A cozy, hands-off, no sauté mushroom potato casserole that needs just 1 pan. Layers of rich mushroom gravy with beans and veggies, layered with crisp garlic herb potatoes that take only minutes to put together as the oven does all the work. (gluten-free with soy-free and nut-free options)

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 25 minutes
  • Cook time: 80 minutes
  • Total time: 105 minutes
  • Yield: 6
  • Category: dinner, Main, Main Course
  • Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

For the Mushrooms and Onion Layer

  • 10 to 12 ounces mushrooms (sliced ⅛” to ¼” thick)
  • ¾ cup chopped onion (chopped small)
  • ½ cup chopped carrots (chopped small, or more, to taste)
  • 3 teaspoons olive oil (divided)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ cup red wine (or [adjustable]1½ tablespoons[/adjustable] balsamic vinegar + [adjustable]2 tablespoons[/adjustable] stock)
  • 1 bulb garlic

For the Stew

  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or [adjustable]¾ teaspoon[/adjustable] dried thyme)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon sage
  • 2 teaspoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari or coconut aminos)
  • ¼ cup chopped celery
  • 15 ounce can of white beans (drained, such as cannellini, great northern, or butter beans, or [adjustable]1 1/2 cups[adjustable] cooked white beans)
  • 1½ cups stock (or more, if needed)
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch (or flour)

For the Potato-Garlic Butter Layer

  • 3 or 4 medium russet potatoes (peeled and sliced ¼” thick)
  • dashes of salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon softened vegan butter (or extra virgin olive oil)
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice (or more, to taste)

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 410°F (210°C), and grease a 10x13” or similar-sized baking dish. Chop all your veggies, and grease your baking dish. Slice off about 1/3 from the top of the garlic bulb, so that the cloves are exposed. Reserve the small pieces of garlic cloves from the top third.
  2. Add the reserved small pieces of garlic (peeled) along with the mushrooms, onion, and carrots, 2 teaspoons of the olive oil, and the salt, pepper, and red wine to the baking dish. Mix well to coat, and spread the veggies out evenly. Make some space in the center of the dish, and place the garlic bulb, cut-side-up, in the middle. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the exposed cloves. Cover the entire dish with a sheet of parchment paper, letting it rest loosely over the top.
  3. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the mushrooms are al dente and starting to turn golden, and the onions are translucent or starting to turn golden. Check at the 30-minute mark, and stir if anything seems to be scorching. The mushrooms will usually release plenty of moisture, but if the pan is drying out, add a splash of extra stock at that point.
  4. Remove the dish from the oven. Take out the garlic bulb, and set it aside to cool. Add all the herbs, salt, tomato paste, and soy sauce to the baking dish. Mix well, pressing the tomato paste into the mixture, so there are no clumps. Stir everything together until evenly coated. Add the celery and beans, then mix the cornstarch or flour into the stock and pour it into the pan. Stir well to coat, and spread the mixture evenly with a spatula. Arrange the sliced potatoes on top of the bean stew mixture, overlapping them slightly.
  5. Squeeze the delicious roasted garlic cloves from the bulb into a small bowl. Add the vegan butter or olive oil, oregano, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt, if using oil. Mash and mix until creamy, then spread dollops of this garlic butter over the potatoes and smooth lightly. Reserve a little of the mixture for serving later, if desired.
  6. Cover the dish again with parchment and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and continue baking for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and golden on top. Brush the finished potatoes with the reserved garlic butter. Sprinkle with fresh herbs, like parsley or basil, before serving. Serve this delicious stew as-is or with a side salad, dinner rolls, or toasted sourdough.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.