Vegan Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
This oil and dairy-free version of the traditional American hash brown casserole is delicious and hearty-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! Vegan Breakfast Casserole is amazing!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 205kcal
Equipment
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
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 browns, 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.
- Using fresh hash browns- I've read some comments from people who have made this recipe with fresh shredded potatoes. My understanding is that the potatoes need to be shredded, and soaked. Then the water squeezed out well. Here is the process that includes soaking and squeezing towards the bottom of the page.
- Baking dish- I use a 9"x 13" baking dish.
Nutrition
Calories: 205kcal | Carbohydrates: 34.2g | Protein: 8.1g | Fat: 5g | Fiber: 5.4g