Traditional "Meaty" Vegan Lasagna

This is lasagna is so good! The only reason I knew it was vegan was because I made it! It's rich, creamy, full of robust tomato flavor, and holds the right texture... because, it is ALL about the texture, right! When it comes to vegan food (and any other food for that matter) the rule of thumb is to season, season, season! My recipe has a few secret ingredients that you might not expect, but trust me on this, it works! As are most traditional lasagna recipes there are a few steps involved, but it is SO worth it in the end. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

This recipe has been created for a 9x13 baking dish.

For the "meat" sauce:

+ 4 1/4 lb neutral tasting vegan burgers (such as Beyond Burger®)

+ 4 hot (or mild) long vegan italian sausages sliced crosswise into coins (such as Beyond Sausage®)

+ 1 medium yellow onion, chopped

+ 1 cup carrots, chopped or shredded

+ 4 cloves garlic, chopped

+ 1 tablespoon olive oil

+ 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)

+ 2 and 1/2 teaspoons of mushroom seasoning (such as Trader Joe's Mushroom and Company Multipurpose Umami seasoning) ... trust me on this, it enhances the beefy flavor...

+ 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)

+ 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

+ 1/4 teaspoon fennel seed

+ 1 tablespoon paprika (...trust me!)

+ 1 25 ounce bottle of your favorite marinara sauce

+ 1 teaspoon of tomato paste

For the cheese filling:

+ 1 8 oz container of vegan cream cheese (such as Tofutti®)

+ 1/4 cup vegan parmesan cheese

+ 1/4 cup vegan mozzarella cheese

+ 5 slices vegan american cheese (such as Creamy Original Field Roast® Chao cheese)

+ 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast (such as Bragg's®)

+ 1/4 cup of Just Egg® or the equivalent of 4 egg yolks with your favorite vegan egg replacer

+ 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

+ 1/4 teaspoon of black salt

+ zest of 1 lemon (trust me!)

+ 1/4 teaspoon of mushroom seasoning (such as Trader Joe's Mushroom and Company Multipurpose Umami seasoning)

+ 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

+ 1 tablespoon garlic powder

For the cheese topping:

+ 2 tablespoons of vegan parmesan

+ 1 tablespoon of vegan cream cheese

+ 2 slices of Creamy Original Field Roast® Chao cheese

+ 1 tablespoon garlic powder

+ 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped

+ 1/4 cup full fat oat milk (such as Oatly®)

* While there are vegan cheeses out there that melt pretty well, vegan cheese does not necessarily behave the same as dairy cheese, so don't skip the cheese topping! You can easily double this if you would like more cheese on the top. This step helps with the "meltiness" for the top layer and adds a little extra flavor too... because why not! Remember, season, season, season.

For the pasta:

+ 9 lasagna pasta sheets

+ 3 tablespoons kosher salt

+ 6-7 quarts water

+ large stock pot

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, then in a large stock pot add 6-7 quarts of water and the 3 tablespoons of kosher salt. Heat to boiling.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 5-7 quart pot or dutch oven. Add sausages and cook until browned (sausages will also release its own oil...yummy!). Remove sausages and set aside. DO NOT drain oil. In the same pot, add carrots and onions. Sauté until onions are translucent. Add chopped garlic and parsley. Sauté about 5-7 minutes. Add in burgers and mushroom seasoning. Break burger "meat" apart with a large spoon or fork until deeply browned and crumbled, about 10-15 minutes.

Add sausages back into pot. Pour in marinara sauce. Add in oregano, fennel seed, and paprika. Add tomato paste. Stir well and bring to boil. Cover and reduce to simmer until cheese filling and pasta are prepared, stirring "meat" sauce occasionally.

In a mixing bowl, add cream cheese, parmesan, mozzarella, american (or chao) cheese, nutritional yeast, Just Egg® egg replacer, garlic powder, onion powder, mushroom seasoning, black salt, lemon zest, and parsley. Mix with a spoon or fork until well blended. Set aside.

Add lasagna sheets to boiling water and cook until al dente according to package instructions. Meanwhile, prepare the cheese topping.

In a small saucepan add parmesan, cream cheese, american (or chao) cheese, garlic powder, parsley, and oat milk. Stir over medium low heat until smooth.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ASSEMBLY:

In a 9x13 dish, spread about 1/4 cup of "meat" sauce on the bottom of the dish. (Don't skip this step as it keeps the pasta from sticking to the dish.) Add 3 pasta sheets. Top pasta sheets with about 3 tablespoons of cheese filling and spread evenly over pasta sheets. Top cheese filling with about 1 cup of "meat" sauce, then 3 more pasta sheets. Continue to alternate, ending with "meat" filling on the top. Dollop the melted cheese topping on top of the "meat" sauce and spread in an even layer (doesn't have to be perfect!).

Bake in oven until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Take out of the oven and let set for 5-15 minutes. Cut into portions and enjoy!