Vegan "Chicken" Divan

With the cold weather finally settling in, I begin to turn to comfort food. I especially love creamy casseroles. They are hearty and soothing. Chicken divan is a dish from my childhood that we requested from my mom almost weekly. When she did make it you can bet there were no left overs. It's one of those dishes you can't get enough of. 

This vegan version of chicken divan is nice and creamy but so much lighter than the original. It’s definitely comfort food but in a healthier version. The Daiya cheese gives it a nice cheddar-y flavor and the almonds add a nice crunch. Turns out my family liked this so much we ate the whole pan in one night. I guess some things never change.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
5 green onions, chopped
5 tbsp white whole wheat flour
1 14-ounce can vegetable broth
1 cup almond milk
1/2 cup of nutritional yeast
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp sage
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 lb frozen broccoli florets, cooked, or 1 pound broccoli crowns chopped
1 package chicken flavored seitan
1/3 cup chopped almonds, toasted
1-1/2 cups of Daiya cheddar cheese, (can be found at Whole Foods)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a medium casserole dish with oil.

In a large pot cook the frozen or fresh broccoli in about a cup of water for about 5-7 minutes.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add green onion, stirring often for about 3 to 4 minutes. Next add flour, stir around for a minute then add broth, milk, nutritional yeast, thyme, sage, sour cream, dijon mustard, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Now add broccoli and seitan and cook for a minute longer, stirring to make sure everything is mixed well.

Pour this mixture into your casserole dish. Top with chopped almonds and Daiya cheese. Bake until bubbling about 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

To see more vegan recipes from mighty vegan, visit mightyvegan.com. You can also follow me on facebook and twitter.