Take a look in your fridge right now. Any dusty looking veges about? If so – bring them back to life with this epic Vege Traybake with Smoky Bacon. It’s quick, easy, and all done on a single tray. That’s my kind of fast-food dinner.
How to make your own vege traybake
This flavour packed winner is one I created as part of a brand new partnership with Off Piste Provisions. When a brand comes to me asking to create some fresh new recipes for them, and their products are already in my cupboard (self-purchased), it’s literally a dream come true. Thus was this wee collab.
If you haven’t heard of Off Piste yet, they’re an awesome family owned biz from here in NZ (actually from my second home of Waiheke), who’s mission is to create a range of 100% plant-based, natural protein-packed snacks. From the mouth-watering Smoky Bacon bits I’ve used in this traybake, to their plant-based Jerky and Biltong, to their Crackling (which is actually like crack – hide it from the kids, as you’ll want to keep it alllll to yourself) – the goal is to amp up your plant-based meals with a high-protein hit. These Smoky Bacon Toppers for example contain a mammoth 45% protein, more than double your typical animal based protein.
One of the most common questions I get as a plant-based nutritionist, is how to ensure adequate protein on a plant-focussed diet. I cover this in detail in the intro of my book Be Good, as well as in the Protein seminar in my Cooking School, but I’m going to highlight some of the key points for you again here today.
Before we dive in though, Off Piste have given me a 10% discount code you can use to try them out yourself. Simply head here, enter the code BUFFY10, and grab yourself a bag of Smoky Bacon Toppers (along with a LARGE bag of that crackling).
Then grab an oven tray, those sad-looking vege, and let’s reinvigorate them with this winning Vege Traybake with Smoky Bacon.
Ingredients for this one-tray vege bake
- Pumpkin – ¼ of a large pumpkin, or around 800g. Skin on or off, your choice (I normally leave mine on).
- Cauliflower – one large cauli, cut into florets.
- Beetroot – leave the skins on your beets to maintain maximum nutrients. Simply give them a good scrub, and slice off the grisly outer that leads down to the base.
- Garlic – roast them whole in their cloves so they don’t burn, then once roasted, remove the skins to reveal the soft tender garlic flesh inside. You can then either roughly chop the flesh and sprinkle over the bake, or leave them whole as I have.
- Vegan grated cheese – you can get quite a few brands from the supermarket these days. Try choose something which has the most minimally processed ingredients on the back, but I wouldn’t be too fussed here, we’re only using 2 tablespoons per serve vs the rest of the dish being 100% wholefoods.
- Vegan smoky bacon – I’ve used these amazing Smoky Bacon Toppers from Off Piste.
- Baby spinach
- Apple cider vinegar
- Vegan aioli – either store bought, or better yet my Hemp and Sunflower Aioli.
Step-by-step
Recipe tips
- Use the whole cauli – including the stem and leaves. If your stem is particularly fibrous on the outside, simple slice off the outer layer then cut the inside and roast with the rest of the cauli. The stem is actually super sweet and tender, so definitely don’t waste it.
- Keep your garlic skins on when roasting – roasting your garlic in whole cloves with their skins on prevents them from burning, leaving the soft flesh within. It also reduces a lot of the pungency and flavour which can cause gastrointestinal upset for some individuals. As a result though, you’ll want to use lots of cloves (ie here I’ve used 12, you could even go more).
Keep your beets in line – when roasting beetroot, keep them slightly separate on your tray, so they don’t bleed and stain the other vege. After they’ve roasted, they’re more sealed so can be happily tossed without too much colour staining.
Substitution ideas for your easy one-tray vege bake
- Pumpkin – I’ve used a crown pumpkin here, but a butternut pumpkin or any other squash will work. Or you could sub kumara (sweet potato), regular potato, or parsnip for an even lower carb option.
- Smoky bacon bits – if you can’t find these amazing toppers, I’d opt for a finely chopped plant-based chorizo or smoky sausage instead. You want something spicy or super flavoursome here, as opposed to a standard plain tofu sausage, which isn’t going to add the wollop of flavour we want here for our vege.
- Baby spinach – finely chopped silverbeet or rocket also works well.
Serving and storage
I’ve served this vege tray bake with a super simple dollop of aioli, but it also tastes great with a sprinkle of fresh herbs and some toasted pumpkin seeds on top.
This dish will happily keep in the fridge for 4-5 days and makes for a great easy lunch. If saving leftovers, I recommend letting the veggies cool slightly before tossing with baby spinach so the spinach doesn’t wilt too much.
Want more one-tray bakes? Try these:
If you make this Vege Traybake with Smoky Bacon, let me know! Leave a comment and rating below, or post your bake on Instagram, TikTok or Facebook, and tag me @begoodorganics. I can’t wait to hear what you think.
Ingredients
- ¼ pumpkin ~800g
- 1 cauliflower
- 2 beetroot
- 12 cloves garlic
- salt and pepper
- ½ c vegan grated cheese
- ½ c vegan smoky bacon
- 4 handfuls baby spinach
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ¼ c vegan aioli
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220°C bake (or 200°C fan bake).
- Chop pumpkin, cauliflower and beetroot into bite size chunks and place on an oven tray with the whole garlic cloves. Drizzle with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper, toss to coat, and bake for 20 minutes.
- 5 minutes before the veggies are finished, remove from the oven, sprinkle with grated cheese and smoky bacon bits, then put back in the oven for the final 5 minutes.
- Remove garlic cloves from their skins (leave whole, or chop roughly if you prefer), top with baby spinach, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, then toss together. Serve in bowls topped with a dollop of aioli. Will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days (if so, let the veggies cool slightly before tossing with baby spinach).
Recipe Notes
- Gluten free: As is.
- Nut free: As is.
- Sugar free: As is.
- Oil free: Roast veggies on a tray lined with baking paper.
- Weight loss: This recipe is perfect for weight loss as it’s relatively low in carbs and total calories.
- Keto: Swap the pumpkin for parsnip for an even lower carb / keto version.
- If you can’t find vegan bacon, use a similar plant-based chorizo or spicy sausage (something with a bit of flavour to it, ideally not a plain tofu sausage).
Did You Make This?
Tag @begoodorganics
I can’t wait to see your creations!
