Recipe: Mock Tuna Noodle Casserole

As promised, today I am giving you the recipe for the casserole in yesterday's post. I used inspiration from a vegetarian (not vegan) recipe for mock tuna noodle casserole and a recipe for a cheesy sauce, as well as what I remember about making tuna noodle casserole once upon a time. It's a bit more involved than opening a can of tuna but it's not quite as much trouble as it seems at first glance. You can do a lot of the steps simultaneously. If you want to make this ahead of time, you can make the sauce and cook the mushrooms and onions the day before. The chickpea cake is best made the same day you assemble and bake this.

You could use macaroni or a wide noodle of your choosing for this, but I am hopelessly devoted to Light 'n Fluffy Macaroni Dumplings, because they're the most like egg noodles of any vegan pasta I've ever found.

Doesn't it look like something that will bring back memories?

Mock Tuna Noodle Casserole (Vegan)
Serves 4-6

Mock tuna ingredients:

1/2 cup chickpea flour
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon sea salt (I like a salty flavor, but if you don't, use less)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Cooking spray

Sauce ingredients:

1 medium potato, peeled and diced
1 small carrot, peeled and diced
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup raw cashews, covered in water and soaked for at least 4 hours or overnight and drained before using
2 tablespoons non-dairy milk (I used soy)
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1/2 tablespoon vegan butter (optional, but in my opinion it adds a lot)
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
 Pinch of paprika

Additional casserole ingredients:

4 oz. uncooked noodles (macaroni dumplings are best if you can find them)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cups cup sliced mushroooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup shredded non-dairy cheddar, plus more for topping casserole
Cooking spray

 Make a tuna cake:

1. Using only the mock tuna ingredients listed, whisk chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, sea salt, and pepper together until well blended. Stir in olive oil and lemon juice. Add water and blend well. Add cooked chickpeas and mash coarsely.
2. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat.
3. Pour in chickpea mixture, taking care to get it evenly distributed across the surface. Put on a lid to cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook without disturbing it until it browns underneath, about 7 to 10 minutes. 
4. Flip the chickpea cake. It may break, which is no big deal, but try your best not to break it up too much. I use two spatulas for this. Cover the pan and let cook for 7-10 more minutes to brown the other side. Remove from heat and transfer the chickpea cake to a plate. Set aside.

Make a cheesy sauce:

1. Put the potato, carrot, and onion from the sauce ingredients listed in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer until cooked through, about 10 minutes or so.
2. Drain the vegetables, reserving the cooking liquid. Put the cooked veggies, about 1/3 cup of the cooking liquid, and the rest of the sauce ingredients in a blender. Blend well. Set aside.

Make and assemble a casserole:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook noodles in salted water as per package directions. Drain and place in a large bowl. Crumble chickpea cake into bite size pieces and add to noodles.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in your nonstick skillet (you can use the same skillet as for the chickpea cake) over medium to medium-high heat. Cook onion until softened.
4. Add mushrooms and garlic to pan and cook until the mushrooms are done to your liking.
5. Add peas and prepared sauce and mix well. Remove from heat.
6. Mix noodles, chickpea cake, sauce with veggies, and 1/2 cup cheddar in the large bowl.
7. Spray a 9 x 9 inch casserole dish or equivalent with cooking spray. Add noodle mixture and spread evenly.
8. Top with additional cheddar, as desired.
9. Bake 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.