Need Some Ideas

[Audrey]

I make a very yummy hash brown casserole. Here's the original recipe:

Potato Cheese Casserole

2 pound bag of frozen hash brown potatoes
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 pint sour cream
2 cups shredded cheese
1 stick of butter, melted
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Pour into a 9x12 baking dish. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until tender and golden brown.

I needed to make it non dairy. I used soy sour cream and I used veggie shreds (in place of the cheese). I also used a non dairy margarine. I couldn't come up with a suitable substitute for the cream soup. For flavor and for a bit more wet ingredients, I added a half cup of chicken broth. That helped with the flavor, but it still tasted like something more needed to be added. What would you add in place of the creamed soup??

[barbszy]

I use milk and beef broth in my casserole. Maybe you could use soy milk and beef broth.
I would also put some garlic in there, but I feel that just about any savory dish would be better with garlic.

[Audrey]

Ok....next time going to try some soy milk with the chicken broth. Thanks :)

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Look for Dawn Fresh steak sauce. It is more like a creamy mushroom sauce than anything. You can add a little soy milk or other non-dairy product to make it creamy.

[Audrey]

One of my friends uses Mocha Mix in everything as she can't have dairy. They make the best cakes etc. So I thought about maybe putting a little mocha mix in the recipe also.

[cat lover]

I personally use cream of chicken soup in my hash brown casserole recipe, and here is a substitute for that one.

From the Mayo Health Organization. This soup is intended for use in casseroles. It is low in fat and sodium.


2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup lowsodium instant chicken bouillon granules
2 tbsp dried onion flakes
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp pepper

Blend ingredients. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
When ready to use, combine 1/3 cup soup substitute mix with 1 1/4 cups water to equal 1 can of soup.


To make this a cream of mushroom soup; just add 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms when you mix in the water with the desired amount

[barbszy]

I have used that "cream of anything" soup recipe before. It's fabulous in casseroles, pot pies, etc. I add a little garlic powder to it as well.

[Audrey]

Cat..thanks, I'm going to make a batch of that. When I do use dairy we often use cream of broccoli soup. We did eat the whole thing during the week, but it needed something. Next time will try some of the ideas here. Thanks ladies :)

[Chef Mark]

Soy sour cream instead of regular sour cream,

vegetable shreds in place of cheese,

and non-dairy margarine?????

Good Lord. I going to go eat all the butter in my fridge at once, smoke 2 cigarettes at the same time, induce a massive coronary, and die the Patron Saint of Comfort Food.

From heaven I will give you these non-dairy ideas for thickening your concoction:

Make a slurry of cornstarch, potato starch or arrow root with water,
or make a roux from flour and vegetable oil, and incoporate either of these into the dish. Or use pureed vegetables, in this particular recipe's case, how about pureed onion?

Hope I've helped. I need to go raise my cholesterol level now or drink something alcoholic, stand next to the microwave or do something unhealthy.

Chef Mark

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Chef Mark, you are too funny! Do you make pureed onion in the blender? Would it be good in making other non-daily dishes a little on the creamy side?

[Chef Mark]

Vegetable purees are a time-honored way of thickening dishes like sauces and especially soups.

Roughly chop the onions, sweat them in a pan, and place them in a blender. You might need a little liquid to get it going. If making a soup, simply add some of the broth. Whiz the onion, (or whatever vegetable), and add it back into the soup/sauce.

[cat lover]

Sorry to offend you Chef Mark! LOL My DH has a really bad time with normal foods that are so good; but want to keep him around some so his diet is very strange I know! LOL We virtually eat no ,meat and even chicken breast is limited, soy everything! LOL

[Audrey]

I have many non dairy recipes.....however everyone wanted the hashbrown casserole, so I had to turn it into non dairy. Pureed onion sounds wonderful. It would add a very nice flavor to the casserole.

[Chef Mark]

Cat Lover.......don't be silly. You're not offending me. To each his own.

I use the vast difference between my diet and those of health-conscious people as grist for the humor mill. Meanhwile, I try to offer suggestions that fits into their dietary realm.

And ya wanna hear something that's really unfairly ironic?

I eat meat, fat, and salt with wild abandon and as of the last blood test, my cholesterol is 184!

It's really all the genes.

[cat lover]

You are soooo lucky!!!! Great you can eat all the good stuff! DH wishes he could.... he's on statins, niacin program and watches what it eats like you wouldn't believe and still has the problem. Before his tramatic accident in 2000 we could control all his lipids by diet alone, but since then not even all the strictness controls it. But everything medical cahnged so I blame the accident! LOL And you are right genes play a very big part in it! I still enjoy all the recipes and use them when we have company that doesn't have to watch it so close. And I don't have near the problem DH does, so I "cheat" sometimes myself! LOL

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Vegetable purees are a time-honored way of thickening dishes like sauces and especially soups.

Roughly chop the onions, sweat them in a pan, and place them in a blender. You might need a little liquid to get it going. If making a soup, simply add some of the broth. Whiz the onion, (or whatever vegetable), and add it back into the soup/sauce.

I will have to try that sometime. I sounds like there is quite a bit of flavor that would be added as well.