Creamy Vegan Potato Bake

Ingredients

• 60g vegan butter
• ¼ cup plain flour
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 1 cup organic vegetable stock
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• Sea salt & black pepper, to taste
• 1½kg starchy potatoes, peeled & thinly sliced
• ¼ cup vegan cheese (optional)
• Savoury thyme, leaves picked

Method

• Preheat the oven to 200°C. Lightly grease a large baking dish.
• To make the creamy sauce, melt the butter in a large pan on medium heat. Whisk in the flour and stir for a few mins until it starts thickening and smelling ‘biscuity’.
• Add the almond milk and stock, continuing to whisk, then add the yeast and simmer until the sauce thickens. Season if required. Continue to stir for 5–7 mins.
• In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat then add the onion and cook for a few mins until soft and translucent.
• Add the garlic and cook for another min until aromatic.
• Add the onions to the creamy sauce and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Spread half the potato slices in the baking dish followed by half the cream sauce. Layer with remaining potatoes then the sauce. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour or until the potatoes are tender.
• Top with cheese and bake uncovered for a further 15 mins until slightly golden. Garnish with savoury thyme.