This Vegan Breakfast Casserole combines your favorite classic breakfast items in one dish! Hash brown potatoes, breakfast sausage, and vegan egg baked together to make the tastiest breakfast dish that’s sure to please your whole family!
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Looking for a special breakfast or brunch dish for the holidays or a special occasion? This casserole is exactly what you’re looking for!
All the delicious flavors of a classic breakfast, with none of the animal products, and entirely plant based and oil free!
Over the years, I’ve tried a few recipes for vegan breakfast casserole, but none of them were quite what I was looking for. My daughters have fallen in love with a vegan tater tot breakfast casserole, but that doesn’t fit in with my oil free plant based lifestyle.
We’ve tried some others that have bread on the bottom of the pan – breakfast strata. But I’ve been curious about whether I could make a similar casserole in an even healthier way.
After a few tries, I did it! I’m so excited to share this with you! I have to say, this is my favorite of all the breakfast casseroles I’ve tried!
The combination of seasoned tofu, spinach and onions, hash brown potatoes, and my vegan breakfast sausage links is amazing! My favorite breakfast foods in one dish!
This casserole is perfect for a holiday brunch, but also easy enough to put together any time you want a hearty breakfast.
What do I need for this breakfast casserole?
Equipment:
- A non-stick or stainless steel skillet for sauteing the onions, garlic, and spinach. I love my Ozeri Stone Earth Frying Pan. I’ve had it for 3 years now, and nothing sticks to it.
- A food processor for blending together the tofu and seasonings.
- A 9 inch square baking pan.
- Parchment paper to line the baking pan. Or you can use a silicone baking pan.
Ingredients:
- Frozen shredded hash brown potatoes – these should contain just potatoes, and no oil or seasonings.
- Extra firm tofu – using less firm tofu will result in a mushier casserole.
- Onion – a medium yellow onion, or whichever color you prefer.
- Garlic – minced.
- Spinach – I used fresh spinach. Frozen will also work, but you’ll need to thaw it and squeeze out as much water as you can.
- Breakfast sausage – My vegan breakfast sausage links are perfect for this casserole, but you can use your favorite vegan breakfast sausage.
- Nutritional yeast – this adds a cheesy and umami flavor to the casserole.
- Dried parsley
- Dried basil
- Paprika
- Turmeric – gives the tofu a yellow tint, and is also a very healthy spice.
- Black salt (kala namak) – this salt is not actually black, but pink. It has a sulfur smell and flavor that adds an “eggy” taste to the tofu. Some people do not care for lack salt, so this ingredient is optional.
- Salt – leave this out if you’re following a low sodium diet.
- Black pepper
Do I need to press the tofu for this recipe?
I don’t use a tofu press for preparing the tofu in this recipe. I drain the tofu and then squeeze out as much water as I can with my hands. You don’t want the tofu to be real dry, but you also don’t want to leave too much moisture in it or you’ll end up with a mushy casserole.
How to make vegan breakfast casserole
Line the bottom of a 9 inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
Add the shredded hash brown potatoes and bake the for about 30 minutes. This will dry them a bit and help reduce the moisture in the casserole.
Saute the onions in a non-stick pan until they begin to brown. Use a small amount of water to deglaze the pan when the onions begin to stick.
Add in the garlic, and cook for about 2 minutes, until it becomes fragrant.
Add the chopped spinach, and cook until it is just wilted. Place this mixture in a medium sized mixing bowl.
Lightly brown the breakfast sausages and cut them into slices or dice them. Add them to the bowl.
Blend the tofu and the remaining ingredients together in a food processor.
Transfer this mixture to the mixing bowl and stir it together. Then spread the this mixture over the hash browns.
Bake it for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is evenly browned.
Variations:
- Add other vegetables of your choice. Some good options are bell pepper, mushrooms, kale, or broccoli.
- Add in Vegan Ham instead of the vegan sausage.
- Top with some vegan shredded cheese or Cashew Cheese Sauce.
Serving suggestions:
I love to top this vegan breakfast casserole with some vegan country gravy. Some fresh fruit is a good accompaniment, and these scrumptious cranberry orange muffins are perfect for finishing off the meal!
Can I prepare this casserole in advance?
Yes. You can assemble the casserole the day before you bake it. Add an additional 5 or 10 minutes to the baking time, since the casserole will be starting out cold from the refrigerator.
How long does this recipe keep?
This casserole will keep for about 4 or 5 days in the refrigerator.
Can you freeze cooked breakfast casserole?
The cooked casserole can be frozen whole in its pan, or separate servings can be frozen in individual containers for up to three months. Allow the casserole to thaw before heating in the microwave.
For more delicious breakfast recipes, see:
- Tofu scramble
- Easy Whole Wheat Vegan Pancakes
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Vegan French Toast
- Berry Sauce
- Blueberry Oat Bars
- Vegan Biscuits & Gravy
- Vegan Breakfast Hash
- Oil Free Vegan Granola
- Vegan Frittata
- Vegan Eggs Benedict
- Oil Free Hash Browns
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Breakfast Casserole
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- 9 inch square baking pan
Ingredients
- 12 ounces frozen shredded hash browns
- 14 ounces firm or extra firm tofu
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups spinach chopped
- 1 ½ cups vegan breakfast sausages sliced or diced
- ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon black salt
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Line a 9 inch square baking pan with parchment, or use a silicone baking pan. Place the hash browns in the pan and pre-bake for about 30 minutes.
- While the hash browns are in the oven, prepare the rest of the casserole.
- Saute the onion in a non-stick or stainless steel pan. Use a bit of water to deglaze the pan when the onions begin sticking.
- When the onions have started to brown, add in the garlic and saute for about 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add in the chopped spinach and cook just until the spinach has wilted. Transfer the mixture into a medium sized mixing bowl.
- Lightly brown the breakfast sausages and slice them.
- Drain and lightly press the tofu. I give it a few good squeezes to remove much of the water.
- Place the tofu, and seasonings in a food processor, and process until well combined.
- Add the sausage and the tofu mixture to the bowl with the onion and spinach. Stir to combine.
- Spread the tofu mixture on top of the pre-baked hash browns and bake the casserole for 30 to 35 minutes at 375° F.
Nutrition
Nutrition calculations are approximate.