Fabulously Flavorful Falafel Casserole with Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

When I think of the Falafel, I think of late night post-party joints, where the young and restless recount their night of adventure, and soak up some much-needed carbohydrates.  Or I think of street vendors efficiently serving these tasty treats to snack-hungry passersby looking for some fuel before continuing on their daily pursuits.

What’s not to like about these crunchy fried balls? The crispy outer, breaded to perfection; the tasty bite, bursting with flavor; and the accompanying yogurt/tahini/hummus sauce, balancing it all out. Just thinking about it had me salivating, so I just HAD to make this for dinner!

 

But of course, I had to throw in some experimental cooking of my own, so I made a healthier version by baking instead of frying. I gave the traditionally Middle Eastern dish an Italian twist with a red pepper & mushroom sauce, and Voila! A Falafel Casserole suitable to put on the table for a family dinner or a potluck gathering!

What You Need for the Falafel Balls:

• 1 can or 2 cups of chickpeas/garbanzo beans
• 1 cup of bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup of chopped cilantro
• 2 tsp of cumin
• 1 tsp of ground coriander
• 1 tsp baking soda
• a drizzle of olive oil
• chili pepper flakes (i put in 1/5 cup!)
• 1 egg

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:

• 3-5 Roasted Red Peppers (broiled in the oven and skin peeled off)
• 2-3 Tbsp Tomato paste (just a little to thicken the sauce)
• 1/2- 1 cup Veggie Stock
• 1 pack of Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced
• Cream (i use non-fat 1/2 & 1/2)
• Dry white wine
• 2-3 cups Mozzarella Cheese
• Parmesan Cheese (for topping)

Roll with it and get Saucy:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a blender/food processor until it becomes a thick paste. Taste to make sure you like the flavor and add more of what you think is missing.
2. Roll into balls around the size of walnuts/golf balls
3. Bake in the oven for 20 min at 400 degrees (flipping over once in between).
4. While falafels bake in oven, heat a sauce pan and saute some mushrooms in the tomato paste.
5. Once mushrooms are brown, add in the stock & wine and bring to boil, then simmer.
6. Puree the roasted red pepper in a blender/food processer, leaving some chunks remaining. Add to the mushroom mixture and slowly add in the cream. Let stand until sauce thickens.
7. Remove falafels from the oven. Pour sauce over the falafels. Add the mozzarella cheese. Mix well, top with parmesan cheese, and yes, stick it back in the oven!
8. Bake again for around 15 to 20 min at 350 – just enough to melt the cheese and have the red pepper sauce envelope the falafels. Serve warm!

 

Some variations to play with:

• Make the falafels into smaller balls (1/4 the size) for more thorough flavor integration with the sauce
• Add another solid (like rice, orzo, or black beans) to make the casserole more robust & filling.
• I used mozzarella because I was afraid a stronger cheese might overpower the other flavors, but I secretly wanted to try the following: Goat, Feta, Vermont Cheddar, Gruyere

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