These Creamy Vegan Au Gratin Potatoes are a perfect addition to your holiday table! They are creamy and dreamy, and are totally irresistible. Thanksgiving plant-based style can be just as satisfying and delicious!
This blog post is sponsored by Sprouts Farmers Market.
It’s hard to refuse a cozy potato dish for Thanksgiving, especially when the potatoes are layered in a creamy, vegan cheesy sauce! The potatoes are sliced then combined with a super simple cream sauce, then topped with vegan cheese, and finally topped with fresh thyme for serving. The thyme is optional but adds a lovely flavor to the potatoes.
The sauce is made with Silk Dairy-Free Heavy Whipping Cream, which is perfect in here to make the sauce nice and creamy in combination with vegetable broth. You can find Silk Dairy-Free Heavy Whipping Cream at Sprouts Farmers Market, along with all the other plant-based goodies you need for Thanksgiving! You can make an epic Thanksgiving spread to serve the best for your guests this Thanksgiving with Sprouts, as they have amazing produce, pantry staples, and vegan products.
I love shopping at Sprouts for the holidays, since the vibrant produce always impresses, and I can easily find the vegan products too. The plant-based items are marked to make it so simple to grab what you need for awesome vegan fixins’!
How These Creamy Vegan Au Gratin Potatoes Come Together
These yummy potatoes come together in 3 simple steps:
Preparing the potatoes: start by peeling your russet potatoes, then slice them around 1/2 cm thick. The simplest way to slice the potatoes is using a mandolin (be careful, as these are sharp!). Alternatively, you can simply slice them using a knife. Just make sure your slices are crosswise. To avoid browning, you can optionally place the potatoes into a mixing bowl with cold water, as you slice them.
Preparing the sauce: In a medium-sized saucepan, you’ll add the butter, over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the flour and whisk them together until the mixture is fully combined. Have the vegetable broth handy so that you can then slowly drizzle in the broth, as you’re constantly whisking the mixture. The constant whisking as you drizzle in the liquid will serve to avoid a clumpy sauce. Then when the mixture starts to simmer, add in the cream and seasonings, and whisk well.
Layering the potatoes together: I use a 9×13 inch baking dish for this, which holds everything well. Grease the pan with vegan butter or olive oil. Spread half of the potatoes (just dry them off first) across the bottom of the pan, and add half the sauce over top. Using a spatula, make sure all the potatoes are covered. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese over top, then add the remaining potatoes, followed by remaining sauce. Make sure all of the potatoes are evenly covered, then cover the pan with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake a further 20 to 30 minutes, then check for tenderness. You should be able to easily pierce the potatoes with a fork. Add the remaining vegan cheese over top, and place the potatoes under the broiler on High for 2 – 4 minutes. Lastly, top with fresh thyme if desired!
Other Delicious Holiday Recipes
Vegan Thanksgiving Dessert Board
Maple Dijon Roasted Vegetables
Romanesco & Butternut Squash Pasta
If you make this recipe, I would love to see it! You can tag me on Instagram @janetsmunchmeals and comment here!
Creamy Vegan Au Gratin Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds russet potatoes
- ¼ cup vegan butter
- 3 tbsp. flour
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup Silk Dairy-Free Heavy Whipping Cream
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ¼ tsp. garlic powder
- ¼ tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. dried tarragon
- Dash ground thyme
- 2 cups plant-based cheddar or mozzarella shreds
- Fresh thyme for serving
Instructions
- Fill a large mixing bowl halfway with cold water. Peel 3 pounds potatoes and slice them approximately ½ cm thick. Place sliced potatoes into water to prevent browning (optional). Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium-sized saucepan, add ¼ cup vegan butter on medium heat. When melted, whisk in 3 tbsp. flour until smooth. Slowly drizzle in 2 cups vegetable broth, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring often. Gradually whisk in 1 cup cream, along with ½ tsp. kosher salt, ¼ tsp. garlic powder, ¼ tsp. onion powder, ½ tsp. dried tarragon, and dash ground thyme.
- Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan. Place half of potatoes into pan, along with half sauce. Ensure potatoes are coated in sauce and the potatoes are quite level across the pan. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the vegan cheese shreds, evenly across. Layer remaining half of potatoes across the pan, then drizzle in remaining sauce over potatoes. Use spatula to ensure potatoes are coated in sauce. Cover pan with foil and place into oven for 40 minutes.
- Remove pan from oven, remove the foil, and place back into oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Check for tenderness by piercing the potatoes with a fork. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup vegan cheese shreds evenly over top. Place under broiler on High for 2 to 4 minutes to get some light browning on top. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves.