Vegan Breakfast Casserole with Tofu Egg

I used to love egg bakes before going plant-based. They’re easy to load up with your favorite meats, cheeses, and veggies. Total comfort food!

This vegan breakfast casserole hits all those same notes! It’s hearty, flavorful, and so incredibly delicious!

It’s a meal all on its own, but serve it up with toast and fresh fruit for a brunch worthy of entertaining.

Don’t let the long cook time scare you, it’s mostly hands off and throwing this casserole together is really easy!

Ingredients you need

Ingredient notes and substitutions

Improved Nature Nature’s PRIME Bits ~

This all natural, non-GMO, 100% plant-based complete protein is a game changer when recreating traditional dishes into new vegan favorites, like my Vegan Chicken Cutlets, Vegan Jambalaya, and Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip.

The Nature’s PRIME Bits are the perfect size and texture for turning into vegan sausage crumbles. I was never a big fan of sausage back when I did eat meat, but these savory crumbles happen to be my favorite part of this vegan casserole!

Improved Nature products have become some of my most loved plant-based ingredients to use in the kitchen. Here are some of the reasons why I think they’re so great:

• Made from ONE ingredient – non-GMO soy
• High protein and high fiber
• No cholesterol, low fat, gluten free
• Versatile – available in a variety of sizes and shapes
• Pantry friendly – shelf stable for 4 years!
• Affordable

As a substitution, any vegan sausage crumbles can be used in this recipe. You likely will not need to add the spices and flavorings to them. Just cook them according to the package directions and combine with the rest of the casserole ingredients.

Or try my smoky tempeh bacon. Simply crumble it into pieces.

Potatoes ~ Frozen hash brown potatoes are convenient and work great in this recipe. I used diced potatoes, but shredded potatoes would work, also.

Veggies ~ Spinach, red bell pepper, and grape tomatoes bring beautiful color, added texture, and tons of healthy vitamins and minerals.

You could add some sautéed onion and garlic to the mix if you like. Sautéed mushrooms would also be tasty. Just make sure to cook them down until the liquid has completely evaporated otherwise the mixture will be too wet.

Spices & flavorings ~ There are quite a few spices and flavorings in this vegan breakfast casserole. Don’t be alarmed by the long list. They’re all plant-based pantry staples that you likely already have.

For the vegan egg mixture, turmeric and mustard powder provide the yellow color that allows this dish to look like traditional egg bakes.

Kala namak (also known as Indian black salt) is an optional ingredient that provides a mild sulphur taste like real eggs. If you don’t already have this ingredient and don’t plan on using it much in the future, there is no need to buy it. Just leave it out.

For the vegan sausage crumbles, you’ll need dried sage, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and a pinch of cayenne along with some tamari (I like to use the low-sodium variety) and pure maple syrup. These are the flavors found in most sausage crumbles and the herby sweet heat flavor tastes so good here!

Optionally, you can add a pinch of fennel seed, which is a traditional herb in sausage. I don’t care for it, so I leave it out, but if you like it, go for it!

Extras ~ You’ll also need chickpea flour for thickening and binding, nutritional yeast for savory, cheesy flavor, and hot sauce if you like a kick of heat with your “eggs.”

I also add vegan cheese because I love it. You can skip it if you really want, but I do think it adds that extra boost of comfort food vibes.

Improved Nature Nature’s PRIME Bits need to be rehydrated before using. Add them to boiling water (1) for 10 minutes until rehydrated and plump (2). Drain and press out as much liquid as possible (3).

Heat a bit of oil in a skillet and whisk in the spices for the sausage (4). Add the rehydrated and drained Nature’s PRIME Bits (5), stir to coat them with the spice mixture, and cook until no more liquid remains and the sausage crumbles start to get browned on the edges (6). Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add the potatoes and vegan cheese (9), diced bell pepper and sliced green onion (10), chopped spinach (11), and the cooked vegan sausage crumbles (12).

Mix everything well (13), then pour in the vegan egg mixture and stir well to combine (14).

Let the casserole sit for 10 minutes to continue to firm up before cutting into slices and serving.

Storage and freezing

Make ahead: This vegan breakfast casserole is perfect for making ahead. You can make the entire recipe and stick it in the fridge tightly covered with foil before or after baking.

If you bake it and plan to serve the next day, be sure to let the casserole cool completely before covering and refrigerating.

If you refrigerate the casserole before baking, the mixture will thicken up overnight and it won’t need as much baking time the next morning. Bake, covered in foil, for 20 minutes, remove the foil and bake another 20 to 25 minutes until the top is set.

Fridge: Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Freezer: You can also freeze this vegan egg bake. After baking, cool completely, then tightly cover with plastic wrap and foil. It should keep well in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Reheat: Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 20 minutes or until heated through.

Pro tips and tricks

~ Be sure to rehydrate the Improved Nature Nature’s PRIME Bits according to package directions.

~ Sauté the spices for the vegan sausage crumbles in a bit of oil to release their flavors.

~ Cook the sausage crumbles until no liquid remains in the pan.

~ Use regular firm tofu, not silken.

~ Drain the liquid from the tofu packages and blot the blocks of tofu dry. However, there is no need to press the tofu.

~ Blend the vegan “egg” mixture until smooth and creamy. Use the tamper with the blender to ensure all the ingredients are blended properly. Add additional milk (or water) one tablespoon at a time if needed to blend. But do not add too much liquid, the mixture should be thick, yet pourable, with a spatula needed to scrape out the last of the mixture.

~ Spray the baking dish with cooking spray so the casserole doesn’t stick. You can also line the dish with parchment paper if you prefer.

~ Mix all of the casserole ingredients together before pouring into the baking dish. Do not layer the ingredients in baking dish. The vegan egg mixture is too thick to seep into the other layers and the casserole won’t bind properly in layers.

~ Cover the casserole with foil for the first part of baking. Otherwise, the top may be burn before the middle is set.

~ Let the baked casserole sit for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing to allow it to firm up.