Vegan Classic Breakfast Casserole – No Eggs!

Vegan Breakfast Casserole for that special occasion! Cheesy and creamy, and oh so good. Made with the help of your favorite vegan sausage, Just Egg, a hearty crusty loaf of bread, silken tofu, nutritional yeast, onions, peppers, and seasonings. This special occasion breakfast bake is naturally egg-free and dairy-free and is sure to be a hit with your vegan crowd.

Is it even possible to make a vegan breakfast casserole?

You know, the kind with eggs and sausage? The one you let sit overnight and pop it in the oven the next morning for a special breakfast bake? With the help of some of the vegan “fun” foods, the answer is yes, you can!

At Veggie Fun Kitchen we are normally about using whole foods – as in mostly plants! We recreate family favorites the plant-based way. But…

Special Occasion Meals

Sometimes though, there are special meals that you just can’t recreate and veganize without a little help from the vegan processed foods. (Read more about when I realized it is okay to have the occasional special treat.)

This is a special occasion breakfast casserole and not an everyday meal. Go ahead and celebrate your loved ones and make them this vegan breakfast casserole for a special occasion. That’s okay because tomorrow you can go back to stir-fry, kale,  and garbanzo beans.

For some other delicious special occasion recipes, try my:

•  Lasagna with Cashew Bechamel
•  Stuffed Shells with (Vegan) Ricotta Cheese – both are so good!

For some special occasion breakfast ideas try:

• Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
• Hash browns Breakfast Casserole

The FAQs About This Vegan Breakfast Casserole Recipe:

Read through the FAQs section for some pro tips, and suggestions that will help you make this special occasion breakfast casserole the best it can be!

Special Vegan Products used:

• Vegan sausage of choice. I have used a variety of types. The Beyond Sausage from Beyond Meat as well as Litelife Gimme Lean Veggie Sausage both work well. I’d love to hear which vegan sausage you use!
• Just Egg, egg replacer. You can find Just Egg at most grocery stores in the refrigerated section next to the liquid eggs. If your grocer a special vegan section, it might be found there. You will need two bottles and it can be costly. FYI – some Costco stores now carry Just Egg at nearly half price. If you have a similar egg replacer, go ahead and use it.

  

• Silken tofu. This is different from the regular tofu you might find in the refrigerated section. As the name implies, it has a more silken or creamy texture than regular tofu and needs to be handled more gently. In fact, it only needs to be drained; pressing it will cause it to fall apart. I have not found silken tofu at my grocery store. You might be able to find it in an Asian Market. I order mine from Amazon (affiliate link).
  • The recipe calls for “firm” silken tofu. If you can only find extra-firm or soft, that is fine – as long as it is silken.
• Black Salt (optional) – This not actually black and doesn’t really taste like salt. It is pink/gray with a sulfur-like flavor. It will give your eggless casserole an egg-like taste. I say optional because not everybody likes an eggy taste. You might find this salt in an Indian market. If not, you will need to order yours from Amazon (affiliate link).
• Agar agar powder.  Agar agar is used in place of gelatin in vegan cooking. It is derived from seaweed. I use it in my baking as well. You will probably need to order this from Amazon. Let me know if you find it in your local market. If you don’t use it, the flavor will not be affected. It won’t set up as well though. It is a useful item to have for your vegan pantry. Here is the (affiliate) Amazon link to purchase agar agar powder.
• Nutritional yeast. This is different from baker’s yeast or brewer’s yeast and can sometimes be found in the health food section of your grocery store. I buy mine from Amazon though and this is the brand I like best (affiliate link):

Making the Sausage/Veggie Mixture:

• This recipe calls for a cup each of chopped onion and chopped bell pepper. When I make this breakfast bake, I am typically preparing it the night before. LATE the night before. At that point, I don’t have the energy to chop onions and peppers. I take a little shortcut and buy pre-chopped from my grocer’s produce department. It works perfectly and will not affect the quality or taste. You’re welcome!
• I have used both Beyond Sausage and Litelife sausage. They both taste really good. Use the vegan sausage of your choice. You will need to take extra care to cut and crumble it as it is cooking. It honestly won’t crumble as easily as a meat sausage would.
• The vegan sausage I have bought comes in 14-ounce packages. If yours is 16 ounces – that is fine.
• I use a non-stick pan as well as a little oil to saute and cook the vegetables and sausage. Vegan sausage does not have a lot of fat and so needs a little extra so that it won’t stick.
• Wait until AFTER the sausage mixture cooks to taste and season. I can’t predict what your particular brand of sausage will taste like, and you may or may not want to add additional salt or spice.

Making the Egg Mixture:

• In the past, I  made this eggless breakfast casserole using only silken tofu. It was not quite right though. I was very aware it was a tofu dish (read more to learn of my dislike for blatantly tofu dishes.) Just Egg has been a game-changer. If you haven’t tried it yet, it really does cook up like scrambled eggs.
• Using only Just Egg was not enough either. It cooks up like a scrambled egg but made the casserole too dense when using only Just Egg. Adding back in the silken tofu made this casserole more realistic “egg” dish.

More Questions and Answers About the Recipe for Vegan Breakfast Casserole:

• What kind of bread should I use? Is bread even vegan?

  • My favorite type of bread is a crusty loaf I buy in my grocer’s bakery department. The slices are usually a little thicker and the bread doesn’t fall apart while soaking overnight.
  • I used to use sourdough bread. It does lend a tangy flavor. Lately, though I’ve just been using a nice white hearty loaf.
  • Yes, you can find vegan bread! It probably won’t be labeled or certified as vegan though. Just read your label! At the bottom of the nutrition information, it will say if it contains eggs or dairy. Another ingredient to watch out for is L-cystine. This can be derived from hair or feathers. Read this article “7 Sneaky Non-Vegan Ingredients” by The Spruce Eats to learn more.

• What is Silken Tofu? Is it the same as the tofu in my grocer’s refrigerated sections?

  • Silken tofu is not the same as the tofu you will find in your grocery store. It is shelf-stable and so you might find it elsewhere at the grocery store. I have not been able to find it in my small town. I order my silken tofu from (affiliate link) Amazon. It requires special handling because it is more delicate. Don’t press the liquid out of it, just gently drain.

• Do I have to use Black Salt?

  • No. Black salt actually tastes like sulfur and will help your egg-less egg casserole taste more like eggs. If you don’t like an egg taste, then leave it out. (Affiliate Link)

• Why is turmeric powder used?

  • The turmeric powder is used for its yellow color. The vegan breakfast bake is egg-free and even though the Just Eggs are yellow, they are not yellow enough when mixed in with everything else. Your casserole will come out a very pale yellow/grayish if you don’t use turmeric powder.

• How long does the casserole cook and how will I know it is done?

  • The directions are for 1 hour-with up to up to 15 minutes more. After an hour give it a little wiggle and see if the middle is set up. Cook up to 15 minutes more if necessary but check every five minutes.

• Should I cover the casserole while it is cooking?

  • No, cook it uncovered. You are probably thinking about the breakfast casserole made with eggs. That one was usually covered to allow the eggs to cook. I have found though that this eggless casserole will become too soggy if covered.

• Shouldn’t there be cheese? I remember cheese in my breakfast casserole. 

  • Let me just put this out there – so far I have not found a vegan cheese that tastes the same or melts the same in a recipe as cheese made with dairy. Perhaps you have, so let me know.
  • Because we use nutritional yeast as an ingredient, it will have a cheesy taste.
  • If you really miss having cheese in your breakfast casserole, save it for the last 10 minutes of cooking and just sprinkle on top for aesthetics. But really, you won’t miss it.

    

New to vegan cooking?

Are you curious about  food items  that may contain hidden animal products? If you have landed on this page looking for a recipe, chances are you might be wondering about how to use some of the new vegan products available and about some the other food items you’ve been using that may or may not be vegan. I found this article helpful by Public Goods very informative: What Are Animal Products and Byproducts.

Items I Found Useful in Making this Recipe (affiliate links):

There are a lot of specialty items for this recipe. Perhaps you can find them at the grocery store as well. Here are some Amazon links if you can’t.