This vegan breakfast casserole features the most delicious tofu "egg," veggies, chunks of hearty sourdough, vegan sausage, and melted cheese. It's a great way to feed a crowd and perfect for weekend brunches or holiday mornings with family. Also, leftovers taste amazing!
Recipe Review
"This one will be added to my regular rotation, 10/10. I'm dreaming about the leftovers in my fridge!" -Patrick
Years before I went vegan or dreamed of becoming a food blogger, I enjoyed trying new recipes and taking the results to work to share with my co-workers.
One of the crowd favorites was a sausage and egg breakfast casserole. It was great because I could assemble it the night before, and bake it in the morning while getting dressed for work.
While a lot of breakfast casserole recipes call for hash browns, what set this one apart was that it used hearty chunks of bread instead of potatoes.
Later I learned that an egg breakfast bake with bread is called a strata. The bread soaks up the egg mixture and adds comforting, contrasting texture. Whether you want to call it a casserole or a strata is up to you.
After all these years I'm SO excited I finally created a vegan version of my old favorite breakfast casserole to share!
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Why You'll Love It
Indian black salt adds the perfect amount of savory, egg-y flavor to this eggless breakfast casserole. The tofu mixture is spot on, if I do say so myself! It's rich, just creamy enough, and holds together perfectly.
The sourdough bread soaks up tons of flavor, while the veggies, plant-based sausage, and non-dairy cheese take the whole thing over the top!
This recipe is versatile, too. I've included notes and tips below on ways you can customize it to meet different dietary needs. You can also get creative and switch up the flavors and vegetables.
Vegan breakfast casserole is perfect during the holidays when you have family over and need a satisfying dish to keep everyone full and happy until the main meal. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Ingredient Notes
For the Vegan Egg Mixture:
- Extra-firm tofu: you'll need two (14 oz) blocks of extra-firm tofu. Regular firm also works, but you'll need to reduce the amount of water added.
- Non-dairy creamer or unsweetened milk: I used Nut Pods unsweetened non-dairy creamer, but any thick and creamy plant milk works here-soy milk is a good option. Just make sure it's 100% plain and unflavored.
- Indian black salt (kala namak): this adds saltiness as well as the signature sulfur smell we associate with eggs. For the most authentic egg-y flavor don't skip it! Note that even though it's called black salt, it's actually pink in color.
- Seasonings: onion powder and garlic powder add flavor and turmeric lends subtle yellow color to mimic egg yolks.
- Nutritional yeast: this is important for the overall umami and savoriness of the vegan egg mixture.
Other Ingredients:
- Bread: choose a sturdy bread like sourdough. Softer styles, like sandwich bread, don't hold up. Bagels are also fun! Just be sure to check the ingredients to make sure they are vegan. Choose plain bagels or a savory flavor.
- Vegan meat: from vegan breakfast sausage links or patties, to seitan chorizo, tofu sausage crumbles, or tempeh bacon, all of these taste great here.
- Veggies: I chose red bell pepper, green onion, and baby spinach. See the Variations section below for more ideas.
- Cheese: any mild-tasting shredded vegan cheese is fine. I used Chao original because I had some on hand. You can also grate the cheese yourself from a block. I often do this with Violife's mature cheddar.
Tip: For an oil-free option see the Variations below.
See the recipe card below for amounts and full step-by-step instructions.
How to Make Vegan Breakfast Casserole
There are a few steps involved in prepping this breakfast casserole, but none of them are difficult! Here's a look at the process...
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- Blend the ingredients for the tofu "egg." The mixture is very thick so you will need to stop several times to stir.
- Oil a 13 x 9 baking dish and arrange the bread across the bottom. Set aside.
- Saute the sausage over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add the bell pepper and green onion and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Arrange fresh spinach over the layer of bread, followed by the sausage and veggies. If desired, sprinkle with a handful of shredded cheese.
- Spoon the tofu mixture into the dish. Carefully stir to incorporate the ingredients. If there's messy tofu "egg" on the sides of the dish, wipe it off with a paper towel so it doesn't burn during baking.
- Bake uncovered in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, cover with foil, and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the center of the casserole is hot.
Variations
- Gluten-free: choose a thick and sturdy gluten-free bread or replace the bread with 2 packages of frozen hash browns. Thaw the hashbrowns before adding them to the dish.
- Oil-free: replace the store-bought vegan sausage with a homemade seitan sausage, seasoned beans, or tempeh bacon. And instead of store-bought vegan shreds, add dollops of this easy cashew mozzarella on top!
- Other veggies: we LOVE mushrooms in breakfast casserole; you can also include asparagus, small broccoli florets, chopped kale (saute it briefly with the red pepper), onion, garlic, jalapeños, and par-cooked winter squash or sweet potatoes.
- Meats: take things in a spicier direction with vegan chorizo or pepperoni. Or as mentioned above, go with tempeh bacon or a store-bought product like Sweet Earth's Benevolent Bacon.
If you like a touch of maple sweetness in your breakfast meats, you have to try my homemade vegan breakfast sausages. It's one of our all-time favorite seitan recipes!
What to Serve With Vegan Breakfast Casserole
For breakfast and brunch:
Serve with a side of fresh fruit and vegan yogurt. Add something sweet if you're feeding a crowd for brunch, like this popular oat flour banana bread, muffins, waffles, or a stack of fluffy vegan pancakes!
For lunch or dinner:
Pair it with a simple side salad for a satisfying lunch. At dinnertime, add a side of potato wedges or hash browns.
And while the oven is in use, an air fryer is a great way to quickly prep a healthy vegetable side. Try my air fryer green beans, radishes, or zucchini.
Equipment Needed
You'll need a full-size blender for the tofu "egg" mixture. Note: even with a high-speed blender like a Vitamix you'll need patience. It's a large volume and very thick.
You'll also need a medium-size saute pan and a glass or stoneware 13 x 9-inch casserole dish.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Cover the dish and refrigerate it overnight. Then bake it in the morning. Since the entire dish will be cold add 5-10 minutes to the cook time.
Store leftover breakfast casserole in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It reheats best in the microwave. The leftovers can also be frozen for up to one month.
Helpful Tips
If using store-bought shreds, tightly covering the dish during the final 25-30 minutes is critical. This traps moisture which melts the cheese and keeps it from drying out.
After removing from the casserole from oven, keep covered and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. This brief rest further softens the cheese and helps the casserole firm up a bit so it's easier to slice.
More Vegan Breakfast Recipes
Recipe Video
Tap to play the video and see how easily the casserole comes together!
I hope you enjoy this versatile vegan breakfast casserole as much as we do! If you try the recipe be sure to comment below and let us know.
Recipe
Vegan Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
For the "egg" mixture:
- 2 (14 oz) packages extra firm tofu, drained
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup unsweetened/unflavored vegan creamer or milk - such as Nut Pods original or plain soy milk
- ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons kala namak Indian black salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons flour - such as all-purpose, a GF blend, rice, or whole wheat
Other ingredients:
- 10 ounces sourdough bread, cut or torn into large bite-size pieces - about half of a boule
- 4 servings vegan sausage, chopped and/or crumbled - choose any flavor you'd like in the casserole (Italian, spicy, breakfast sausage, etc)
- 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- ½ cup chopped green onion
- 3 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 7 ounces mild, shredded vegan cheese such as mozzarella or cheddar - I used Chao Original; Tip: if the shreds are long, chop to help with melting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly oil a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
- In a blender combine all of the tofu "egg" ingredients EXCEPT flour. Slowly increase speed, and blend until smooth. The mixture will be very thick; stop to stir as needed. Taste for seasoning. Add the flour and blend again for a few seconds to incorporate. Set aside.
- Preheat a saute pan over medium heat, and cook the sausage for about 2 minutes or until starting to brown. Add the bell pepper and green onion and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Refer to step-by-step photos above if needed. Arrange bread in a single layer in the casserole dish, followed by spinach and the sausage mixture. Sprinkle with a handful of cheese, if desired.
- Pour the tofu mixture on top, using a spoon or spatula to remove as much as possible from the blender. Carefully stir to incorporate the ingredients and coat everything with tofu. If there's any messy tofu "egg" on the sides of the dish, wipe it off so it won't burn during baking.
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, cover tightly with foil (careful-it's hot!), and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the center of the casserole is hot.
- Let the covered dish rest for 10 minutes. This gives the cheese more time to melt and helps the casserole set before slicing. Serve hot.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and ingredients used.
Beth Ann says
This is a keeper! Everyone loved it!
Laura Monahan says
Huge Lori Rasmussen fan! I used this recipe to make mini quiches. The "egg" mixture is perfectly seasoned (used 1 block extra firm and 1 box silken tofu). In the bottom of the lined muffin cup I placed a very thin slice of Yukon gold potato as a "crust", divided the veggies and very tiny bread cubes into the cups, then poured the egg mix over top. Skipped the cheese because I didn't have any, but a pinch in each cup would've been nice. Came out perfectly. Thank you Lori! Appreciate that this uses affordable pantry items instead of Just Eggs, and it's so tasty!
Amelia says
The recipe said you could substitute frozen hash browns; could you just grate some white or gold potatoes (between 20 and 30 oz) and use those?
Lori says
After grating the potatoes you would want to soak them in cold water, and rinse and drain, then pat dry. This removes some of the starch. Also, I'm pretty sure frozen hashbrowns are partially cooked, so to make sure the potatoes have good texture and don't get gummy or watery, I would saute them for a few minutes first. Hope that helps!
ACC says
Thank you for the recipe! I looked at your recipe for cheese and saw there was a pourable version; would that work as well as the original for this or would the original work better? Also, would one recipe of the vegan mozzarella be enough for this recipe? If so, would there be any left over? Hoping to make it with sunflower seeds but couldn't find how many ounces the recipe makes so wasn't sure if I should double the recipe or not.
Lori says
Hi, yes I would probably use the pourable one for this. One batch will make enough for the top of the casserole, but if you also wanted to add some dollops of cheese on the inside, as you're layering, it wouldn't hurt to double it. Hope you enjoy it!
Ctcolorado says
Thank you for this recipe. It was very good! It was also easy to prepare!
Jen says
To use frozen hash browns, what size frozen packages should I use? The only frozen hash browns I can find are the Ore Ida 30 oz packages. Do I need one or two of those?
Lori says
Hi Jen, one package of hashbrowns will be enough, and you might not need to use all of it - between 20 to 30 ounces.
MaryLou says
EXCELLENT! Made just like the recipe. Will be in my rotation.
Traci J. says
This was delicious!! I did add in a little "real" cheese on top because I only had violife vegan cheese and it really doesn't melt well in the oven. So, I cheated a bit 😉 I absolutely LOVE the tofu egg mixture, I'll be using that in a variety of things from now on! I felt like the cooking time was spot on, but I used a covered le creuset casserole dish, which really holds in the heat. My husband (who usually does NOT eat real cheese) said last night "I can't wait for the casserole leftovers tomorrow morning!" Definite keeper!
Patrick says
This one will be added to my regular rotation, 10/10. I'm dreaming about the leftovers in my fridge 😍.
Donna says
Hi, I have a question. If you substitute hash browns for the bread, do you cook them first?
Thanks,
Donna
Lori says
If the hash browns are frozen I would thaw first, but there’s no need to fully cook them. On another note, without bread to soak up moisture you may want to reduce it somewhere.
Jenn says
Wow! That turned out fantastic! Thank you for the recipe.
Lindsie says
Looove this recipe, except one thing: it never finishes in an hour. It probably takes 80-90 minutes , and I kick it up to 425 for the last 20-30. (And I’ve confirmed my oven temp with a separate thermometer)
Ginny B says
I don't have two packages of tofu right now. Do you think I could use just one package and one bottle of Just Egg (which I do have)? I also have some boxes of shelf stable extra firm tofu. Thanks for your help!
Lori says
Hi Ginny,
That’s a great Q. You know, I think both sound like good options, with the tofu being the closest match. If you use the Just Egg I would reduce the salt a bit since it’s already seasoned.