Cheesy, hearty vegan tater tot casserole is totally addictive. This meat-free hotdish is packed with beans and veggies in a cheesy sauce!
Servings 6
Author Becky Striepe
Ingredients
2tablespoonsolive oil
1cupchopped sweet onion
2clovesminced garlic
1chopped bell pepperany color you want
2tablespoonschickpea flouror all-purpose flour
2cupsunsweetened vegan milkSoy or oat both work well, and I'm sure other creamy vegan milks would, too.
1tablespoonchili powder
2cupsvegan cheese shredsCheddar, mozzarella, or pepper jack all work well, as would a combination of any of these!
115 ouncecan of red beansdrained and rinsed
115 ouncecan of black beansdrained and rinsed
1cupfrozen cornYou can use canned, if needed.
salt and pepperto taste
3cupsfrozen tater tots
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450° F (or whatever temperature your bag of tater tots lists).
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven (or other stove-to-oven saucepan) on medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and cook until the onion turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the chickpea flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes.
Slowly add the vegan milk, whisking out any lumps as you go. Once all of the milk is in the pan, add the chili powder.
Bump the heat up to medium, and simmer, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes. Keep this going until the mixture thickens, so when you drag a spoon across the bottom of the pan, there's a split second before the milk mixture fills in the gap.
Remove the pan from the heat, and while the milk mixture is still hot, add the shredded vegan cheese, stirring to melt. Add the beans and corn, mixing well, then season to taste with the salt and pepper. Top with the tater tots in a single layer, then bake according to the tater tots package directions (usually around 20 minutes).
Video
Notes
Make sure that the vegan milk you choose is nice and creamy. Thin milk will yield a thinner cheese sauce, and that's just not the goal here.If your tater tots package gives a range of cooking times, I suggest using the longest cooking time for the crispiest results.