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.
Table of Contents
Weekend breakfast
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, a simple green salad with Dijon Mustard Salad Dressing and Blackberry Ginger Mint Mocktails (or Cocktails).
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
- 1/2 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
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 pinch black salt (Kala Namak), (optional)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 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 1/2 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.
CL
Love this! I used frozen shredded hash browns instead of tater tots and pre-cooked them a little, and tripled the veggies. I ate it every day for breakfast for a week. It was delicious! I used parchment paper and a Pyrex baking dish. Thank you so much, I’m going to make it all the time.
Amy Katz
That’s fantastic! I love the modifications you made.
Anita
Really enjoyed the tofu scramble part of this recipe! However next time I will omit the tater tots and pair it with seasoned roasted potatoes cooked separately.
Amy Katz
Thanks Anita!
Dee
Just made this for myself and my infant and toddler and it was SO good! I was a little bit skeptical about adding the non-dairy cheese but had some on hand and wish I would have added more it was so gooey and cheesy! This would taste amazing as a filling for breakfast burritos as well and the ingredients are totally adaptable. I can see myself making quite a few different yummy versions of this. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!! It’s definitely going to become a staple around here.
Amy Katz
That’s fantastic, Dee! I love your idea of using it as a filling for breakfast burritos.
Sandhya
Awesome Recipe. If I change olive oil instead of gingerly oil the taste is differ..
Dr. Carol
This scramble was so easy to make at home, yet it tasted like something I order at our vegan diner! It is so tasty, filling, and hearty! I added some diced zucchini and used a few scallions in addition to the diced onion for extra veggies. I also added some chopped fresh parley (could use cilantro)…..oh so good! I also substituted the salt I had never heard of for Adobo All-purpose Seasoning. And lastly, I added another 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast and just a smidge of water to make it even “cheezier.” I served it with salsa and diced avocadoes. Big hit! Thank you for this yummms-ville recipe!
Amy Katz
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Dr. Carol! I love your suggestions. I’m going to have to try that adobo seasoning!
Amanda
Great recipe! I made this for a brunch get-together and it was a hit with vegans and others alike. Great recipe to please a crowd with different dietary needs. 🙂
If I had more time, I would put the tots in separately first to get them a little crispier before adding the fofu-veggie mix. I didn’t have black salt, but I did add some smoked paprika for some nice savory flavor – definitely not the same but still very tasty!
Amy
I’m so happy everyone enjoyed it, Amanda!
V
Hi Amy,
I am going to make this today for a vegan potluck brunch which is tomorrow.
Questions: Do you just put frozen tater tots in the pan? Or do they need to be pre-cooked? Also, I was thinking of adding vegan breakfast sausage crumbles. Do you think that would work?
Thank you!
Amy
Hi V! You can put the frozen tots in the pan. I would pre-cook the crumbles first though. And I like to cook the casserole in advance and reheat it in the oven before serving. I hope everyone enjoys it!
V
Thanks so much for the reply! I am skipping the crumbles and just using your recipes but with hash browns instead of tater tots. I assume they can go in frozen like the tots. Thanks again.
Elizabeth Parmenter
Super good! Thank you for sharing.