This recipe is sponsored by EZ Tofu Press. All opinions are 100% my own.
My family is addicted to this super easy vegan breakfast casserole topped with crispy tater tots. The best part? It all comes together in one pan!
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 tot-covered vegan breakfast casserole.
Y'all, I am so excited to share my family's favorite, decadent, Sunday brunch recipe.
They literally cheer when I pull this dish out of the oven.
Choose the proper pan
What I love about this dish -- aside from seeing how happy my family gets when I make it -- is that it's a one-pot brunch.
The key is to use the right kind of pot. You need a pot 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.
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.
Got your pan ready? Let's cook!
Making the tofu scramble
This tater tot casserole contains no meat. Instead, the base is a creamy, flavorful tofu scramble.
The tofu scramble is super simple to make. The key to the perfect texture is to press your tofu before you begin. I start my tofu scrambles by pressing my tofu in my EZ Tofu Press.
Pressing the tofu gets the extra water out, which gives your scramble an "eggier" texture.
The EZ Tofu Press is easy to use and easy to clean. It's also super efficient. In just 10-15 minutes, it gets an average of 1/2 cup of water out of your block of tofu!
While the tofu presses, prepare the rest of the vegetables, and start cooking.
Start by sauteing some chopped onion until it's soft.
Then, crumble the tofu into the pan and season it with turmeric, black salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Cook until the tofu turns yellow.
Now, add baby spinach and cook, stirring until the spinach wilts. The last thing you do is add the optional cheese shreds and stir them in until they start to melt.
Scramble: achieved! Remove the pan from the heat, and turn off the stove.
Assembling and baking the casserole
Use the back of a large spoon to flatten the scramble down into the pan. Now, top it off with frozen tater tots.
In the recipe below, I estimate three cups of tots, but you may need more or less, depending on the pan you use. What you want is a single layer of tots covering the whole top of your casserole.
It's fine for the tots to touch, you just don't want them to overlap.
Then, toss that pan into a 450 F oven, and bake it until the tater tots are browned and crispy.
Watch your family rejoice!
How to store and reheat it
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.
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 10-15 minutes, until it's heated through and the tater tots crisp up again.
One pot vegan breakfast casserole recipe
Ingredients
For the tofu scramble
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup sweet onion - diced
- 1 block extra firm tofu - pressed
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 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 over 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.
- Bake for 17-19 minutes, until the tops of the tots are crispy.
Equipment
Video
Notes
- About the turmeric: Turmeric gives the tofu scramble it's yellow color. If you don't have turmeric, you can just omit it. It's in the recipe mainly for color, not flavor.
- About the black salt: Black salt gives the scramble an "eggy" flavor. It's actually pink in color. If you can't find it in stores, it's available online. You can substitute table salt instead, if you don't have black salt handy.
- Nutritional information is for the recipe made with the vegan cheese shreds.
Have a question? Tried this recipe? Share your thoughts!