5 vegan dishes that converted my most stubborn family member and I have witnesses

Let me tell you about Frank. My partner Marcus's father is a retired electrician from Ohio who has eaten meat at every single meal for 68 years.

When I went vegan at 35, Frank looked at me like I'd announced I was moving to Mars. "That's fine for you," he said, "but don't expect me to eat rabbit food."

Five years later, Frank now requests my cashew mac and cheese for his birthday dinner. He texts me for recipes. Last Thanksgiving, he told his bowling league about my mushroom bourguignon. The witnesses? Marcus, his mother Linda, and their very surprised extended family.

Here are the five dishes that made a believer out of the most stubborn man I know.

1) Crispy cauliflower wings with homemade ranch

This was the gateway. Frank loves buffalo wings more than almost anything, so I knew I had to nail this one. The secret is getting that batter impossibly crispy before tossing everything in hot sauce. I use a mixture of flour and cornstarch, and I bake them at high heat until they shatter when you bite in.

The first time I served these, Frank ate one out of politeness. Then he ate three more. Then he asked if there were extras. "These aren't bad," he admitted, which in Frank-speak is basically a standing ovation.

The homemade ranch sealed the deal. Have you ever noticed how much of what we love about comfort food is really about texture and sauce?

2) Mushroom bourguignon over creamy polenta

This dish taught me something important about cooking for skeptics: don't try to replicate meat. Instead, lean into what plants do brilliantly on their own. A mix of cremini, shiitake, and portobello mushrooms braised in red wine creates something deeply savory and rich. The polenta underneath soaks up all that gorgeous liquid.

I made this for a Sunday dinner two winters ago. Frank cleaned his plate and sat back in his chair with that satisfied look people get after a truly good meal. "That had some real substance to it," he said.

Coming from a man who once told me salad was "just crunchy water," this felt like a breakthrough. Sometimes the most convincing argument isn't an argument at all. It's just delicious food.

3) The ultimate black bean burger

I'll be honest. I failed at this one several times before I got it right. Mushy bean burgers had reinforced every stereotype Frank held about vegan food. So I spent months perfecting a version with serious texture: smoked paprika, a touch of soy sauce for depth, and the crucial step of baking the patties before grilling them.

The result holds together on a bun, has a satisfying chew, and tastes like something you'd actually crave. Frank now prefers these to the frozen beef patties he used to buy. "Less greasy," he says, "and I don't feel like I need a nap after." What more could you ask for from a backyard cookout?

4) Cashew mac and cheese with crispy breadcrumb topping

This is the dish Frank requests for his birthday. The sauce comes together from soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, a little mustard, and some garlic. Blended until silky, it coats pasta in a way that feels indulgent without the heaviness of dairy.

The breadcrumb topping is non-negotiable. I toast panko with olive oil and a pinch of salt until golden, then scatter it generously before serving. Frank once told Marcus, "Don't tell your mother, but this might be better than hers."

Linda overheard. She agreed. That's when I knew this dish had real power. Isn't it interesting how food can shift relationships in ways that conversations sometimes can't?

5) Chocolate avocado mousse

Dessert was my final frontier with Frank. He's a pie man, deeply suspicious of anything that sounds too healthy. So I didn't tell him what was in this mousse until after he'd finished his second serving. Ripe avocados blended with cocoa powder, maple syrup, and a splash of vanilla create something impossibly silky and rich.

"That was avocado?" he asked, genuinely shocked. "I thought avocados were for toast." Now he asks for this at every holiday gathering. The lesson here is simple: sometimes people need to experience something before they can believe in it. Words rarely convince anyone the way a spoonful of chocolate mousse can.

Final thoughts

Converting Frank was never really my goal. I just wanted to share meals with my family without feeling like an outsider at the table. These five dishes did more than change his mind about vegan food. They gave us common ground, something to bond over instead of debate about.

If you have a Frank in your life, my advice is this: lead with generosity, not persuasion. Make food so good that the question of whether it contains meat becomes irrelevant. And when they finally admit they liked something? Don't gloat. Just smile and offer them seconds.