Hashbrown Casserole

“This recipe is one my family regularly serves as part of our traditional Easter brunch.”

1 bag (2 lb) frozen hash brown potatoes (let thaw a little)
1 pint sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp saltMix these ingredients together and put in greased 13 x 9 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 30 min. Remove from oven. Mix together 4 cups crushed cornflakes and 1/4 cup margarine. Sprinkle on top of casserole and bake for 30 minutes more.

To make the recipe vegan, replace the sour cream with soy sour cream (recipe follows). Replace the can of soup with a homemade soy white sauce (recipe follows) and about 5 medium-sized button mushrooms, diced and sautéed in a little oil. Replace the cheddar cheese with cheddar style grated cheese replacement. I found this product in the produce department at Wal-Mart. The recipes below make the quantity you need for the above recipe.

 
Soy Sour Cream1 pkg silken soft tofu
¼ C vegetable oil
1½ t honey (replaced with light corn syrup if you do not use honey)
½ t salt

Combine the above ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or in a blender. Process until smooth.

Soy White Sauce3 T margarine
3 T flour
1 ½ C soy milk
salt to taste

In a saucepan, melt the margarine. Add the flour, and whisk until smoothly combined. Whisk in the soy milk. Cook over medium to low heat, stirring nearly constantly, until the mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat. Stir in salt.

The Cost of the RecipeThe lacto-ovo version:
$1.37 Hashbrown potatoes
$1.22 Sour Cream
$0.50 Mushroom Soup
$1.39 Cheddar Cheese
$0.13 Margarine
$0.50 Corn Flakes
$0.09 Onion
$5.20

The vegan version:
$1.37 Hashbrown potatoes
$1.63 Silken Tofu
$0.05 Vegetable Oil
$0.05 Margarine
$0.63 Soymilk
$0.61 Mushrooms
$2.98 Cheddar flavor cheese replacement
$0.13 Margarine
$0.50 Corn Flakes
$0.09 Onion
$8.04