour, sugar, spices, baking powder and baking soda in bowl and mix in coconut oil or vegan butter until clumpy.

  

• Step 3

  Add ice cold water little by little until solid dough is formed. Do not over knead.

  

• Step 4

  Roll dough out to 1/4 inch thickness.

  

• Step 5

  Spray pie pans with oil then put parchment paper in the base. Lay pie dough over the pan and press in the sides, evening thickness as you go.

  

• Step 6

  Use a fork to press holes in the bottom of the crust, then let crusts cool in the fridge for at least 20 minutes(or the freezer for 5-10).

  

• Step 7

  Fill crusts with filling and bake for 50-80 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes, or cool in the fridge before serving. Top with sifted powdered sugar or non-dairy whipped topping!