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:

• ▢9 to 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, 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 roughly chop to help with melting

• INSTRUCTIONS

• • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly oil a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
  • In a blender combine all tofu “egg” ingredients EXCEPT flour. Slowly increase speed, and blend until smooth. The mixture will be very thick; stop to stir as often 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, stirring occasionally. 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 sausage mixture. If desired, sprinkle with a handful of cheese.
  • Pour the tofu mixture on top, using a spoon or spatula to scoop 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

  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!

  Gluten-free – choose a thick and sturdy gluten-free bread or replace the bread with 2 packages of frozen hash browns. Thaw briefly before adding to the dish. Also be sure to use a gluten-free flour blend (I used King Arthur GF 1:1).

  To prep the night before: assemble through Step 5 above, cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, since the entire dish will be cold, add about 5 minutes to the bake time.

  Store leftover breakfast casserole in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It reheats best in the microwave. Can also be frozen for up to one month.