I veganized 3 nostalgic family recipes: these are the ones that still taste like home

There’s a special kind of comfort in cooking the dishes you grew up with. The ones passed down on stained index cards, told to you over a crackly phone line, or learned by watching a quick pair of hands that cooked more by memory than by measuring cup.

When I went plant-based, I didn’t want to lose those recipes. I wanted the same aromas drifting out of my kitchen, the garlicky red sauce, the buttery crumb, the savory “Sunday supper” feeling, even if the ingredients changed.

So I got to work veganizing the family classics. Some were misses (looking at you, early 2010s “cheese” sauce made from carrots and hope). But three keep fooling my nostalgia. They taste like home, in a way that’s honest and deeply satisfying.

Below are the exact versions I make on repeat, simple, weeknight-friendly when possible, and great for sharing with the omnivores you love.

1. Sunday red sauce lasagna

Lasagna is our family’s edible love letter. My mom layered cottage cheese, ground beef, and a slow-simmered marinara. I wanted that same deep, savory comfort without the dairy or meat. The key is a lush tofu–cashew ricotta and a mushroom–lentil ragù that brings cozy, long-cooked flavor.

Serves: 8
Active time: 35 minutes | Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 lasagna noodles (regular or no-boil)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 ounces cremini or mixed mushrooms, very finely chopped
• 1 cup cooked brown or green lentils (drained)
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 (24–28 oz) jar marinara or 3 cups homemade
• 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Tofu–Cashew Ricotta

• 1 (14 oz) firm tofu, drained
• 3/4 cup raw cashews (soaked in hot water 20 minutes, then drained)
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon white miso (optional but wonderful)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley or basil

For topping

• 1–1 1/2 cups shredded vegan mozzarella (optional)
• Olive oil for drizzling

Directions

1. Make the ragù. Heat olive oil in a wide pot over medium. Sauté onion with a pinch of salt until translucent, 5–7 minutes. Stir in garlic, mushrooms, fennel, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook until mushrooms release liquid and reduce, 7–8 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook until brick red, 2 minutes. Stir in lentils, marinara, tamari, and balsamic. Simmer on low while you make the ricotta. Ten minutes is enough to marry flavors.
2. Blend the ricotta. In a food processor, pulse tofu, cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon, miso, salt, and pepper until creamy but still a bit textured. Fold in herbs.
3. Par-cook noodles if not using no-boil, pulling them slightly shy of al dente. I do 6–7 minutes so they finish in the oven.
4. Assemble. In a 9×13-inch pan, spread a thin layer of ragù. Add a layer of noodles, then half the ricotta, then ragù. Repeat. Top with noodles, a final ladle of sauce, and mozzarella if using. Drizzle with olive oil.
5. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 30–35 minutes, until bubbling and lightly browned. Rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Why it tastes like home: Fennel seed and a hint of tamari mimic the savory depth my mom’s meat sauce had. The ricotta is creamy and clean, not gummy, thanks to the tofu–cashew combo and lemon. That rest time is the difference between a puddle and a slice.

Make-ahead tip: Assemble in the morning, bake at dinner. Or freeze tightly wrapped (unbaked) for up to a month, then bake from frozen at 350°F, adding 15–20 minutes.

2. Creamy “chicken” and rice casserole

This was our weeknight special, a casserole that smelled like you could wear it as a scarf. The original used canned soup, butter, and shredded chicken. I lightened it up and kept the nostalgia intact with a silky mushroom sauce, tender rice, and either shredded jackfruit, soy curls, or just extra mushrooms if you like it veggie-only.

Serves: 6–8
Active time: 25 minutes | Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil plus 2 tablespoons vegan butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (cremini or mix)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning (or 1/2 tsp sage plus 1/2 tsp thyme)
• 1 cup long-grain rice, rinsed
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (optional, sub broth)
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, warmed
• 1 cup unsweetened oat or soy milk

For the “chicken”

• 2 cups shredded canned young jackfruit, rinsed and squeezed dry, or 2 cups rehydrated soy curls, or 2 additional cups mushrooms

Cashew cream

• 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water 20 minutes and drained
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Finish & topping

• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons melted vegan butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Chopped parsley

Directions

1. Sauté base. In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium. Cook onion and celery with a pinch of salt until soft, 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until browned and their moisture cooks off, 6–8 minutes. Stir in garlic and poultry seasoning for 30 seconds.
2. Toast rice. Add rice and stir 1 minute. Splash in wine and let it mostly evaporate. Add warm broth and milk and bring to a gentle simmer.
3. Add “chicken.” Fold in jackfruit, soy curls, or extra mushrooms.
4. Blend cashew cream until silky and stir into the pan.
5. Bake. Transfer to a greased 9×13-inch dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 30 minutes. Uncover, stir in peas, smooth the top, and sprinkle with panko mixed with melted butter. Bake 10–15 minutes more until golden and bubbling.
6. Rest 5–10 minutes and garnish with parsley. Season to taste.

Why it tastes like home: The poultry seasoning, sage and thyme, gives the familiar holiday-adjacent flavor. Cashew cream replaces the canned soup’s body without the heaviness. Jackfruit brings the pull-apart texture, but the all-mushroom version sings too.

Shortcuts: No cashews? Substitute 1/2 cup store-bought plain vegan cream cheese whisked with 1/4 cup broth. Gluten-free? Skip the panko or use a gluten-free breadcrumb.

3. Brown-buttery banana bread (without the butter)

Banana bread was my grandma’s love language. She baked it for new babies, hard weeks, and “just because.” The secret to the vegan version is “browned” vegan butter, or toasted oil, a mix of brown sugar and overripe bananas, and a touch of tahini for richness. It’s deeply moist, beautifully crackly on top, and slices like a memory.

Makes: 1 standard 9×5-inch loaf
Active time: 15 minutes | Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegan butter or neutral oil
• 3 large overripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup tahini or creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup unsweetened plant milk (oat or soy)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional but lovely)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

1. Brown the fat. If using vegan butter, melt it in a small saucepan over medium and cook 3–5 minutes until it smells nutty and the color deepens slightly. If using oil, warm it until it shimmers, then whisk in 1 teaspoon maple syrup to add a toasted aroma.
2. Whisk wet. In a large bowl, mix mashed banana, sugars, tahini, milk, vanilla, and the browned butter or oil.
3. Fold dry. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Fold the dry into the wet just until no flour streaks remain. Add walnuts or chips if using.
4. Bake. Scrape into a parchment-lined 9×5 loaf pan. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 50–60 minutes, tenting with foil for the last 10 if browning too fast. A tester should come out with a few moist crumbs.
5. Cool completely before slicing. The crumb sets as it cools, and the flavor actually blooms overnight.

Why it tastes like home: That toasty fat and tahini combo mimics brown butter’s depth, while bananas and brown sugar deliver the caramel notes we remember. The crumb is plush, not gummy.

Variations:

• Zucchini-banana bread: Fold in 1 cup shredded, squeezed-dry zucchini and add 2 tablespoons extra flour.
• Spice route: Add 1/2 teaspoon cardamom and a pinch of clove for a tea-time vibe.

Pantry notes that keep the flavor honest

• Umami without meat: A teaspoon of white miso, a splash of tamari, or a pinch of smoked paprika can add the rounded, savory bassline many of us associate with meat-heavy dishes. Use them like a chef uses salt, sparingly and on purpose.
• Texture matters: If you’re cooking for omnivores, pay attention to bite. Finely chopping mushrooms for the ragù, shredding jackfruit, and resting casseroles so they slice clean all add to the feeling of this is the way we have always had it.
• Acid, fat, salt: Nostalgic does not have to mean heavy. A squeeze of lemon in the ricotta, a buttery crumb on the casserole, and just-right seasoning keep flavors vivid instead of flat.

A few friendly answers

Can I make these gluten-free?
Yes. For lasagna, use gluten-free noodles and tamari labeled gluten-free. For the casserole, choose a gluten-free breadcrumb or skip it. For the banana bread, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour and do not overmix.

What if I don’t eat nuts?
For the lasagna, replace cashews with soft tofu plus 1–2 tablespoons olive oil. For the casserole, use 1/2 cup oat cream or an oat-based cooking crème in place of cashew cream. For the banana bread, skip walnuts and tahini, use seed butter such as sunflower if you like, or simply omit.

Do these freeze well?
Absolutely. Slice lasagna and banana bread, wrap individual pieces, and freeze. The casserole freezes after baking. Reheat covered until hot, then crisp the top.

The heart of it

Food is a time machine. When my kitchen smells like fennel and tomatoes, I’m at our old oak table. When the casserole bubbles, I hear weeknight chatter. When the banana bread cracks on top, I’m pulling a stool to my grandma’s counter, waiting for the first slice.

Going vegan didn’t erase that, it made me more intentional. I learned which flavors create the feeling I’m after, and I learned to keep the memories while rearranging the ingredients. If you try one thing this week, let it be the lasagna.

But honestly, make all three.

Invite the people you love. Call the ones who can’t make it. Let the house smell like home.