Kick off your mornings with this dairy-free breakfast casserole! Combining vegan sausages and golden hashbrowns, it's a cinch to prepare and brimming with flavor. The best part? You can make it ahead of time, making it perfect for those busy mornings or festive holiday brunches. This dairy-free delight promises a hearty and flavorsome start to your day!
Ready to spice up your Christmas breakfast? This casserole is a game-changer. It's the kind of meal that fills you up and brings that cozy, comforting vibe with a fun twist. Plus, it checks all the boxes: it's vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free. You've got to put this on your Mother's or Vegan Father's Day Brunch, Thanksgiving, and Christmas menu!
We drew inspiration from our tofu scramble and our vegetable casserole. But here's the cool part: instead of the usual vegan béchamel sauce, we're using a silken tofu mix to give you that extra protein kick. Start your day ready and energized with this fantastic breakfast. It's simple, tasty, and oh-so-satisfying!
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💚 Why you will love it
- Effortless Meal Prep
- Flavorful & Satisfying
- Versatile Serving Options
- Nutrient-Rich Ingredients
- Reheats Beautifully
🧾 Ingredients
This casserole is put together with very simple ingredients.
- Silken tofu: This adds a creamy texture and a good source of protein.
- Vegan breakfast sausage: It brings a savory, meaty flavor without the meat.
- Frozen hash browns: They provide a convenient and crispy base.
- Onion: Adds a classic, aromatic depth to the dish.
- Red bell peppers: These offer a sweet crunch and vibrant color.
- Cremini mushrooms: For a hearty, earthy element in the casserole.
- Gluten-free flour: Used to thicken the mixture, keeping it gluten-free.
- Nutritional yeast: Gives a cheesy flavor while staying dairy-free.
- Turmeric: Adds color and a subtle, warm flavor.
- Optional kala namak: Offers an eggy flavor for those who enjoy it.
Optional Vegan Cheese to top: use your favorite cheese; we find that shredded cheddar cheese, pepper jack, and Havarti do a great job on this recipe.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions
- Chickpea flour – a.k.a. garbanzo bean or gram flour. You can also use any other gluten-free flour mix, or even almond flour.
- Kala namak – adds an eggy flavor to dishes thanks to the sulfur content. It can be omitted if not desired or available, but the omelette mix won’t be as eggy.
- Hash brown potatoes – we made this breakfast casserole with frozen hash browns. Frozen hashbrowns are delicate and can be used straight from frozen (this is what we did), but you can use these freshly made healthy hash browns instead or frozen shredded hash browns.
- Turmeric - you can omit it, or use a pinch of sweet smoked paprika.
- Red bell pepper - you could also use yellow, orange, or green peppers. They have a less sweet profile, though.
- Vegan sausages - we went cruelty-free instead of using the usual turkey or pork sausage. We used gluten-free, vegan sausages, which you can get quickly in any supermarket nowadays. Think Beyond Meat or Impossible Sausage. You can also replace it with chunks of cooked sweet potatoes or pieces of a whole roasted butternut squash to make the dish healthier and more wholesome.
🍽 Equipment
You will need only a mixing bowl, a blender, and a casserole dish.
🔪 Instructions
To make this casserole, you need to follow some simple steps: briefly cook the sausage, sautée the vegetables, blend the tofu vegan egg mixture, assemble the casserole, and then bake it in the oven. You can optionally top it with vegan shredded cheddar cheese. Let's go step-by-step.
Cook sausages
Step 1: Stir fry or air fry the sausages until golden brown,
Step 2: Then cut them into six pieces each.
Stir fry vegetables
Step 3: Sauté the onions.
Step 4: Add the sliced mushrooms, followed by red bell pepper dice.
Make the vegan egg mixture
Step 5: Put all the tofu mixture ingredients into a blender.
Step 6: Mix until perfectly creamy and silky.
Hint: You can taste the mixture and adjust it, adding a sprinkle of onion powder or even garlic powder for breakfast if you like intense flavors.
Combine the prepared ingredients
Step 7: Pour the vegan egg mixture into a mixing bowl and add the sautéed vegetables.
Step 8: Fold until you have an even mixture.
Assemble and bake
Step 9: Fill the casserole with hash browns into the bottom of the baking dish.
Step 10: Pour the vegan egg mixture over the hashbrowns. Add the cooked sausage.
Step 11: Poke the sausages into the sausage mixture and spread evenly with a spatula.
Step 12: Bake uncovered in a preheated oven, and after 1 hour, add optional vegan cheese and bake for another 30 minutes.
Hint: optionally garnish your breakfast casserole with chopped green onion, chives, or chopped parsley.
💡 Expert Tip
For a perfect casserole every time, focus on consistent layering. Ensure that each layer of ingredients, especially the hash browns, sausage, and vegetables, is spread evenly across the dish.
This consistency ensures even cooking and guarantees that every bite is packed with the full range of flavors and textures this dish offers. Remember, a well-layered casserole is key to its success!
🥢 How to serve
Brunch Platter: Serve this casserole as the star of a brunch spread, accompanied by fresh fruit, a variety of Italian artisan bread, and a selection of jams and spreads for a complete and satisfying meal. Serve with slices of vegan carrot bacon, or next to a creamed spinach casserole.
Hearty Breakfast Bowl: Scoop the casserole into bowls and top with avocado slices, a sprinkle of chia seeds, and a side of vegan bread buns, for a nutrient-packed, energizing breakfast.
Casserole Wrap: Get creative by wrapping a portion of the casserole in a large, whole wheat tortilla, homemade guacamole, and a drizzle of hot sauce or plant-based sour cream for a portable and fun breakfast option.
❓ FAQ
Oh, a breakfast casserole? It's basically your morning favorites tossed into one big baking dish. Think chunks of bread or hash browns, some vegan sausage or tofu for the protein kick, all soaked in a plant milk mix to hold it together. You can throw in whatever veggies you've got and top it off with vegan cheese. Super handy for when you want a filling breakfast without the morning hustle. Prep it the night before, and you're golden!
The best alternative to the egg for a breakfast casserole is to make a vegan omelette mix with silken tofu, chickpea (garbanzo) flour, and a few other sulfur-egg-like ingredients like turmeric powder, nutritional yeast, and kala namak.
You can also use a vegan replacer from Bob's Mill or Trader Joe's.
Absolutely! This casserole is perfect for meal prep. You can assemble it the night before, refrigerate it, and then bake it in the morning. For those extra busy days, bake it ahead of time, slice it, and store it in the fridge. It reheats beautifully in the oven or microwave, making your mornings smoother and more delicious. Plus, it freezes well too! Just thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. This way, you always have a tasty, plant-based breakfast ready to go.
🥡 Storage
Make this overnight breakfast casserole with hash browns beforehand. Leave in the fridge overnight, reheat, and crisp back up in the oven or air fryer on medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes.
Ensure you store the casserole in the fridge so it doesn't dry out. If it looks dry, sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of water before reheating.
We don't recommend freezing this silken tofu breakfast as silken tofu doesn't keep its texture.
📚 More breakfast recipes
Try out our tofu scramble, a protein-packed savory breakfast that is put together in minutes, any weekday. This roasted garlic and rosemary potatoes are perfect for a Sunday brunch!
If you are more on the sweet side, try out this sweet potato crunch casserole, which is great for Holiday celebrations, as well as these potatoes au gratin, which I love!
This Green beans potatoes, and sausage casserole is another excellent option for your Thanksgiving table!
We also make breakfast ahead of time, like oats and chia puddings, pumpkin dairy-free overnight oats, or lemon blueberry overnight oats.
⭐ If you try this recipe, let us know! 💬 Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag us @ourplantbasedworld on Instagram. Cheers!
📋 Recipe
Dairy-Free Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 16 oz silken tofu drained
- 10 oz vegan sausages ~5 sausages
- 9 oz cremini mushrooms sliced
- 1 white onion thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon kala namak
- 8 hashbrowns
- pinch black pepper freshly ground
Optional:
- ¼ cup grated vegan cheese
- chives to serve
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180° C / 350 °F.
- Stir fry or air fry the sausages until golden brown, then cut them into 6 pieces each.
- Sauté the onions with a tablespoon of water. Add the mushrooms and stir fry on medium-high heat until excess water has evaporated, roughly 5-10 minutes.
- Add the pepper and for another few minutes until the mushrooms have started to brown and the pepper is softening.
- Blend. Stir in the silken tofu, chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, turmeric, kala namak, and a pinch of salt and pepper into a blender and blend until well combined and smooth.
- Pour the tofu mix into a large bowl, add the onion, mushrooms, and pepper, and fold until combined.Hint: use the same pot you used for the veggies and/or sausages to combine the silken tofu mixture to drag that extra flavor.
- Lay the hash browns on the bottom of your casserole dish, then pour over the omelette mix. Evenly place the vegan sausages on top and poke them into the mix.
- Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, turning halfway through. Uncovered.
- Top it. If using vegan cheese, top with the cheese, then return to the oven for another 15 minutes. If not using cheese, just leave it in the oven for a total 60 minutes of cooking time.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes to help the omelette mix settle.
- Serve warm.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Nutritional Disclaimer
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice. See our full Nutritional Disclosure here.
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As the lead content writer and recipe developer at Our Plant-Based World, he combines his passion for health and sustainability with a Plant-Based Nutrition Certification to create accessible, delicious vegan recipes. His expertise in plant-based cooking supports the blog's mission of fostering a healthier, environmentally conscious lifestyle through simple and seasonal dishes. His commitment to making vegan cooking enjoyable and inclusive for everyone shines in each recipe and article.
Emily Flint
I can't wait to make this recipe for Christmas morning! It looks so good!
Sharon
I love the hearty layers in this hashbrown casserole, it's the perfect way to start the day.
Elizabeth
This looks like a great recipe for a vegan breakfast. You've got great details on how to make this. Thanks for sharing!
Sisley White - Sew White
This is a great way to feed all the plant-based friends and family for brunch. It got everyone's vote!