There are a lot of new plant-based turkey options for Thanksgiving this year. The first one I tried is Gardein Holiday Roast.
Our overall consensus was that it has a great, turkey-like taste – but the gravy packets that are included need to be discarded . . .pronto!
I had my husband try a sip of the warmed gravy from one packet . . . and I can’t even describe the look of disgust which crossed his face. So I immediately threw out the other three packets and created a really good mushroom gravy recipe which I’ve provided below.
But, gravy concerns aside . . . Gardein has made a really, really good Holiday Roast.
I love that this product can go from freezer to oven without thawing (unlike a lot of vegetarian roast products). So if you’re forgetful (as I often am) or get late notice that you have a SURPRISE vegetarian or vegan guest at your holiday shin-dig, Gardein Holiday Roast will be easier to use because you just put it on a rack over a roasting pan . . . while it is still frozen.
(Check out those little ice crystals as my frozen roast sits on the wire rack in the roasting pan!)
The Gardein Holiday Roast does take a while to bake, but I also used that as an opportunity to prep and bake in a clay pot some delicious roasted vegetables – and also prep for my mushroom gravy.
So, after my Gardein Holiday Roast was covered with aluminum foil and popped into a 425 degree oven, I prepped my veggies, while I soaked my clay pot (and its lid) in water for about 15-20 minutes.
I put red potatoes, baby carrots, sliced rutabagas, onions, and garlic cloves in a medium sized bowl.
Then I emptied the water in the clay pot, tossed the veggies with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, rosemary sprigs, parsley, and Bay leaves to the veggies and placed everything in the clay pot.
Why a clay pot? The reason that I used my clay pot is that I didn’t want these veggies to brown – as often happens when you roast veggies on a sheet pan. Because the clay pot will impart moisture to the veggies, they will soften and mellow – which will make them well- suited to accompany the Gardein Holiday Roast. Here’s how they looked at the end of about 70 minutes of cooking.
BTW, I fully realize that a lot of recipes will admonish you to never put a clay pot in a hot oven. However, because my clay pot is glazed on the inside, I have been putting my clay pot in hot ovens for about 30 years (yes, mine is really that old!) and it has never cracked. If your clay pot isn’t glazed or if you just want to be extra cautious, reverse the order of cooking and put the soaked, unglazed clay pot filled with veggies and covered with its lid into a cold oven. Set the oven temperature for 400 degrees and cook for about 60-75 minutes. Remove from the oven and put the clay pot on a trivet. Check that the veggies are full cooked and leave the lid on to retain heat while you cook your roast. (Of course if you don’t have a clay pot, you can always use a Pyrex casserole dish or baking pan. And if the dish or pan doesn’t have a lid, just cover the dish or pan with aluminum foil.)
But I digress . . . back to the Gardein Holiday Roast.
Once the roast has cooked for about 60-70 minutes, take off the aluminum foil that is covering the roasting pan, turn up the oven to 450 and cook for another 10-12 minutes. If you want to wait to finish cooking your roast because you have other casserole dishes to heat up, keep the roasting pan covered with the aluminum foil and put the roasting pan on the counter on a trivet where it can easily wait for 20-30 minutes for its final cooking. This is how mine looked after about 65 minutes in the oven.
If you opted to let your roast rest on the countertop, increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees and pop the roast back in for the final c0oking (without the aluminum foil shield). This should take about 10-12 more minutes.
I used this final cooking time to make my mushroom gravy. I cooked minced shallots in butter, followed by the pressed garlic and the minced cremini mushrooms. I used cremini mushrooms (which are like baby portobello mushrooms) because they have a more earthy taste and looked a little more like giblets in my gravy. Just follow the recipe below – it is super easy!
Take the roasting pan out and let it cool on a wire rack or trivet for about 10-15 minutes. Transfer the roast to a cutting board when it is cool enough to handle and cut half-inch slices using a serrated knife.
Get out a large serving platter, and artfully arrange the sliced roast, surrounded by the roasted veggies.
Check your mushroom gravy and add any finishing touches to make sure that it is perfectly seasoned . . .
Plate and enjoy!
- 1 40-ounce package Gardein Holiday Roast
- 10-12 red potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half
- 10-12 baby carrots (or two large carrots, scrubbed, peeled and cut into 1' chunks)
- 8 -10 small onions, halved
- 6 -8 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
- 1 medium rutabaga, scrubbed, peeled and sliced
- 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 4-5 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 3-4 fresh Bay leaves
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3-4 sprigs of thyme
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
- 4-5 cremini mushtrooms, minced
- Sage
- Thyme
- 3 tablespoons white wine
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 teaspoon Better than Bouillion No-Chicken Base
- 1½ cups boiling water
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Organic vegetable broth or stock or water (if needed)
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove the roast from its plastic wrapper. Put a rack in a roasting pan and place the roast on the rack. Cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Bake for 60-70 minutes.
- If you are using a clay pot, soak both the pot and the lid in water for at least 20 minutes. If your clay pot is not glazed on the inside, you will be starting the vegetables in a cold oven. If your clay pot is glazed, or if you are using a ceramic or Pyrex casserole dish, you will be putting the covered dish in the hot oven to cook along with the roast. Prepare the vegetables and toss with the olive oil, herbs, salt, and pepper and place in the pot, dish or pan you are using. Cover with a lid or use aluminum foil if you don't have a lid. Place the vegetables in the oven.
- After 60-70 minutes of cooking time for both the roast and the vegetables, remove them from the oven if you need the oven to heat other casserole dishes for your dinner. Put them on a wire rack or two trivets on your countertop. If you want to finish cooking the roast now, increase the oven temperature to 450, remove the aluminum foil and cook for 10-12 minutes until the crust on the roast is golden brown and crispy.
- To make the mushroom gravy, heat a medium saucepan and melt the butter. Sauté the shallots for 3-4 minutes. Add the minced garlic, followed by the minced cremini mushrooms. Season with sage and thyme - either dried or fresh. Cook for about 5 minutes, add the white wine and continuing sautéing until most of the liquid is evaporated. Add another tablespoon of butter, and let it melt. Add the flour and cook for a minute or so to create a roux. Mix the Better than Bouillion No Chicken Base with the hot water, and gradually add it to the roux. Add freshly ground black pepper, taste and make sure that the gravy has a good consistency. If it needs to be thinned, add either water or stock.
- When the roast has cooled for at least 10-15 minutes, slice and serve with the vegetables and the mushroom gravy.
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PS: I have three minor quibbles with Gardein Holiday Roast. I’ve already shared that the gravy pouches that come in the box need to be throw in the trash. The second is that the cranberries that are in the stuffing will not come out brightly red as shown in the picture on the box, and don’t impart a lot of cranberry flavor to the stuffing. And last, but not least, the roast will NOT feed eight people. I think that it is enough for 5 or 6 people at most – so if you have eight guests, I’d advise you to make two!
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