Falafel Dinner Bake (One Pan!)
Looking for an easy dinner idea with falafel? This one pot recipe is perfectly simple but incredibly tasty! Premade falafel, beans, tomatoes, kale and a cheesy topping make for a comforting vegetarian tray bake casserole that you will look forward to making again and again.
Ingredients
- 12 oz (350 g) cherry or baby plum tomatoes, approximate - a little more or less is fine
- 1 tbsp chopped garlic
- 14 oz (400 g) canned butter beans, drained
- 1 cup (70 g) kale, chopped
- 3 green onions (spring onions), sliced and divided into green and white
- ½ lemon
- 10-12 small premade falafel balls or patties
- 1.5 cups (170 g) grated cheese, pre-grated, bagged cheese is best here*
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley or cilantro
Optional Tahini Yogurt Sauce**
- 4 tbsp Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 1 tsp honey
- ¼ lemon, juiced
- 2 pinches ground cumin
Other Optional Toppings
- sliced chili
- lemon wedges
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200C / 400F.
- Halve your cherry tomatoes and scatter across the baking tray with the garlic. Drizzle with olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste, and place in the oven for 10 minutes.12 oz cherry or baby plum tomatoes, 1 tbsp chopped garlic
- Remove from the oven and add the drained beans, kale and the white parts of the spring onion. Squeeze the 1/2 lemon over the top and mix through.14 oz canned butter beans, 1 cup kale, 3 green onions (spring onions), 1/2 lemon
- Add the falafel balls to the top and scatter the cheese around the falafel, covering the remainder of the exposed kale/tomato/bean mix. You may not use all of the cheese - it depends on your pan size and your falafel size - so just use what you need. You can brush the falafel with olive oil on the top if you like, to help it crisp up better, but this is optional.10-12 small premade falafel balls or patties, 1.5 cups grated cheese
- Place back in the oven and bake for another 15 minutes, until the falafel and cheese are both browned and crisp.
- While it bakes, if you're going to make the tahini yogurt sauce, whisk together all of the ingredients in a bowl until smooth.4 tbsp Greek yogurt, 2 tbsp tahini, 1 tsp honey, 1/4 lemon, juiced, 2 pinches ground cumin
- Serve with the chopped parsley and your choice of additional toppings.2 tbsp chopped parsley or cilantro, sliced chili, lemon wedges
Notes
Prep time / cook time: I've only indicated 5 minutes for prep time (chopping the tomatoes and garlic + getting them in the oven) because the remaining prep time overlaps with the cook time.
* The bagged pre-grated cheese is coated with powder to keep it from sticking together - this makes it drier and heavier than block cheese so it forms a sturdier topping. You can use block cheese if you wish, but as it cooks it may turn more oily and sink into the kale.
** Feel free to use some store bought hummus, tzatziki or baba ganoush for an easier option.
Calories: 505kcal, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 43mg, Sodium: 641mg, Potassium: 600mg, Fiber: 15g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 2778IU, Vitamin C: 42mg, Calcium: 413mg, Iron: 3mg