My family is addicted to this super easy, cheesy vegan breakfast casserole topped with crispy tater tots. The best part? It all comes together in one pan!
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Like I mentioned earlier, we make a tofu scramble pretty much every weekend. And if we're feeling fancy, I use that scramble as the base for a tater tot-covered vegan breakfast casserole.
Y'all, I am so excited to share my family's favorite, decadent, Sunday brunch recipe. My kid literally cheers when I pull this dish out of the oven.
What I love about this brunch casserole -- aside from seeing how happy my family gets when I make it -- is that it's a one-pot meal.
The key to making your vegan breakfast casserole in one pan is using the right kind of dish. You need a pan that can go from stovetop to a 450° F oven. Not all pots can do that, so make sure you're using one that can withstand that much heat, like a Dutch oven.
✓ Ingredients and substitutions
- oil - To pan fry.
- onion - Adds umami to the scramble.
- tofu - This is your "egg."
- seasonings - You are seasoning the tofu with turmeric, garlic powder, onion powder, and black salt. You can use table salt instead of black salt, if needed. You can also add other seasonings of choice, like paprika, Italian seasoning, etc., for variation.
- baby spinach - For color and to add some veg to this vegan breakfast casserole! You can use ½ cup frozen spinach, thawed, instead, if you prefer.
- vegan cheddar - I love a little cheesiness in a breakfast casserole, but this is optional.
- tater tots - To top the casserole.
🥣 How to make a vegan breakfast casserole
Preheat the oven to 450° F.
Heat the oil on medium-high in a Dutch oven or other pot that can go from stovetop to oven, and add the onion.
Cook until the onion turns translucent, about 5 minutes.
Crumble the tofu into the pan, and add the turmeric, garlic powder, onion powder, and black salt.
Cook, stirring, until the tofu gets a nice, even, yellow color. This should only take a few minutes.
Add the baby spinach.
Cook, stirring constantly, until the spinach wilts.
Add the optional vegan cheese, and stir until it begins to melt. Turn off the heat, and remove the pan from the burner. Use the back of a large spoon to flatten the top of the tofu scramble.
Arrange the tater tots in a single layer on top of the tofu. It's fine if they're touching, you just don't want them to overlap.
Bake for 17 to 19 minutes, until the tops of the tots are crispy.
💡 Helpful tips
- The key to making this in a single pan is choosing one that can go from stovetop to a 450° F oven. A Dutch oven or similar works well in this recipe.
- Make sure the tots are in a single layer. If they overlap, they won't cook evenly. Don't press the tots into the tofu. You want them just resting on top.
⏰ Make-Ahead Directions
To make this ahead of time, cook your tofu scramble, spread it into your pan, cover, and refrigerate for up to a day. When you're ready to eat, pull the pan out of the fridge while the oven preheats, cover with tater tots, and bake.
🫙 Storage directions
Real talk: we rarely end up with leftovers of this casserole. But when we do, I just put the lid on the pan and stick it in the fridge.
Leftovers keep for three to four days in the refrigerator. To reheat, you can use the microwave, though your tots won't be crispy. If you want crispy tots, then transfer to a small, oven-safe dish, and bake at 350° F for 10 to 15 minutes, until it's heated through and the tater tots crisp up again.
💬 Frequently asked questions
I use my 3.5 quart Le Creuset Dutch oven for this recipe, and it's the perfect depth and width. Anything much wider won't work as well because, as much as I love tater tots, your tots-to-scramble ratio is going to be way off in a wider pan.
I know that Le Creuset cookware is pricey. If you can splurge on it, though, it's so worth it. If that's just not in the cards, though, that's totally fine. You can get much more affordable ceramic-coated cast iron pans online or even in department stores.
You can assemble the casserole up to a day ahead of time. Pull it out of the fridge while the oven preheats, then bake until the tots are browned and crispy. Start checking in at the 15-minute mark, since the tots will be thawed, and you don't want them to burn.
🍴 More 'eggy' vegan breakfasts
📖 Recipe
Vegan Breakfast Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
For the tofu scramble
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup sweet onion diced
- 1 block extra firm tofu
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black salt or table salt, if you can't find black salt
- 2 cups baby spinach or 1 cup frozen spinach
- 1 cup vegan cheddar shreds optional
For the breakfast casserole
- 3 cups frozen tater tots approximately - you need enough to cover the top of the casserole
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450° F.
Make the tofu scramble
- Heat the oil on medium-high in a Dutch oven or other pot that can go from stovetop to oven. Add the onion, and cook until the onion turns translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Crumble the tofu into the pan, and add the turmeric, garlic powder, onion powder, and black salt. Cook, stirring, until the tofu gets a nice, even, yellow color. This should only take a few minutes.
- Add the baby spinach and cook, stirring constantly, until the spinach wilts. Add the optional vegan cheese, stirring until it begins to melt. Turn off the heat, and remove the pan from the burner.
Assemble the casserole and bake
- Use the back of a large spoon to flatten the top of the tofu scramble. Arrange the tater tots in a single layer on top of the tofu. It's fine if they're touching, you just don't want them to overlap. Don't press the tots into the tofu. You want them just resting on top.
- Bake for 17 to 19 minutes, until the tops of the tots are crispy.
Got a question? Tried this recipe? Leave a reply!