Plant-Based "Egg"y Breakfast Casserole Recipe

Whether you're hosting a brunch gathering, planning for a holiday morning, or simply looking to streamline your morning routine, making a batch of this breakfast casserole is the perfect solution. This hearty and nutritious plant-based "egg"y breakfast casserole is brimming with flavor and wholesome ingredients to kick-start your day on a healthy note. This satisfying dish boasts a blend of plant-based ingredients, including tempeh, tofu, and nutrient-rich vegetables along with black salt (AKA kala namak) to give it the eggy taste without actually having any eggs involved.

Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe and says, "I love the convenience of having a delicious breakfast pre-made especially when the ingredients are packed with health benefits. Tempeh and tofu provide plant-based protein, while vegetables like mushrooms, peppers, and spinach offer essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants." And, any nutritional bonuses aside, this plant-based breakfast casserole simply tastes pretty darn good.

To make this recipe, start in the produce aisle and grab potatoes, red pepper, mushrooms, spinach, and optional parsley for garnish. You'll also want to pick up some extra firm tofu and a package of tempeh. "There are many types of tofu textures, and the extra firm will crumble nicely and provide the most similar texture to eggs. If you can't find extra firm, then go with firm as the next best choice," Hahn advises.

To create the tempeh bacon, you'll need soy sauce, liquid smoke, sesame oil, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. "This combination of ingredients will transform the tempeh into the plant-based bacon with lots of smoky flavor," Hahn says. Then, to finish things off, check your condiment and spice cabinet for avocado oil, nutritional yeast, black salt, oregano, turmeric, and salt.

In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, liquid smoke, maple syrup, sesame oil, tomato paste, vinegar, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, and smoked paprika.

Place the tempeh strips in a shallow container and pour in the sauce and stir to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes.

Press the tofu in a tofu press or place it in a shallow bowl, stack a plate on top, and place something heavy on top of the plate. With either method, press for 15 minutes each and discard excess water.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Using the grating blade on a food processor or a hand grater, grate the potatoes.

Press the potatoes into a 9x12-inch baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray and bake for 20 minutes.

Put the marinated tempeh on a baking sheet and place that in the oven for 20 minutes.

Add the oil to a frying pan.

Add the red pepper and mushrooms and sauté for 10 minutes.

When the tempeh and potatoes are done, reset the oven to 350 F.

Chop the cooked tempeh and add to the pan.

Crumble the tofu into the pan.

Add the remaining garlic powder, nutritional yeast, black salt, oregano, salt, turmeric, and spinach and stir.

Now layer this mixture on top of the hashbrowns and bake in the oven for 20 more minutes.

Top with optional fresh chopped parsley and serve.

There are several shortcuts in this recipe if you want to cut out a few steps when making this breakfast casserole. First off, shredding russet potatoes requires time and effort which may not be feasible when you're short on time. Frozen hash browns are much more convenient to use since they're already prepared and require no additional effort. "If you are using frozen hash browns you can eliminate pre-baking the shredded potatoes in the baking dish before adding everything else," says Hahn. "You'll want to use about 6 cups, or you can eyeball an amount that fully covers the bottom of the baking dish."

Another time-saving step is to buy pre-made tempeh bacon and use that instead of creating your own with a marinade. "You won't have as much control over the ingredients but since the 'bacon' is well combined with the other items in the casserole, there won't be much difference in taste," Hahn remarks. You can also use another form of plant-based bacon like coconut or carrot bacon.

The beauty of a casserole is you can prepare it ahead of time and bake it right before serving. If you plan on making the casserole ahead of time and are using fresh russet potatoes, there are a few steps you can take to keep them from becoming discolored. Once you have shredded the potatoes, add them to a large bowl and fill with cold water with a few ice cubes. Swirl the potatoes around and then drain them. Repeat the process then drain again. Put the potatoes in a colander and press against the sides with a wooden spoon to remove as much water as possible. Then proceed with the rest of the recipe and cover with a tight layer of plastic wrap, with a second layer using foil. When ready to make, remove the plastic wrap, replace the foil, and bring to room temperature for about 15 minutes before baking.

If you just want to complete a few of the steps the day before, you can get the vegetables chopped and store them in an airtight container or sealable bag. For the tempeh bacon you can either start the marinating process the day before or completely make it, so it's ready to add to the casserole.