don’t judge her.

I will go ahead & give you a fair warning….this casserole is absolutely delicious, but she ain’t the prettiest. For whatever reason, the veggies turn from green to brown in the oven and it looks like a pile of slop on a plate. NEVER FEAR. It’s just because everything gets baked together. I promise you, this will hit the spot every time. Over & over. I also believe this dish is tasty enough and makes enough to possibly be part of a Thanksgiving or Holiday dinner – almost everything we eat / make for Thanksgiving is tan on the plate anyway *wink*

Mashed Potatoes, Turkey, Stuffing, Gravy…..all brown foods. So why not add this veggie casserole & sneak in some extra-extra veggies, I mean….deliciousness.

just a little more convincing.

This “side chick” really has it all. The diced potatoes definitely give it a starchy component, the leeks are an elegant onion and very delicious, and Brussel sprouts get rebranded once again – bless their heart, Brussel sprouts are probably like “OMG JUST LET ME LIVE” because everybody wants to turn them into *something else* that is deemed better or more palatable than then last well, cauliflower knows exactly what’s up because that shit gets turned into everything else too – this recipe may just be quite another example of that….yikes. ANYWAY.

I will also tell you that this recipe is PRIMO for a cast iron or enameled pan. The heavy bottom holds the heat in really well & the diced potatoes deserve a beautiful char. Casseroles just hit differently in cast iron. I always have *feelings* when it comes to whatever dish I’m making and what its vessel shall be. Of course, lasagna deserves to be in a square, glass Pyrex dish – everytime, don’t argue with me. My blondies do best in Chris’ grandmother’s old metal cake pan. Potatoes & Brussels usually do very well in cast iron – so it makes all the sense in the world to me to double up that action to make a casserole out of it – let’s get to it!

Instructions, 1

I found it easiest to prep 1 veggie at a time so then everyone can be ready when its time to throw everything in. This Veggie Casserole is a 1 step at a time type side dish – perfect to assemble while something else is cooking away in a CrockPot or in the AirFryer!

Firstly, scrub the Petite Yukon Gold Potatoes, pat dry, remove any eyes or bad spots – dice into smaller, bite-size pieces.

Next, I would go ahead & prep the leeks – leeks are delicious, but sandy little shits. They get sand, dirt & grit ALL UP in their layers and that’s disgusting and not pleasant to have a gritty bite in your mouth, so it’s best to give them a little rinse & soak first.

Cut the hairy ends off & then cut off the stalk right where the dark green begins – this will give you a clear path & understanding of what parts of the leek to use and you’ll see all the grains of *stuff* inbetween everything.

Once you have trimmed your leeks off both ends, split them in two, vertically. Rinse again & have a bowl with cool water to allow them to soak for awhile. Repeat to the other 2 stalks of leeks.

The only thing I really hate about leeks is how wasteful it seems. Like why do we need to spend money on all that dark green stuff that we aren’t even gonna use?? Such is life.

Put all the diced potatoes in a microwave safe dish, add a little bit of water, cover with plastic wrap & steam in the microwave for about 4 -5 minutes. This helps the potatoes cook a bit so they can achieve a nice char on the outside while still being soft on the inside.

While your potatoes are microwaving, trim & peel back the Brussel sprouts. No need to cut them in half – they are going RIGHT THRU a food processor with a shredder attachment. Just pop those suckers in a few at a time, use the protector to mash them down & they should shred in mere minutes!

((If you don’t have a shredder attachment then you certainly may choose to shred your Brussel sprouts by hand, or they have them pre-shredded in some grocery stores. Either way, Godspeed.))

Instructions, 3

Turn off the heat to the cast iron skillet that has the Brussel sprouts & leeks in it – add back in the potatoes.

CAREFULLY, shit don’t burn yourself, empty the steamed cauliflower into the food processor.

Season with S+P and drop in the 2 OZ of softened cream cheese.

Process on low and slowly dribble in the 1 Cup of Half & Half.

VIOLA – it will turn into a creamy, delicious cauliflower alfredo before your very eyes!

Add the parmesan cheese directly overtop the potatoes, leeks & Brussels mixture in the same cast iron pan.

Stir to combine and now add in the cauliflower alfredo you just concocted!

Stir well & add in all 4 spices listed above – Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Oregano & Paprika – give it a taste! Everything is cooked so make sure it tastes good to you!

Smooth out your Veggie Casserole and sprinkle on top the freshly grated cheese of your choice.

Next up is the Italian Breadcrumbs – this gives such a delicious little crispy bite at the end, don’t you dare omit this! Sprinkle them right overtop the cheese.

Cover your casserole with tin foil & bake at 350 for 20 minutes, uncover & cook for another 10 until the cheese is melty & the breadcrumbs have toasted a bit. Serve immediately!