Potatoes "Au Gratin" Casserole

When I was in graduate school some time ago now, I found myself cooking more and more on the weekends so that I could menu plan quick, easy, inexpensive, and tasty meals for the busy week ahead. I had to really budget my time and so of course, my Crock Pot was one of my best friends, as was any great casserole recipe.

Below is a potato casserole recipe that I think works great as a side dish that you could easily pair with some kind of green veggie and a protein of your choice.

The sauce:

• Melt 2 tablespoons vegan butter over low heat and stir in 3 tablespoons of flour.
• Add 4 cups unsweetened  vegan milk.
• Stir in 3 teaspoons onion powder, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, and 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast.
• Stir in 2 teaspoons lemon juice (I may have added a little more than 2 teaspoons).
• Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika.
• Whisk over low to medium heat until thickened.

Preheat oven to 375 and spray a rectangular casserole pan with non-stick spray. Peel and thinly slice 8 or 9 small to medium sized potatoes, and chop two onions. In the casserole dish, begin arranging potato slices, onions, and parsley. Pour sauce on top over the first layer,and then add another layer of potatoes, onions, and parsley. Add more sauce, and then more potatoes etc, and then more sauce etc, and repeat process until all the ingredients are used up. Sprinkle some breadcrumbs or french fried onions on top if desired, and then it's ready to go.

Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Then uncover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.  Enjoy!