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Tater tot lovers, this one’s for you! You won’t believe how delicious they are in this Tofu Scramble Tater Tot Casserole. Plus this vegan and gluten-free recipe is easy to make in under an hour!
I love making tofu scramble with roasted breakfast potatoes or hash browns on the weekends.
When I eat them, I like to put a little of each on my fork so that the flavors and texture 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 Tofu Scramble Tater Tot Casserole was born!
Tater Tots are a favorite American comfort food.
Tater tots 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 tofu scramble tater tot 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.
And you can customize it by using whatever vegetables you like in this recipe.
For example, if you’re not a fan of mushrooms or spinach, leave them out, or try using other vegetables instead such as zucchini.
Plus you can add other ingredients such as black olives or pinto or black beans.
In addition, you can top the tofu scramble tater tot casserole with sliced or cubed avocado and serve it with ketchup or hot sauce.
Making Tofu Scramble Tater Tot Casserole is really easy.
The first step is to make the tofu scramble by sauteing the vegetables, then adding crumbled tofu.
I like to season my scrambles with turmeric and nutritional yeast.
You can also add Kala Namak salt, also known as Indian black salt, which is a pinkish-gray salt with a natural egg-y taste.
I find a little goes a long way.
It’s optional in this recipe, so don’t worry if you don’t want to buy any.
Then layer the tater tots in a casserole dish and top them with the tofu mixture.
I enjoy adding shredded vegan cheese on top before baking the casserole, but it will still taste delicious without it.
This tofu scramble tater tot 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)!
Making brunch for friends?
Try serving this casserole with Watermelon Blueberry Salad, a simple green salad with Dijon Mustard Salad Dressing and Blackberry Ginger Mint Mocktails (or Cocktails).
Tofu Scramble Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
If you plan on making this breakfast casserole in advance, it reheats very well. In fact, I like the leftovers even better. I bake it according to the 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.
If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars!
Tofu Scramble Tater Tot Casserole
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.
Notes
Stacey LaRuffa
Amy, I made this last night for our weekly bachelor-viewing dinner and it was delicious!
Amy
That’s awesome! I love it for dinner, too.
Amy
Thanks Rachel! This one is a hit with my omni friends, too!
Ashlyn
I cooked this recipe this morning & it was delicious! I added tomato, refried beans and green chiles. I also omitted the spinach, mushrooms & cheese because I didn’t have those ingredients. Will definitely cook again!
Amy
That sounds fantastic, Ashlyn! The recipe is very adaptable. I love the ingredients you added. Thanks for sharing!
Tammy
Can it be made the night before? Then cooked the next morning?
Amy
Yes, definitely! The leftovers reheat well the next day, too.
Louise Proulx
Hi Dianne! I just discovered you when searching for vegan brunch recipe ideas for Easter! So glad I did – your recipes look wonderful and so yum 🙂 I am going to a gathering for Easter and everyone minus my boyfriend and I are meat-eaters. This looks like a casserole that even meat-eaters would like (and perhaps open their world to more humane and earth-friendly eating). I can not wait to try it! Thank you!
Amy
I have lots of meat-eating friends who love this casserole. I hope it’s a hit at your Easter gathering!
Louise Proulx
Thank you! I am looking forward to hearing the reviews at the gathering. One thing – is that a 9×12 baking dish? I am using one and using many more tots. I was going to use an 8 x 8 but the tofu would have flowed over. Thanks again, and happy Easter
Amy
Yes, that size works great. You can use as many tots as you want. Happy Easter! 🙂
Amy
Thanks Agness! I really enjoy it. 🙂
The Student-turned-Doctor @ Food for Dissertating
Thank you so much for this recipe! You’re right: It’s amazing as a packed lunch. (See for yourself! http://foodfordissertating.blogspot.com/2017/08/lunchopolis-37.html ) What I liked most about it other than the tater tots (I mean, TATER TOTS!) was the way the tofu scramble became so creamy. It was like you gave me back what I loved most about scrambled eggs before I went vegan. I was so sorry when I finished the pan off. I’ll have to make this again soon.
Amy
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! I will need to make it again soon, too!
Chessie
Fabulous idea! I made this this morning and it turned out great. I love a good tofu scramble, and the indulgence of tater tots is a great addition. I used parboiled kale instead of spinach and skipped the cheese, but otherwise followed your recipe.
Amy
Thank you, Chessie! I am so happy you enjoyed it!
Shelley
This was fantastic! I didn’t have tater tots, so lined the dish with Trader Joe’s Hash Brown’s. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers for breakfast tomorrow.
Amy
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Shelley! I’m going to have to try it with those hash browns next time. Those are so good!
Stephanie
Making this for xmas tomorrow morning! How much salt do you usually use?
Amy
I recommend tasting as you go. Tater tots tend to be salty, so you probably won’t need a lot.
Jody
Hi Amy- I found you when searching for a vegan breakfast that wouldn’t leave me starving an hour later. Thank you so much for posting this! I have 2 questions. Can it be frozen(planning individual servings)? How long would it last in the fridge and retain the same yumminess ? Thanks for your time to read this.
Amy
Hi Jody! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I haven’t tried freezing it, but I have kept it refrigerated for several days and reheated individual servings in the microwave.
Kristie
This made our Christmas morning!! Every year we go to our families house Christmas morning and after Santa gifts are opened we all eat something called egg bake casserole (hash browns, bacon, cheese, eggs, etc) cooked in a crockpot overnight. Last year as new vegans we had nothing to eat. This year I resolved to find something to eat with the others and this recipe came to the rescue. I made it and baked it the day before and then refrigerated it till Christmas morning. I also did add a small can of diced green chilis when I sauteed the mushrooms and spinach. Since I thought only 2 of us were eating it we just scooped out the portion we needed to reheat and found it even more flavorful that the when we first tasted it the day before. We spied another family member try it and then she was trying to get others to try it. All those that did, dumped their original egg bake and ate our tofu scramble tater tot casserole instead. The comment we kept hearing was how much flavor it had. Not only will we have this every Christmas morning, but it will be a casserole I make whenever family visits.
Amy
That’s fantastic, Kristie! I made it for my family, too, and the non-vegans loved it. I agree that it tastes even better the second day!
Elizabeth Parmenter
Super good! Thank you for sharing.
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.