Hash Brown Vegan Breakfast Casserole
Sometime back, we were having Sunday brunch at my sister’s house after church, and I needed to come up with a healthy version of a vegan breakfast casserole to take. This is the amazing Hash Brown Casserole that ended up happening in my kitchen!
Everyone–and I do mean EVERYONE–absolutely loved this vegan potato casserole. I was actually shocked at the accolades that were coming my way over this new whole food plant-based (WFPB) breakfast recipe.
This oil and dairy-free version of the traditional American hash brown casserole is delicious and heart-healthy. With potatoes, onions, red bell peppers, creamy vegan cheese sauce, and smoked paprika, there is no skimping on taste. No artery-clogging butter and eggs either.
Hash browns for breakfast
We love hash browns and normally just make them quickly in the waffle iron or panini maker, but this dish needed to be something in the breakfast casserole category--think colorful, warm, and cheesy.
A perfect make-ahead vegan breakfast casserole, this recipe will quickly become a new family favorite just like it did for us.
How to make vegan hash brown casserole
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
In my opinion, other than the hash browns themselves, the star ingredient for this casserole is the homemade vegan cheese sauce.
You will want to make this cheese sauce first thing. It’s really easy to make and even freezes well. I usually already have some on hand in my freezer which shortens the steps to making any of my recipes that require cheese such as nachos, broccoli casserole, and scalloped potatoes.
Making this terrific cheese sauce is as simple as boiling a pot of potatoes, onions, and carrots, adding them to a blender with cashews (or white beans), spices, and blending it until smooth.
I have a Vitamix blender and so don’t take the time to soak my cashews. That thing is powerful and everything that goes into it comes out creamy. However, if your blender isn’t jet engine speed, soaking the cashews in warm water for at least 30-minutes before adding to this recipe will help this recipe come out more creamy.
This recipe makes a little more sauce than you actually need for the casserole, so you’ll have some leftovers to try with other recipes. Once the cheese sauce is complete, set it to the side.
To make the casserole, dice the onion and red bell pepper into small chunks, and go ahead and dice up the fresh spinach leaves as well.
In a large bowl, mix together onions, red bell peppers, frozen hash browns, cheese sauce, and spices. Make sure to use a nice big bowl so you’ll have plenty of room for stirring.
Then, toss in the shredded spinach leaves and lightly mix again.
Line a 9″x13″ baking dish with parchment paper. This allows the casserole to be cooked without oil. You could use a silicone baking dish if desired.
Pour the hash brown mixture into a baking dish and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. If making in a crockpot, cook on low for approximately 2 hours.
Remove from oven and serve warm. Believe me, this is going to be the best breakfast casserole you’ve eaten!
Everyone at our family gathering loved this breakfast casserole, along with the Banana Oat Pancakes that I took as well. I came home with empty dishes which is always a good feeling, and there were many requests for a recipe.
*Original publish date November 2017.
Choosing frozen hash browns
When shopping for frozen hash browns, check the ingredient list well. You will want to buy the ones that are only shredded potatoes and have no added oil, salt, or other ingredients.
I have found that off-brands such as Aldi, Walmart, and other grocery stores are perfectly compliant and quite inexpensive.
A number of people have asked if they could shred their own fresh potatoes for this. The answer is yes, but you will need to remove as much of the water from them as possible first.
Plant-based vegan sausage makes a great addition when serving this for breakfast. It is one of the many products that I like to order from MamaSezz meal delivery service. It comes ready to heat and eat, and it can also be frozen.
Pro tips & suggestions
- Prep ahead- To make this vegan potato casserole even faster, I sometimes dice and freeze the onion and red pepper ahead to time to use in this casserole.
- Cheese sauce- I often freeze the cheese sauce to use in other recipes, so I always have some on-hand.
- Frozen hash browns- When purchasing frozen hash brown, read the label to make sure the only ingredient is potatoes. Aldi’s brand is perfect for this recipe. Off brands of hash browns often work well and have only potatoes as an ingredient.
- Baking dish- I use a 9″x13″ baking dish.
We love breakfast casseroles because they’re…
- Easy to make ahead
- Great for family brunches
- Perfect for holidays
- Filling
- Comforting
- Delicious!
More vegan breakfast recipes:
- Vegan Quiche Casserole
- Best Vegan Blueberry Muffins
- Breakfast English Muffins
- Healthy Breakfast Scramble
- Fruited Quinoa
- Smoked Tempeh Bacon
- Healthy Vegan Casseroles
- 15 Vegan Brunches
For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.
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Vegan Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
Hash Brown Casserole
- 1 30 oz package frozen shredded hash browns oil-free version (or 4 cups freshly shredded)
- 3/4 cup onions diced
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper diced
- 3/4 cup fresh spinach leaves shredded
- 1 cup No Cheese Sauce recipe below
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon dry steak seasoning
- 1 tablespoon ground smoked paprika
- salt & pepper to taste
Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce
- 1 cup potatoes peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup carrots diced
- 1/4 cup onions diced
- 1 cup broth from veggies
- 1/2 cup raw cashews or 1/2 cup white beans
- 4 tablepoons nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch paprika
- 1/2 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
Hash Brown Casserole
- Begin by making the cheese sauce using the recipe below. This recipe makes a little more sauce than you actually need for the casserole, so you'll have a little leftover to try with other recipes. Once the cheese sauce is complete, set it to the side.
- To make the casserole, dice the onion and red bell pepper into small chunks, and go ahead and dice up the fresh spinach leaves as well.
- In a large bowl, mix together onions, red bell peppers, frozen hash browns, cheese sauce, and spices. Make sure to use a nice big bowl so you'll have plenty of room for stirring.
- Toss in shredded spinach leaves and lightly mix again.
- Line a 9"x13" baking dish with parchment paper. This allows the casserole to be cooked without oil. You could use a silicone baking dish if desired.
- Pour hash brown mixture into the baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and serve warm.
Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce
- In a medium pot, bring about 3 cups of water to a boil. Place potatoes, carrots, and onion in the pot and allow to cook until veggies are tender-- approximately 15 minutes. Cooking time will vary based on how small the veggies are diced.
- When veggies are tender, drain and place them in the blender. NOTE: reserve 1 cup of the broth, and add to blender. Add all the remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth.
- Now, it's ready to use in this Hash Brown recipe. Cheese Sauce is also fabulous in nacho cheese dip, veggie pizza, mac-n-cheese, topping for steamed broccoli, or anything else you need a creamy, cheesy sauce in. It makes approximately 1 quart and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Video
Notes
- Prep ahead- To make this vegan potato casserole even faster, I sometimes dice and freeze the onion and red pepper ahead to time to use in this casserole.
- Cheese sauce- I often freeze the cheese sauce to use in other recipes, so I always have some on hand.
- Frozen hash browns- When purchasing frozen hash brown, read the label to make sure the only ingredient is potatoes. Aldi's brand is perfect for this recipe. Off brands of hash browns often work well and have only potatoes as an ingredient.
- Baking dish- I use a 9"x13" baking dish.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
Would this casserole freeze well?
I haven’t tried freezing it, but I think it would do just fine. Please let us know if you try it.
Can you make this the night before and leave it in the fridge and bake it the next morning?
Yes, this casserole would be just fine made a day ahead and then baking. Makes life simpler!
I made this for Christmas morning breakfast. It was a hit! It was great to be able to make it the night before. I did have to cook it 45 minutes to cook the onion to my preference. Thank you for a great breakfast!
Wonderful! I love hearing that it was a hit for your family. Being able to make the day before is a big plus for me too. Just pop it in the oven and serve!
I found the addition of so much cheese sauce plus the cup of vegetable broth made the casserole turn out too mushy. Have you tried cooking it without the sauce so that the potatoes crisp up a bit, and then adding some cheese sauce at the end instead?
I haven’t tried that before, but it sounds like it could help crisp up the potoatoes a bit. Hope it works for you!
I don’t think you add the veggie broth in addition to the cheese sauce. I think it is one of the ingredients in the cheese daises itself. My sauce turned out nice and thick!!
Made this casserole as instructed – really good
Thank you Laura!
Oh my gosh this was so delicious. The cheese sauce is fabulous too. Thanks for a great recipe.
LOVE the great feedback! I’m so glad you liked it. The cheese sauce has so many uses too–baked potatoes, pizza, lasagna, steamed veggies, and more!
Definitely my favorite cheese sauce so far.
Awesome to hear! Thanks for the great feedback!
Hi! This looks delicious!! Do you have a recommended brand for the dry steak seasoning? I need to buy some. Thank you
Hi Carrie, I don’t have a specific brand that I use. Weber has a good brand that I sometimes buy.
I found some Simply Organic steak seasoning on Amazon. I made the vegan hash brown casserole tonight. Delicious! My husband loved it too. Definitely one to repeat on a regular basis. Also so happy to have some extra of the tasty cheese sauce on hand. Thank you for the wonderful recipes.
LOVE this! Thanks some much for sharing your experience with this recipe. This one is a favorite of mine too. I especially love to take it to family brunches.
Would I need to soak the cashews first?
If you have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix there’s no need to soak the cashews. For less powerful blenders, soaking them in warm water for about 30 minutes is helpful. Enjoy!
Thankyou so much? I plan to!!
Have you tried adding meatless beef crumbles to this casserole?
I haven’t added anything else to this casserole before. There are probably lots of things that could be added to make it even better.
Hi, the recipe looks amazing, but i cannot find packet hashbriwns that aren’t made with oil in them, can you help?
Do you have an Aldi near you? Their brand in a red bag has no oil. Also, Ingles grocery stores carry their Laura Lynn brand as well as Denny’s brand that are oil-free.
Silly question do you add the cheese sauce to the hash mix then bake? Do you pour the sauce over after they are done? Sorry not clear in directions.
The cheese sauce is added before baking. There are times that I even add a little more after baking. That stuff is addictive. 🙂
I don’t want to buy the steak seasoning. What can I use in its place?
Hi Belinda- The steak seasoning can be completely left out. Enjoy!
This sounds so delicious, I can’t wait to make it. What size pan do you use to bake it “8-9” square or a 9×13? Thank you
Hi JoAnn- I use a 9×13 pan for this hash brown casserole. Hope you enjoy it!
I’ve made this several times and it gets rave reviews. When my carnivore relatives are visiting I add Trader Joe’s Soy Chorizo – they ask for the recipe, not realizing it’s vegan! I’ve also made it with different seasonings, kale instead of spinach, adding mushrooms, etc.
That’s so fabulous to hear! Thank you for the great feedback. 😀
What kind of potatoes do you use for the sauce? Thank you!
Hi Cristie- Most of the time, I use Russet or yellow potatoes, but it can be made with most any potatoes including sweet potatoes for those avoiding white potatoes.