Best EVER Vegetarian Thanksgiving Dinner

I’m sure you’re wondering what I cooked up in Lauren’s Veggie Kitchen for Thanksgiving. Well, I came up with something VERY special this year. In my humble opinion, it was the BEST Thanksgiving dinner I’ve EVER had. I made tofu roasted in my special vegan gravy. I made a side of mashed potatoes with my special garlic butter sauce. And then I made a side of stuffing from a recipe on one of my favorite food blogs. My whole family raved about this dinner. It’s like a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but better. And meatless.

Best EVER Vegetarian Thanksgiving Dinner Components

Tofu with Vegan Gravy

Tofu: A pack of super firm or extra firm tofu.

Oil: I used three tablespoons of vegetable oil. You could probably also use canola oil or olive oil. Whatever you have on hand.

Flour or cornstarch: Add some flour or cornstarch to thicken the gravy. I used three tablespoons of flour.

Spices and herbs: Black pepper, rosemary, and thyme.

Soy sauce: Just two tablespoons of soy sauce for extra flavor and to darken the gravy.

Vegetable broth: I used two cups of vegetable broth for a very thick gravy. If you want it a little thinner, you could you two and a half or three cups.

Tofu with Vegan Gravy

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

1 pack super firm tofu
3 tbsps oil (olive, canola, vegetable, etc.)
3 tbsps flour or cornstarch
2 tbsps soy sauce
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp dried thyme

Open the pack of tofu, rinse it, then slice into six slices. Place each slice on a baking sheet.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk oil and flour or cornstarch together with a fork. (If you’re using a GreenPan saucepan or other non-stick saucepan like me, you may want to whisk these items in a bowl first, then add them to the pan.)
Heat the oil and flour over medium heat.
Add the soy sauce, vegetable broth, and spices, and stir with a spatula for about 15 minutes or so, adjusting the heat as needed, until you have a nice, smooth, thick gravy.
Spoon about a tablespoon of gravy over each piece of tofu and spread it with a knife.
Roast the tofu in the oven for 15 minutes.
Take the tofu out of the oven, flip it with a spatula, coat the other side with gravy, then roast for 15 more minutes.

Keyword tofu, vegan gravy

Mashed Potatoes with Garlic Butter Sauce

Potatoes: I used about half of a 3 lb bag, so approximately one and a half pounds of russet potatoes.

Oil: I used a combination of olive oil and vegetable oil – about four tablespoons for coating the outside of the potatoes before roasting them whole and one tablespoon to drizzle over them for roasting after I peeled the skins off and chopped them up a bit.

Salted butter or margarine: I used eight tablespoons of Smart Balance margarine to melt for the base of the garlic butter sauce.

Garlic: Six cloves of fresh garlic, minced.

Herbs: Dried sage, rosemary, and dill really add something to the sauce. I just used a fourth teaspoon of each, but WOW.

Mashed Potatoes with Garlic Butter Sauce

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

1 1/2 lbs russet potatoes
5 tbsps oil (such as olive, canola, vegetable, etc.)
8 tbsps salted butter
6 cloves garlic minced
1/4 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp dried dill

Rinse and scrub potatoes, then blot them dry.
Place potatoes on baking sheet and drizzle 1/2 tbsp oil over each, then rub the oil over each potato.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and roast the potatoes whole for 20 minutes.
Start mincing the garlic cloves for the garlic butter sauce while the potatoes are roasting. Rinse them in a colander after mincing.
Melt the salted butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add the garlic cloves, sage, rosemary, and dill, and stir over the heat for about five minutes.
Turn off the heat and set the pan aside. Transfer the sauce to a small container for storage if desired.
Once the potatoes are done, take them out of the oven and let them cool for about 15 minutes.
Peel the skins off the potatoes using your hands or a spoon. Discard the skins.
Chop the potatoes up with a knife or fork, drizzle a tablespoon of oil over them and roast them for 20 more minutes.
Take the potatoes out of the oven when they are done and start mashing them with a fork.
Serve about 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes with a tablespoon or two of the garlic butter sauce.

Keyword garlic butter sauce, mashed potatoes

Best Stuffing EVER

For the stuffing, I followed this AMAZING recipe from Love and Lemons. It’s SO GOOD. Seriously, my dad said it’s the best stuffing he’s ever had and I believe him. It’s so fresh tasting, with healthy, wholesome ingredients and the most wonderful assortment of fresh herbs!