Lumberjack Casserole

This recipe is a vegan version of the Hungry Jack casserole I knew as a kid. It is comprised of BBQ sauce and brown sugar seasoned Impossible Burger, vegetarian baked beans, and cheesy homemade biscuits baked on top. It is vegan comfort food at its finest.

Since we will be baking this dish in the oven it goes without saying that you will want to use a sauté pan, Dutch Oven, or skillet that is safe for doing so. I am a big fan of All-Clad brand pots and pans. For this recipe I used their 3 quart sauté pan. On the more economical end, if you have a Lodge Dutch Oven or skillet you are also in the clear.

To start, I like to prep the onion and garlic by chopping and mincing each. Bring your pan of choice up to medium-high heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Once the pot comes up to temperature add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion starts to turn translucent.

Next add the Impossible burger to the pan and stir occasionally until it starts to brown. If you have a favorite soy crumble brand you can easily swap that in place of Impossible brand crumbles. I certainly have in the past.

At this point it is time to add the baked beans, BBQ sauce, and spices. Mix everything until it is combined fully. Cook until a nice simmer returns to the mixture and cook for several minutes.

For the biscuits I recommend setting the vegan butter out pre-measured in a measuring cup as soon as you start prepping the onion and garlic. Alternatively, if you put the vegan butter in the microwave for a few seconds (shooting for soft butter but not a puddle) then that will also work. You may need to add extra flour to the dough if it is too wet. Now is also a good time to preheat the oven.

When the oven is up to temperature it is time to add the biscuits to the top of the mixture. I like to take dough about the size of a racket ball ( 2.5-3 inches worth ) and roll it in my hands. Then using a sharp knife I cut that into two pieces and put on top of the bean mixture.

Spreading them out evenly over the top of the filling. As they cook they will expand and grow bigger. Don’t worry about gaps between them. These voids will be “filled” in once we add the cheese.

Once all the dough is distributed we will put the whole dish in the oven. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes. At around minute 25 I’ll turn the oven light on to see how everything is going. You will be looking for the biscuits to have a nice golden coloring. It is important at this phase to not overcook the biscuits. We will need to pull the dish to add the cheese and cook for a few more minutes.

Once the biscuits start to have a little color pull the dish out of the oven and set on a cooling rack. Add the whole package of Daiya “cheddar” shreds to the top of the dish. Then transfer back into the oven and bake for another 5-7 minutes uncovered or until the cheese melts.

When the time elapses carefully pull the dish out of the oven and set on the wire cooling rack. Since this pan just came out of the oven, and as a general safety practice, I like to put pot holders resting on the handles to alleviate any potential mishaps that would necessitate first aid. They usually are added first thing after pulling it out of the oven. It’s really easy to want to grab the handle to serve.

Using a serving spoon dish out a few biscuits and filling per plate. This cheesy biscuit, baked bean, soy crumbles delight will more than likely necessitate a second helping. 🙂

This dish is also good with various toppings. If you have any BBQ sauce leftover that makes a great addition. If you are into spicy foods then maybe a little sriracha or hot sauce might make more sense. If you want to sneak some greens into the meal you might consider some chopped green onions as a garnish or steamed broccoli as a side. Enjoy! 🙂