Bethany's Vegan Kitchen

Slices of cooked potato, in a creamy sauce with a crunchy breadcrumb topping. A simple, hearty side dish that will go with just about anything. Aren’t you glad we’re not 18th century French peasants, who used to think potatoes caused leprosy. I know I am. To further disprove their beliefs, none of my limbs fell off after eating this. Stupid peasants, pfft, what do they know.

Yield; Four servings (346kcal per serving) Cook time; One hour

You’ll need;

1. Two tablespoons of non-dairy margarine
2. Two tablespoons of plain flour
3. 100ml non-dairy cream
4. 300ml non-dairy milk
5. Half a teaspoon of garlic powder
6. Three large baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
7. Two tablespoons of breadcrumbs
8. Salt and black pepper to taste

Method;

• In a small saucepan over a medium heat, melt the non-dairy margarine. Once melted, add the flour and whisk for three minutes. While you’re whisking, heat up the milk and cream. I simply popped them in a microwave safe jug and microwaved for two minutes.
• Slowly add the milk and cream mixture to the flour and margarine. A little at a time, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Once it’s all incorporated, season with the garlic, salt and black pepper to taste, then set aside. (I used garlic powder as I didn’t want lumps in the sauce, but you can use fresh if you prefer, just fry up a couple of cloves.). Make sure not to allow the sauce to thicken too much, as it will become thicker while it bakes in the oven.
• Preheat the oven to 200ºC/180ºC fan assisted/350ºF. Peel and slice the potatoes, then move on to assembling the dish.
• Lightly butter an ovenproof dish and place a layer of potato slices on the bottom. Season each potato layer with a little salt and pepper before pouring over the sauce. Continue until you’ve used up both the potatoes and the sauce. Make sure to leave enough sauce to pour over the last potato layer. Finally sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the top.
• Bake for 50 minutes, or until golden brown and fully cooked. Leave to stand for five minutes before serving.