Vegan Breakfast Casserole is loaded with seasoned tofu scramble, colorful vegetables, and crispy tater tots. This comforting family favorite is easy to make in under an hour.
While I usually stick with simple breakfasts during the week as part of a vegan Mediterranean diet, sometimes it's nice to make something special on the weekend.
One of my favorite combinations is tofu scramble with roasted breakfast potatoes or hash browns.
When I eat them, I like to put a little of each on my fork so that the flavors and textures combine in each bite.
One day I decided to combine both elements by layering frozen tater tots and tofu scramble in a casserole.
And that's how this Vegan Breakfast Casserole was born!
Tater Tots
Tater Tots are a favorite American comfort food.
They always remind me of the dining halls in college.
I remember being shocked by how much food was available in the mornings for breakfast, including donuts, every cereal ever created, and tater tots.
It's not surprising that I gained a few pounds that year.
But now I know that tater tots are a "sometimes" food.
And I don't feel badly about enjoying them every now and then, especially on the weekend for brunch when I make a vegan breakfast casserole.
Did you know that tater tots were developed in 1953 by the founders of Ore-Ida?
They came up with their formula when looking for a way to use up the potato scraps from their french fries.
Check out the article from The Daily Meal and learn more things you didn't know about tater tots.
Perfect for brunch
I've served this tater tot hotdish to some of my friends for brunch, and it was a big hit, even among those who don't normally eat tofu.
Try serving this casserole with Watermelon Blueberry Salad and a simple green salad with Dijon Mustard Salad Dressing.
It's also my go-to dish for Christmas morning. I like to make Pomegranate Guacamole or a Guacamole Christmas Wreath Appetizer to go with it.
How to make vegan breakfast casserole
The main components of this recipe are scrambled tofu with vegetables, vegan cheese, and tater tots.
Vegan Breakfast Casserole ingredients
- Olive oil (for sauteing)
- Vegetables (I use onion, garlic, red bell pepper, mushrooms, and fresh spinach, but you can customize it by using whatever vegetables you like in this recipe. Other people have told me they like it with zucchini, olives, and black or pinto beans.)
- Extra-firm tofu (I recommend the EZ Tofu Press for removing excess liquid.)
- Turmeric (for yellow color)
- Nutritional yeast (for savory flavor)
- Kala Namak salt (Also known as Indian black salt, it's actually a pinkish-gray salt with a natural egg-y taste. A little goes a long way. And this ingredient is optional.)
- Vegan cheddar-style cheese (An optional, but recommended, ingredient for mixing in the casserole and for topping.)
- Frozen tater tots (for the base of the dish)
- Optional toppings such as sliced or cubed avocado, ketchup or hot sauce.
Making the casserole
- First make the tofu scramble by sauteing the vegetables, then adding crumbled tofu and the seasonings and cooking until heated through.
- Remove the scramble from the heat and stir in some shredded vegan cheese.
- Then layer the tater tots in a casserole dish and top them with the tofu mixture.
- I enjoy adding some more shredded vegan cheese on top before baking the casserole, but it will still taste delicious without it.
This breakfast casserole reheats very well, so feel free to make it in advance.
And if you have any leftovers, you can heat individual servings in the microwave the next day, making it the perfect meal to take with you to work.
I also enjoy it for dinner.
After all, you can never go wrong with breakfast for dinner (brinner)!
More vegan breakfast recipes
If you're looking for more special vegan breakfast and brunch recipes, these are some of my favorites:
Vegan Breakfast Casserole Recipe
If you plan on making this breakfast casserole in advance, it reheats very well.
In fact, I like the leftovers even better.
Simply bake it according to the recipe directions the day before, then cover and refrigerate it.
When you're ready to eat, reheat the casserole in the oven until heated through.
In addition, individual servings can be frozen in glass containers for several months. Defrost and reheat in the microwave.
For tips on freezing, refer to USDA Freezing and Food Safety.
If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars! ★★★★★
Vegan Breakfast Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespooon olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- ½ cup mushrooms, (white or brown) sliced
- 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped (or use baby spinach)
- 1 pound extra firm tofu, drained and squeezed to remove excess liquid
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 pinch black salt (Kala Namak), (optional)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ cup vegan Cheddar-style cheese, shredded, plus extra for topping (optional)
- 35 frozen tater tots, (or more to fill your casserole dish)
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large skillet, saute the onion, garlic, and red pepper in the olive oil over medium heat.
- Once the onions are translucent, add the mushrooms and spinach. Saute until the mushrooms are soft and the spinach is wilted.
- Crumble the tofu over the vegetables and add the turmeric, nutritional yeast, Kala Namak (if using), and salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.
- Remove from heat and stir in the ½ cup of non-dairy shreds.
- Arrange the tater tots in a casserole dish. Spread the tofu mixture over the tater tots in an even layer. Top with an extra sprinkle of shreds, if desired.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, or until heated through.
- Enjoy as is or serve with ketchup or hot sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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Kit
This was yummy. My husband said it was good and he doesn't even know I used vegan cheese (which he says he's not a fan of, haha!). It's a great recipe that is easy to modify to use up what you have in the fridge. I had smoked vegan mozzarella and that worked well.
Amy Katz
I'm so glad you both enjoyed it, Kit!
Mary
This is an amazing recipe! So delicious! I’ll make again and again. Thank you for this great recipe!
Amy Katz
I'm so glad you are enjoying it, Mary!
Stacey
We loved this! Found it on the Prepear app. We will definitely make this again.
Amy Katz
Thank you, Stacey! I'm glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Danielle Siedlecki
Tofu scramble portion was delicious but my tater tots were undercooked/mushy- any tips?
Amy Katz
Hi Danielle, try cooking the tater tots for about 15 minutes before adding the scramble to the casserole.
Rebecca
Do you think it would work with shredded hash browns, or will they burn?
Amy Katz
I think they will work, but I haven't tried it myself.
Gwen
Amy, I made this for dinner tonight (breakfast for dinner!) and it was AMAZING! Everyone loved it, and raved about it. This is definitely going to become part of the rotation. Great idea, so good, thank you!
Amy Katz
Thank you so much, Gwen! I'm happy your family enjoyed it!