Cheesy Vegan Breakfast Casserole
A gluten-free baked breakfast casserole with crispy hash brown potatoes, cheesy vegan eggs, and lots of toppings!
Servings: 6 slices
Ingredients
For the Base
- 6 frozen hash brown patties
- avocado oil or cooking spray
For the Filling
- 1.5 blocks firm tofu
- 3 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt I use Mortons
- 3/4 tsp onion powder
- 3/4 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp ground sage
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- 10 grinds black pepper
Toppings
- 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes or roasted red peppers
- 1/2 cup vegan cheddar cheese see notes
- fresh scallions and dill
Instructions
Make the Base
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 9 x 9in pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with hashbrowns. A little overlapping is ok 👍
- Bake for 15 minutes, flip, and bake for 10 another minutes so that both sides get nice and cripsy. Then remove the pan from the oven. You can sprinkle the potatoes lightly with salt and pepper if desired but don't go crazy because the filling with have seaosning too. Set the hash browns aside for now and lower the oven to 350 degrees.
Prep the Filling
- Add the baking powder, salt, pepper, and spices to a small bowl and set aside. Chop the peppers or tomatoes and set aside. If using tomatoes, remove some of the seeds to avoid excess moisture in the casserole. Drain the water from the tofu package and squeeze the tofu gently for 10-15 seconds to remove some excess water.
Blend
- Add the tofu, water, olive oil, and mixed spices to a large blender. Pulse several times, stopping to scrape down the edges. Then blend until silky smooth. Taste and add more seasonings if needed. Note: This will be thick so be sure to pulse, scrape, and then blend. Repeat as needed until luscious and smooth.
Assemble
- Dollop the tofu mixture over the hasbrowns and use a spatula to smooth out the top. Then decorate the top with peppers and lots of vegan cheese.
Bake
- Bake for 40 minutes or until set in the center, then remove the pan from the oven and alllow the casserole to rest on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes before slicing. This isn't easy but it's important for the texture so it's worth it!
Serve
- Top with fresh scallions and dill and enjoy!I also like serving this with some ketchup and vegan sour cream on the side 😊
Notes
Any vegan cheese you like will work here but I love using VioLife's Epic Mature Cheddar. The flavor is so delicious and it melts nicely in the oven. I like to get the block rather than the slices or pre-shredded option and shred it myself since that helps it melt better too!
If the tofu mixture is too thick and won't blend, add more water, 1 tbsp at a time, and blend again. Every brand of tofu is slightly different so add more - just a little at time -until smooth and creamy. It should be super thick like shown in the photos above, so be careful not to add too much liquid or else it will be soggy.