A delicious and cheesy vegan breakfast casserole with crunchy golden spuds and chewy vegan sausage baked in a creamy, cheesy cashew sauce. It's the most comforting breakfast ever, and it's loaded with protein!
Savory casseroles, like a vegan tater tot casserole or a vegan hash brown casserole, can get one out of bed and raring to go, even on weekend mornings. One of my family's favorite casseroles is this cheesy vegan breakfast casserole. It is packed with protein and good fiber, both important breakfast ingredients, and is even more delicious than I can describe.
This is a beloved recipe in our home and so many of you have made it and written to say you loved it. Part of the appeal of this dish is that it is one-pot and is one of the quickest casseroles you can put together. The creamy, cheesy sauce that makes this casserole divine comes together in a blender. Et voilà! Breakfast is served.
The casserole takes under an hour to make from scratch but if you are looking for something even quicker, I have a slow cooker version of this breakfast casserole that takes 20 minutes to put together the night before and is ready to serve in the morning without you having to lift a finger!
Table of Contents
Why you'll love this vegan breakfast casserole recipe
- It's SO delicious. Like OMG delicious. The tender potatoes and chewy vegan sausage are so perfect together, and the creamy, rosemary-kissed, cheesy cashew sauce that binds them all together is simply sublime.
- It's quick. There's so little prep work involved in this recipe, besides a bit of chopping. It won't take you more than 10 minutes, tops.
- You can make it ahead. It's easy enough -- and quick enough -- to make this vegan breakfast casserole recipe from scratch in under an hour, but it is also easy enough to make this ahead and keep in the refrigerator, then bake or warm before you serve.
- It is one-pot. Make this casserole in an oven-safe or cast iron skillet for easy cleanup. If you don't have either, transfer the potatoes, sausage and sauce to a baking dish and then bake.
- It is everyone friendly. The recipe is gluten-free and soy-free. You can make it nut-free, see the ingredients list below to learn how. I find casseroles to also be extremely kid friendly (case in point vegan tater tot casserole and vegan hash brown casserole), and this breakfast casserole is definitely one of Jay's all-time favorites. If you have picky eaters of your own, kid or adult, this is the recipe to make them gorge.
I am not vegan, but made this last year for nephew and his wife who are vegans for Christmas Brunch. My nephew asked if I was going to make the "Christmas Crack" casserole again this year. Of course I am. So it is delicious and incredibly easy to make. You do not have to be vegan to enjoy this dish.
-- Sue Duffy
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Ingredients
- Onions. Any kind, I usually use red. But sweet or yellow onions are just as good.
- Garlic. For lots of flavor.
- Parsley. You will use this in the recipe and as a garnish after the casserole has baked. But if you wish you can leave it out.
- Vegetable oil. Just a little, to saute the veggies.
- Potatoes. Any kind of potatoes work here, including russet, yellow, and red.
- Vegan Italian sausage. This is preferred but you can use any other kind of vegan sausage. Avoid anything with a very strong flavor, like a vegan chipotle sausage. If gluten-free and soy-free make sure you read labels. I have made this recipe with nearly every brand of vegan sausage on the market, but this time I used Beyond Sausage.
- Cashews. Blending your own cashew cream for this recipe is really worth it, and that way you can make it exactly as tasty as you want it to be. If you are nut-free, use a nut-free nondairy milk and add two tablespoons of cornstarch, then proceed with the rest of the recipe.
- Onion powder. For flavor.
- Garlic powder. For more flavor.
- Nutritional yeast. There is no vegan cheese in this recipe and all the cheesiness here comes from delicious and healthy nutritional yeast.
- Rosemary. Rosemary and potatoes are a match made in heaven.
- Sage. I love the smokiness of the sage with the Italian sausage.
- Red pepper flakes
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste.
How to make Vegan Breakfast Casserole
Recipe FAQs
You definitely can. Add zucchini, mushrooms, sweet potatoes or carrots or even spinach. Zucchini, mushrooms, carrots and spinach can be added to the skillet directly, but cook the sweet potatoes before adding them, as you would the potatoes.
Yes, if adding tofu use super firm tofu or extra firm with the water pressed out, and cut into cubes. Season the tofu preferably, even if it is with just salt and pepper, or use your favorite Italian seasoning. Add to the pan when you'd add the sausages. You can also use tempeh.
You can put this breakfast casserole together up to a week in advance. Cover tight with cling wrap and refrigerate for a couple of days, and freeze for longer storage. Thaw and bake before serving.
To store after baking, simply cover and refrigerate or place in a freezer-safe container and freeze. Reheat before serving.
More yummy vegan casseroles
Vegan Breakfast Casserole
Equipment
- 10-inch cast iron skillet or oven-safe skillet
- If not using an oven-safe or cast iron skillet, you will also need a baking dish.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
- 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 2 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary (or sage, If using dried herbs, reduce to 1 tsp)
- 3 medium potatoes (red or yellow or russet, cut in a ⅓rd inch dice)
- 14 oz vegan Italian sausage (roughly chopped)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt to taste
For the cheesy sauce:
- ¾ cup raw cashews (soak for 30 minutes unless using a high-powered blender)
- 1½ cups water
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon rosemary (or sage)
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C
- Make the cheesy sauce by combining all ingredients and blending into a really smooth paste. Set aside.
- Place the diced potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water by an inch, then bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to a simmer, and cook the potatoes 10 minutes or until very tender. Drain out the water and reserve the potatoes.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil. You can do this in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or any skillet that can go from the stove to the oven, to reduce cleanup.
- Add the onions, garlic, parsley and rosemary (or sage) to the oil. Season with salt and ground black pepper and saute, stirring, for five minutes over medium heat or until the onions are soft.
- Add the sausage, red pepper flakes and potatoes and continue to cook, about five minutes. Check seasoning and add more pepper and salt if needed.
- If you are using a cast iron or a stove-to-oven skillet, arrange the potato mixture in an even layer and pour the cheesy sauce over it evenly. If using a baking dish, like I did, transfer the potato sausage mixture to the baking dish and pour the cheesy sauce on top.
- Transfer the skillet or baking dish to the preheated oven and bake 30 minutes or until the top starts to lightly brown. Switch to the broil function on your oven and broil for another five minutes on the highest setting, or until gold-brown spots appear on the potatoes and cheesy sauce.
- Remove from the oven, garnish with more parsley if you wish, and serve hot or at room temperature.
Notes
- I've made this recipe with different varieties of potatoes, and they all work, but russets are my favorite because they thicken the sauce nicely and make it even creamier.
- You can add more vegetables to this casserole, including zucchini, mushrooms, sweet potatoes or carrots or even spinach. Zucchini, mushrooms, carrots and spinach can be added to the skillet directly, but cook the sweet potatoes before adding them, as you would the potatoes.
- To replace the cashews with a nut-free option, use 1.5 cups of any nut-free nondairy milk and add 2 tablespoon cornstarch to the blender.
- You can use any vegan sausage you like, but Italian sausage is preferred. Avoid using a sausage with a very strong flavor, like chipotle sausage, as it will overwhelm the other flavors.
- You can also use cubed, seasoned tofu or tempeh instead of the sausage.
- Use no-salt seasoning in the sausage-potato mixture to reduce your salt intake and add flavor.
- You can put the casserole together a day or two earlier and bake the morning you plan to serve.
katie johnson
Wow ! Looks and smells amazing ! I used extra garlic, baby collards chopped up for more greens. Everyone loved it. Thanks a bunch.
Vaishali
Yay! So happy you made it. Great adds, especially the collards. Thanks for the feedback.
AK
Such a yummy recipe! I will be making this again.
Tanya Davis
Are the herbs in the recipe dried or fresh measurements?
Sharon
Just wondering if cooking the potatoes in an air fryer would work? Recipe sounds delicious. Appreciate all your hard work! Made the tater tot casserole last year for Christmas brunch and it was a hit!
Vaishali
Hi Sharon, you absolutely can cook the potatoes in the air fryer. So happy you loved the tater tot casserole--one of my favorites!
Amanda
The reviews are great and I want to make this for a wedding brunch but would really like to make ahead of time. Could I bake it not all the way and freeze it and then thaw the night before and continue baking?
Vaishali
Yes, you can bake, freeze, and warm through in the oven before serving.
Dawn S
If I make this the night before do I combine everything together and refrigerate or do I cook the potatoes and then sausage and keep them together & keep cheese sauce separate until morning when I bake it? Thanks
Vaishali
Just assemble everything and refrigerate.
Shannon
This dish is amazing! Such a great base that is easy to mix up. Sometimes I’ll do half the amount of sausage it calls for and throw in whatever chopped veggies I have to make it a bit more well rounded and it’s awesome!! Thank you!!
Anonymous
When is the ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes incorporated in the recipe? I don’t see it mentioned anywhere in the recipe instructions or in the blog post.
Vaishali
Step 6! Add it with the sausage.
KJ
This recipe has become a family favorite!!! Truly one of the best vegan recipes we’ve found in over three years. Well done and thank you for sharing your creation.
Vaishali
So happy you loved it! We make it so often for breakfast too, especially this time of year during the holidays.
Ashlynn
Hi! I was wondering if anyone has tried to make this in a slow cooker with any success. Any advice or thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
Sue Duffy
I am not vegan, but made this last year for nephew and his wife who are vegans for Christmas Brunch. My nephew asked if I was going to make
the "Christmas Crack" casserole again this year. Of course I am. So it is delicious and incredibly easy to make. You do not have to be Vegan to enjoy this dish.
Vaishali
Hi Sue, that's an awesome nickname! Love it. 🙂 So happy you and your family have enjoyed the casserole.
Julie
Can I add bell peppers to this dish? If so, how much would I add? I would also be adding spinach and mushrooms.
Elena
Another easy-to-follow and delicious recipe! Definitely right for every meal. Thank you for sharing!
Elena xx
Vaishali
So happy to hear, Elena!
Jenni
This was SO DELICIOUS!!! I rarely buy meat analogs, and was never a fan of sausages but gave this a try anyway, following the recipe exactly. I’m so glad I overcame my hesitancy, because this combination of creamy and savory hits the spot.
Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Vaishali
So happy to hear, Jenni. The vegan sausage is definitely great in this. 🙂 Thanks for letting me know you tried it.
Donna Griffard
Tempeh worked great in this! There was no vegan sausage in our little town so I browned some tempeh with Braggs in a skillet and added chunks of it to the potato mixture. Recipe worked well but I added a lot of water to the “cheese” sauce to make it pourable. I also did not need to broil it. It was brown enough on top when I baked it and had gotten very crusty. Good recipe! We will make it again and add some peas and carrots perhaps!
Vaishali
Hi Donna, I had forgotten to add the water to the recipe when I posted this last week and had added it in later--you need 1 1/2 cups, and the sauce should be quite runny. I am happy you still loved it. Thanks for letting me know.
Mindy
Looks delicious! All I have is frozen breakfast potatoes. What would you suggest for cooking/baking time for that?
Vaishali
Hi Mindy, follow the directions on the frozen potatoes package for cooking time. Just make sure the potatoes are tender when they go into the casserole.