Cheezy Brown Rice and Asparagus Casserole
A kid-friendly vegan and gluten free dish! Tip - for added flavor, cook your rice in vegetable broth. 373 calories per serving.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup vegetable broth
- 2 cups chopped asparagus bite size pieces, roughly 12 spears
- 1½ cups chopped green bell pepper bite size pieces
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- 4 cups cooked brown rice
- ½ cup flour any kind
- 3 tbs olive oil
FOR THE CHEESE SAUCE:
- 3½ cups water
- 1 cup raw cashews soak the cashews in water for several hours if not using a high speed blender, or use silken tofu for cashew free
- ¾ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tbs tamari or soy sauce
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp hot smoked paprika or more to taste
- Dash turmeric
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Heat ⅓ cup vegetable broth in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped asparagus, green pepper, and onion. Cover and steam for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover, and set aside.
- While the veggies are cooking, make the cheese sauce. Combine all cheese sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the brown rice flour. Toast for 2 minutes, whisking constantly to prevent burning. The flour will develop a nice nutty smell. Add the olive oil and whisk to form a roux.
- Toast the roux for another 2 minutes, then slowly whisk in the cheese sauce mixture. Start by adding a little at a time, and whisk to eliminate clumps before adding more.
- Once all of the liquid has been added to the pot, whisk frequently to prevent burning. As soon as it starts to bubble, remove from heat. Stir in the rice and veggies. Add everything to a lightly greased 9x13 casserole dish. Optional: garnish with more paprika over the top.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.