Imagine being vegan in a family of meat-eaters. Now imagine being vegan in a family of meat-eaters during the holiday season. Welcome to my life, where supposedly bountiful holiday dinners could instead be a meager supper of nothing more than soggy lettuce leaves.
Think about it, the staple holiday feast foods are full of meat and dairy. These include turkey, gravy, ham, creamy green bean casserole, eggnog, cheesy potato casserole, buttery sugar cookies, and pies. You'd think vegans would starve during holidays.
Enter the Trader Joe's Turkey-less Stuffed Roast. It's a lifesaver, or at least a meal saver, for vegans everywhere during Thanksgiving or Christmas. My mom, a frequenter of Trader Joe's, purchased their turkey-free roasts for me to try for Thanksgiving.
I tried the roast with sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts. It was moist, tender, and overall amazing. Both the taste and texture are similar to turkey, but there's enough of a difference that I wasn't freaked out to eat it. My non-vegan mom actually thought this roast was better than turkey. The gravy topping is delicious, even though the first two ingredients in it are water and oil. The breading and the cranberry-dotted stuffing really make the roast truly authentic.
This turkey-less roast is only $9.99 (for 40 ounces) and it serves six people. You have to get the roast ASAP though because it's only available in November and December. Once you get it, all you have to do is put the roast in the oven and follow the instructions on the back. It's as easy as the pumpkin pie you'll probably have for dessert.
Try a Turkey-less Trader Joe's roast and have a happy, cruelty-free Thanksgiving!