This super-easy casserole is a perfect healthy dish to feed an army. If you’ve got kids who need to get some veggies in them, a nice crunchy topping can go a long way. It would also be a perfect veggie option for a big Thanksgiving or Christmas or Celebration-type dinner, when there’s lots of mouths. Or make it all for yourself and have leftovers for lunch! Mmmmmm, leftovers.
Ingredients:
- 1 package firm tofu
- 200g/3 generous cups fresh bread crumbs
- 1 head cauliflower
- 3 large carrots
- 1 large potato, or handful small
- 1/2 butternut squash, or 1 small
- 5 medium sized white onions
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt (to taste)
- generous helping of freshly ground pepper
- drizzle of olive oil
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180/350.
- Slice the onions and roughly chop all of the other veggies. The squash can be peeled with a veggie peeler, and don’t forget to scoop the seeds.
- Mix all of the veggies with the turmeric, chili powder, cumin and a pinch of salt and spread in a large pyrex baking dish.
- Drain the tofu and crumble by hand into the bread crumbs.
- Add a generous amount of fresh ground pepper and salt to taste, then mix by hand until combined.
- Crumble on top of the veggies, and drizzle on some olive oil to help it crisp up on top.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, until top is golden brown and veggies are cooked.
- Makes 6 big servings, or many sides.
Additional Notes
The toppings may look a little unconventional, but the tofu in it crisps up nicely on the top and stays soft on the bottom. The salt and pepper and oil combination reminds me a bit of the crispy fried tofu that my local chinese did in Vancouver. It might even be nice with some garlic rubbed in- though I’d change the spices inside in that case. It’s a very flexible recipe though, so do just throw in whatever you think will be nice!
I’d recommend making your own bread crumbs for this- store-bought ones can be a bit powdery and dry, especially the gluten-free type. Just take a few pieces of leftover bread and whizz it in a food processor. If you don’t have one, rip/crumble with your fingers (or if your bread is hard, there’s always the option of toasting it, putting it in a bag and whacking it with a rolling pin).