For years, I have been playing around with vegan breakfast casseroles. Last year, 2019, I thought I had a solid recipe using frozen hashbrown shreds. I say thought because once tater tots came in to mind, I couldn’t think of using anything else.

I did not grow up in a house with tot casseroles but my best friend did. In fact, it wasn’t until we were 20 years old did I learn of putting tater tots into a casserole. I remember her combining cooked ground meat, cheese, lots of butter and tater tots into a casserole dish then baking it.

All I could remember is, ohhhh I could get in to trouble if I really learn how to make this. Trouble as in, I would eat it all. It was SO good!

20 years later…

here I am sort of remaking that recipe but vegan style with a breakfast twist.

What goes into a Vegan Breakfast Tot Casserole?

There are 4 components to this recipe.

1. Tofu Scramble. I use my Famous Tofu Scramble in this recipe. It’s famous because not only do we love it but is also a favorite amongst our omni family.

2. Vegan Sausage Crumbles. I like to use Beyond Meat’s Brat Sausages. I take off the casing and crumble them in to the pan. You can use your favorite vegan sausage–finely chop it or crumble. We also wilt in spinach at the end of this step.

3. Cheese Sauce. The idea behind my cheese sauce is to combine cheesy and gravy flavors in to one. We still use cashews, nutritional yeast and white miso like most use in a vegan cheese sauce. What I do different is the liquid used is vegetable broth/stock. This gives the sauce a more savory flavor and more black pepper is added.

4. Tater Tots. I almost called them, “the star of the show.” But really, the tots are what pull people in. The combo of the tofu scramble, vegan sausage crumbles, cheese sauce AND tots are what keep you coming back for more!

Ready? Let’s make a Vegan Breakfast Tot Casserole!

Vegan Breakfast Tater Tot Casserole

Recipe by Jen HortonCourse: BreakfastDifficulty: Medium

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

391

kcal

a classic American style Breakfast Casserole but is 100% plants and includes TOTS!

Ingredients

Tofu Scramble
extra firm tofu, 1 block, rinsed
kala namak (black salt), 1/2 tsp.
turmeric, 1/2 tsp. ground
black pepper, 1/4 tsp. ground
soy sauce, 1 tbsp.
vegan butter, 1 tbsp. (I use Earth Balance)
Sausage & Spinach
4 vegan sausage links, crumbled (I use Beyond Brat/Sausages)
fresh spinach, 2 cups chopped
oil to cook sausage, only if needed.
Cheese Sauce
raw cashews, 1 cup soaked
nutritional yeast, 2 tbsp.
white miso, 1 tbsp.
vegetable broth/stock, 1 1/2 cup
nutmeg ground, 1 pinch
onion powder, 1 tsp
salt, 1 tsp
black pepper ground, 1/4 tsp
Tater Tots
tater tots, 32 oz package will give you enough(72) for a 9×13 casserole dish with a few extra.

Directions

Tofu Scramble
Heat a large skillet over medium heat then melt your butter.
With your hands, break apart the tofu to resemble scrambled egg. Start with one corner pinching at the tofu. It will break apart in to crumble. Add to the buttered skillet.
The tofu will be watery since we did not press it to drain. Use a spatula to mix the butter in the tofu. Continue to mix the scramble around for a few minutes to let the water evaporate a bit.
Pour in all of your spices and soy sauce. Mix well. The turmeric will add the color to your tofu to resemble egg.
Cook for another 4-5 minutes; until warmed through and the seasonings are distributed throughout.
Vegan Sausage & Spinach
If using a vegan sausage with casing, remove the casing then crumble. If no casing, finely chop the sausage to resemble a crumble.
Cook according to package directions on your stovetop.
The last minute of cooking, stir in chopped spinach.
Turn off heat & cover. Let rest for a minute to wilt spinach. Stir again. Remove from heat.
Cheese Sauce
Add soaked cashews along with the rest of the cheese sauce ingredients to a blender.
Start on low to begin blending then turn up; continue to blend until you reach a creamy consistency. Stop and scrape down sides as necessary. Set aside.
Putting it all together!
Preheat oven 425 degrees.
In a large bowl, gently mix together your tofu scramble, vegan sausage, spinach and cheese sauce.
In a 9×13 casserole dish, pour in your tofu scramble, sausage, cheese mix. Evenly spread out.
Top with tots!
I’m able to lay out 6 tots in length and 12 across for width totaling 72 tots.
Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes. Check at 30 minutes; until tots are golden brown & crispy.
Let cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Notes

Optional Toppings: Add chopped green onion, cilantro, parsley, hot sauce, vegan sour cream… or leave as is!
If you can get past your tots being a little soggy, leftovers taste great the next day.

Optional toppings to serve with…

green onion, chopped
parsley, chopped
cilantro, chopped
hot sauce drizzled
vegan sour cream. I’m a big fan of my Tangy Lime Sour Cream with this casserole.