Vegan Stuffing and Mushroom Gravy

for the gravy

1. Heat the Earth Balance over medium heat in a medium-sized saucepan. Add in the shallots and saute for a minute or two. Add in the garlic and saute for a minute more. Add in the salt and pepper, then 1 tsp of the dried sage. Stir well to combine.
2. Add in the mushrooms and stir to coat. Saute for 2 minutes, then add in the tablespoon of olive oil and remaining 1 tsp of the dried sage. Allow to saute for 5-6 minutes, then increase the heat to high. Once it starts to sizzle, add in the white wine to deglaze the pan and allow to simmer for an additional minute or two.
3. Now, add in the broth, bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to low and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the arrowroot/cold water mixture, and stir until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and add in the nooch, if desired.
4. Transfer immediately to a small crockpot and set to warm. Serve directly from the crockpot during dinner.

for the stuffing

1. A note about the stuffing: I drizzle the stuffing with as much vegan butter as I can. In fact, I make sure that every single piece is coated with it, then drizzled and replenished with rich broth at a few intervals throughout the cooking time. If this isn’t your thing, just cut back on the ratios and you’ll still have a fabulous-tasting stuffing! If you don’t have enough oven space or want to simplify your cooking to-do list on Thanksgiving day, you can also just throw the stuffing into a crockpot for 4-6 hours. Just use a shallow, wide crockpot instead of the thin, high kind, so the stuffing doesn’t get squashed during cooking time.

to bake the stuffing in the oven

1. Preheat your oven to 350. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add in the chopped onion and saute for 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 tsp of the dried sage and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2. Place the cubed bread into an extra-large tray (I use something like this). Sprinkle the onion evenly over the top. Now drizzle about half of the melted Earth Balance over the top. Using your hands, stir the bread cubes around to coat, then add more as needed.
3. Next, drizzle two cups of the broth over the top. Distribute again with your hands, then cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20-30 minutes. Remove it from the oven and stir again. Add 1 to 1 1/2 more cups of broth, stir and place back into the oven, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes more, stirring halfway through baking time. Remove from the oven, stir well, then place the foil back over the top until ready to serve.

to bake the stuffing in a crockpot

1. You can also make this in a large oval crockpot. Saute the onions as instructed above, then add the bread to the crockpot, two cups at a time, drizzling with vegan butter and broth so all of the pieces are well-coated. Repeat until the crockpot is filled. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, replenishing with splashes of broth here and there as needed.