Really Easy Dinner - Stuffed Mushrooms

This is an easy peasy recipe for a great week-day dinner and fancy enough for company. You can stuff your mushrooms with practically anything, so feel free to change this recipe up! You can sub the potatoes for sweet potatoes or add some of your fav beans and add some Mexican spices.

Mashed Potato and Kale Stuffed Mushrooms

- 4 large Portabello mushrooms, cleaned (if they are small'ish - use 6 or 8),
   stems removed-save and chop the stems.
- 3 large potatoes
- 1 cup frozen kale (or spinach)
- 1 large leek, diced small (you can sub 1 medium onion)
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped small
- 2 Tbsp each of olive oil and vegan butter
- 1-2 tsp each of salt, pepper and thyme
- 1 C vegan cheese shreds
- 1/2 C bread crumbs or crushed croutons

Directions:
- Heat your oven to 375 F.
- Cut your potatoes into 1/2 thick slices and boil until soft (about 20 minutes).
- Drain potatoes, mash with 1 Tbsp butter, salt and pepper.
- Add 1 Tbsp of oil to a large pan over medium high heat, and add your chopped mushroom stems, leek (or onion), garlic, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper and all the thyme. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until soft. Stir into mashed potatoes.
- Stir cheese shreds and frozen kale into the potato mixture.
- Rub the remaining oil over the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper (don't be shy with the salt). Place on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. 
- Add potato mixture to the mushrooms evenly and top with bread crumbs and a tiny dab of vegan butter.
- Cook for 30 to 35 minutes.

* using leftover mashed potatoes makes this quicker. Also, add any fresh or dried herbs you like.
* Serve with your favorite salad. I served with beet/orange salad!

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes - All plant based!

This is an easy dish to make that we call cheesy scalloped potatoes, but if you are serving them to guests you can call them Potatoes au Gratin. Either way, they are delicious! This recipe serves 6 but you can change it up if you are serving a crowd.

Ingredients:

- 4 cups potatoes, thinly sliced (you can use a mandolin if you have one)
- 3 Tbsp of vegan butter
- 3 Tbsp flour
- 1 1/2 cups of unsweetened plain almond milk
- 1 cup grated vegan cheese, plus 1/2 cup for topping (Follow Your Heart Cheddar Shreds are perfect)
- 1 tsp each: salt and pepper
- a pinch each: cayenne pepper and paprika

Directions:
- Heat oven to 350 F.
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and slowly whisk in flour. Stir for about 30 seconds. Add cayenne, paprika, salt and pepper and continue stirring.
- Slowly whisk in milk and cook until mixture starts to bubble. Add cheese and remove from heat. Stir until all cheese has melted.
- Arrange half of your sliced potatoes in a slightly greased casserole dish then pour half your cheese mixture over. Repeat with the remaining potatoes and cheese sauce.
- Top with your remaining cheese shreds and place in heated oven for one hour.