Simplify Thanksgiving with a vegan turkey feast

With vegan turkey, lentil-based meatloaf, butternut “squasage,” and two kinds of non-dairy cheese, Herbivorous Butcher cuts your holiday work load in half.

Thank you to Herbivorous Butcher for sponsoring today's post! The contents, photos, and opinions expressed are fully my own.

The calendar may say October, but the chill in the air, yellowing leaves, and sweaters on store displays have me thinking about fall holidays & celebrations.

Before we know it, it will be time to gather with family over mashed potatoes & green bean casserole with a side of Apples to Apples.

One way to make the holidays more festive and less stressful is by lightening the load with the cooking help of professionals. Sure, you’ll still have to make some side dishes, but at least the hard parts will be done for you!

A couple of years ago I went in with a group of friends on the Turkey Free Feast from the Herbivorous Butcher. We ordered it online. It came in the mail. Then we enjoyed it together for a festive Friendsgiving.

For Friendsgiving, I prepared the items in the Herbivorous Butcher Turkey Free Feast. And my friends arrived with side dishes in hand. We had the best time. And cooking shortcuts + many cooks meant that no one person was carrying all of the work.

So this year, I'm really excited to be partnering with The Herbivorous Butcher to give a sneak peek at the Turkey Free Feast for 2019!

(As always, everything The Herbivorous Butcher makes is 100% vegan!)

Here's what's included in the Turkey Free Feast:

• 2.5 pound stuffed turkey
• 13 ounce butternut "squasage"
• 14 ounce meatloaf
• 4 ounces herbed feta
• 5 ounces pesto havarti

Here are some ways that you can enjoy the Turkey Free Feast at your harvest holiday celebrations or throughout the fall!

Make a vegan charcuterie

A vegan charcuterie is welcome any day of the year, but it's especially festive at the holidays. It gives guests a chance to nibble while finishing touches are made on dinner.

Fill out your vegan cheeseboard with the following additions:

• Pesto havarti
• Herbed feta
• Browned slices of butternut "squasage"
• Roasted delicata squash in round slices
• Apple chutney
• Fruits: Raspberries & figs
• Vegetables: Carrots & tomatoes
• Olives & pickles
• Grilled artichoke hearts
• Crackers

If you like the flavors of pesto, you'll love this pesto havarti. It's creamy & spreadable with lots of basil throughout.

Adorn your side salad with herbed feta

First, put the herbed feta on your vegan charcuterie board. (The herbed feta & figs are SO GOOD together.)

Then enjoy them in a cucumber and tomato salad with tahini lemon dressing or in a delicata squash salad (replacing the tofu chèvre).

Of all the cheeses Herbivorous Butcher carries, their feta is my favorite. They really nail that crumbly feta texture with this almond-based cheese.

Fill your favorite stuffing with “squasage”

As you'd guess from the name, the butternut squasage has the textures and flavors of sausage, dotted with chunks of butternut squash.

Cut the squasage into slices, and brown it for a vegan cheeseboard.

Then use the rest in homemade vegan stuffing. (I used my vegan stuffing recipe and replaced the chestnuts with an equal amount of diced & browned squasage.) Of course, it would be good in stuffing muffins too!

Treat your gluten-free guests to meatloaf

The meatloaf is a terrific gluten-free entrée option. This savory loaf is made with lentils, oats, mushrooms, carrots, and celery.

I like to serve it alongside mashed potatoes with my easy broccolini recipe.

FYI: In my oven, I need to cook the meatloaf a little longer than stated on the package - about 40 minutes. I also like to remove the foil on top for the last few minutes of cooking, so that it can get a little brown & crisp on top.

By the way, if you have any leftovers, I also enjoy rolling the meatloaf into balls, and then browning them all over in a skillet with oil for meatballs!

Slice into stuffed seitan turkey

The vegan turkey roast is filled with that Minnesota favorite, wild rice stuffing.

While the seitan turkey roasts, baste it with a mixture of vegan chicken broth, tamari, and olive oil, as recommended on the Turkey Free Feast cooking directions.

The turkeyless roast can feed 8 to 10 people. It may look a little small, but seitan is deceptively filling. When I served it to our group of six for Friendsgiving, we had more than enough plus leftovers, especially with the many side dishes and desserts on offer.

(By the way, if you're expecting a smaller group this Thanksgiving, Herbivorous Butcher also offers a one-pound turkey option on their a la carte menu. It serves up to four people.)

To really bring home that holiday experience, serve the turkey-style seitan roast with cashew gravy, orange cranberry sauce, cranberry salsa, or apple chutney, as I did here.

If you have leftovers, the turkey seitan would be great in vegan pot pie, creamy vegan wild rice soup, or on a Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich.

How to order Turkey Free Feast

Update: The Turkey Free Feast is no longer available. 

The Turkey Free Feast is on sale now on The Herbivorous Butcher website. It’s available for purchase from October 21 to November 17.

The Turkey Free Feast is $120 shipped. Herbivorous Butcher ships to all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Or you can pick it up at their Minneapolis location for $85.

This is a sponsored post with a brand that I use in my own home. Posts like these help me keep fresh recipes coming your way!