Cajun Cornbread Casserole

By: Lindsay Nixon, HappyHerbivore.com

Serve yourself a big serving of Cajun food deliciousness with this Cajun Cornbread Casserole recipe from Lindsay Nixon from HappyHerbivore.com. With healthy casserole recipes like this one, you will never need to struggle to feed good food to friends and family. This hearty dinner idea is definitely one of the yummiest vegan recipes out there.

Notes

Any bell pepper will work here, but green bell peppers will provide those most authentic experience since they are a key part of the “holy trinity” in Cajun cuisine.

This recipe comes courtesy of blogger and cookbook author Lindsay Nixon. You can find more of Lindsay's recipes at http://happyherbivore.com/

Cooking MethodCasserole

Ingredients

15 ounces diced tomatoes, undrained
1 small onion, diced
2 celery stalks, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
15 ounces kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 tablespoon raw sugar (optional)
3/4 cup nondairy milk
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400degrees F. Grease a square 8 or 9-inch baking pan or casserole dish.
Drain tomato juices into a skillet and chop tomatoes into smaller pieces, and set aside.
Add water as necessary until a thin layer of liquid covers the skillet. Saute onion, celery, garlic and bell peppers over high heat until onions are translucent, bell peppers are tender and all of the water has evaporated, about 4 minutes.
Turn off heat and mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning, tomatoes and kidney beans, stirring to combine, and set side.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk cornmeal, baking powder, salt and additional Cajun seasoning if desired (several dashes so the flour looks speckled when stirred). You can also add 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar for a sweet cornbread topping. Then stir in nondairy milk and applesauce. It should be thick, but spreadable like hummus and not dry.
Pour bean mixture into your baking dish and pat down firmly with a spatula. Spread cornbread mixture on top and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cornbread is a deep golden, cracked and firm to the touch.
Let set out for about 15 minutes before serving (it continues to firm as it cools).
Serve with hot sauce, such as Tabasco, on the table.