Give Them Something Better

Tag: Casseroles

Vegan Breakfast Casserole — Vegan Brunch
Do you need a delicious vegan breakfast casserole to take to a brunch? I have been trying to make the perfect vegan brunch casserole for years and I finally got it! This casserole has an eggy look and texture and along with some vegan breakfast sausage this veggie packed high protein breakfast is great for easter brunch, Sabbath Breakfast or for an easy meal prep to eat all week!

Back in the day, my mom’s breakfast casserole would be mostly sausage and some egg, but what I’m trying to do here is to give a little flavor of the sausage and texture but replace most of the meat with vegetables, so it’s a little bit healthier. That makes it more like what we eat in America’s Blue Zones, regions where people live demonstrably longer, healthier lives. As Dan Buettner, author of The Blue Zones, emphasizes, ‘A plant-slant diet is the cornerstone of longevity.’ By packing this casserole with nutrient-rich vegetables and plant-based proteins, we’re not just creating a delicious breakfast; we’re helping our friends to eat healthier and live longer. Even if they don’t realize it!

Time Saver for your Vegan Brunch

If you are cooking for a crowd or you just don’t like chopping Potatoes O’brien are a frozen food product that you can find at the grocery store. They are simply potatoes and bell peppers, already peeled and diced!

Why this Recipe is Perfect for a Vegan Brunch

Crowd-Pleaser: Perfect for brunch, potlucks, or any gathering where you need a hearty vegan breakfast.

Make-Ahead: This casserole is even better the day before so no cooking in the morning!

Customizable: You can use the base of this recipe and make a ton of flavor profiles by changing out the veggies and herbs.

Egg-Free: That means is cholesterol free and can save money! It is also ideal for vegans, plant-based eaters, or anyone with egg allergies.

Health Benefits of this Vegan Breakfast Casserole

Plant-Based Protein: Tofu and chickpea flour offer a good source of plant-based protein, keeping you full and satisfied.

ZERO Cholesterol: Replacing meat with vegetables and vegan sausage completely eliminates Cholesterol AND dramatically reduces the fat!

Fiber-Rich: Unlike traditional breakfast casserole this is high in fiber which has been proven to improve heart health, regulate blood sugar and can help with weight loss!

Vegetable-Packed: This casserole makes it easy to get your 5-8 servings of fruits and vegetables almost effortlessly!

Tips and Variations

Veggie Swaps: Feel free to substitute vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, or bell peppers.

Herb Heaven: Experiment with different fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, or oregano.

Make it Gluten-Free: The only gluten in the recipe could be found in the sausage so check your labels to make it gluten-free.

Food Processor is your friend: When making the tofu/chickpea mixture, a food processor will make the job much easier. It is also a great help in chopping up those vegetables!

Don’t skip the turmeric: People eat with their eyes first. A small amount of turmeric adds a great yellow eggy color that makes it more appetizing. But don’t add too much or it will go neon on you!

Squeeze that zucchini: if using frozen zucchini, make sure you squeeze out all of the excess water.

Vegan Breakfast Casserole

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Do you need a delicious vegan breakfast casserole to take to a brunch? I have been trying to make the perfect vegan brunch casserole for years and I finally got it! This casserole has an eggy look and texture and along with some vegan breakfast sausage this veggie packed high protein breakfast is great for easter brunch, Sabbath Breakfast or for an easy meal prep to eat all week!

Ingredients

Egg Mixture

1 14 oz block firm tofu

½ cup chickpea flour

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons chicken style seasoning

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/4 -1/2 cup plant milk

½ cup vegan cheese (optional)

salt to taste

Veggies

4 cups Frozen Potatoes O’brien

4-6 vegan breakfast sausages crumbled

1 cup zucchini, chopped

4 cups spinach, chopped small

Instructions

In a skillet over medium heat, cook the vegan sausage, along with the frozen potatoes O’Brien, until the sausage begins to brown.
Add the spinach and zucchini to the skillet, cook until the spinach begins to wilt.
While the vegetables are cooking, add all the ingredients for the egg mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth.
Once the vegetables are cooked, add the egg mixture to the vegetables and cook briefly before transferring to a casserole dish.
Refrigerate overnight or bake immediately.
For baking, preheat the oven to 350°F and bake for 40-50 minutes.
Allow to cool slightly before serving.

© Stephanie Howard

Cuisine: American / Category: Breakfast
March 16, 2025
Hearty Vegan Lasagna with Tofu Ricotta
Are you a lasagna lover, but now that you’ve adopted a plant-based or vegan lifestyle, you’re at a loss for what to cook for special occasions? I’ve got you covered with my delicious vegan lasagna recipe featuring tofu ricotta cheese. I’ve served this dish to literally hundreds of people, and everyone loves it. Stick around because, at the end, I’ll share a special ingredient that can turn even the most hardcore meat lover into a fan of this lasagna.

3 Components of thePerfect Lasagna

The perfect lasagna has three main components: sauce, a cheese mixture, and noodles. If each of these components tastes great, your lasagna will be a hit. Let’s break each one of those down.

1. The Sauce: Homemade vs. Store-Bought

If you think about it the sauce is what brings most of the flavor to your lasagna so it needs to be good! Here is a link to my favorite homemade sauce. While, creating a homemade sauce is easier than you might think, you can opt for a good-quality jar of tomato sauce (just check the label for added sugars or cheese). Whether homemade or store-bought, make sure the sauce is flavorful and suits your taste. You can always add herbs like basil, oregano, and garlic to enhance the flavor.

2. Tofu Ricotta: Creamy and Dreamy

For the tofu ricotta, check the recipe below. It is made with firm tofu and vegan sour cream which makes it really rich and creamy and can be made in just a few minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste, and you have a dreamy, creamy ricotta cheese ready to elevate your lasagna. There are some store bought vegan ricotta’s in some of your larger grocery stores but I cannot vouch for their flavor.

3. Noodles

I have tried to take short cut’s with noodles but it is totally not worth it! In the video below I tried the no-boil “oven ready” noodles but as you can see the did not work out. Go ahead and boil your noodles. Once cooked and rinsed drape each noodle over the edge of the pan so they don’t stick together.

BONUS: A Surprise for Meat Lovers: Plant-Based Italian Sausage

If you have meat-loving family members, add some plant-based Italian sausage to the lasagna. Crumble it up, brown it to perfection, and it will add extra flavor and a familiar texture to satisfy the carnivores.

Here is the video to see how I make mine.
Hearty Vegan Lasagna with Tofu Ricotta

Yield: 12 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Lasagna is a classic Italian dish that most people love, but don't always realize that it can be made vegan. In this vegan lasagna recipe, we use tofu ricotta cheese to create a delicious and creamy filling. You'll love the flavor and the texture of this lasagna, and you won't believe how good it tastes without any meat or cheese! If you're looking for a delicious and satisfying vegan lasagna, then give this recipe a try

Ingredients

Vegan Lasagna

6 cups Tomato Sauce

12 lasagna noodles, cooked

1 recipe Tofu Ricotta

2 links Plant-Based Italian Sausage

¼ cup nondairy Parmesan cheese (optional)

Tofu Ricotta

2 packages (14 ounces) water-packed tofu, firm or extra-firm

1 package (8 ounces) frozen spinach, thawed and drained (optional)

1 cup soy sour cream

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup cane juice crystals or other sweetener

1 ¼ teaspoons salt

¾ teaspoon onion powder

¾ teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

For the Vegan Lasagna
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Ladle 1 1/2 cups Tomato Sauce in the bottom of the prepared dish.
Arrange 4 noodles over the sauce.
Spread 1/2 of the Tofu Ricotta over the noodles.
Add Plant-based Italian sausage if using.
Repeat layers once.
Top with remaining 4 noodles and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan, if using.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake 1 hour.
For the Tofu Ricotta
1. Drain water from tofu and wrap tightly in 2 clean dry dishtowels and let sit for 20-30 minutes, to remove excess moisture.
2. In a large bowl, mash tofu with a potato masher or your hands.
3. Add remaining ingredients to tofu and mix well. Add additional salt or sweetener to taste.
TIP: Be sure to remove all excess water from the spinach or your Tofu Ricotta will turn green.
© Stephanie Howard

Category: Meatless Main Dish
October 15, 2023
Vegan Casseroles ~ Recipe and a Giveaway!
Vegan Casseroles…I think it’s an oxymoron, I mean every casserole recipe I see has 2 cans of cream of something soup, a stick of butter and 2 pounds of cheese! Okay maybe I am exaggerating a little, but they surely aren’t healthy, let alone vegan.

So I was super excited to see that Julie Hasson had a new book devoted to vegan casseroles! What a lifesaver for me on a busy Friday when I have to prepare something for potluck the next day!

When I received the book I began marking all of the recipes I wanted to try. Now the problem becomes, where to start?!

One thing I noticed is that Julie tried her best to make her recipes not only vegan but also healthy which is a huge plus for me. I also noticed that many of the recipes are not your typical casseroles as I think of them, by that I mean, throw everything into a casserole dish and bake. However they are simple one-dish meals whether cooked on a stove top or baked in the oven. Which is great!

Because I am extra busy now cooking at Emmanuel Institute, I decided to start with easy. And this unbelievable Zucchini and Basil Casserole jumped out at me with just a few ingredients and it has an amazing buttery crumb topping (which is always the favorite part of the casserole). I got permission from Julie and her publisher to share this recipe with you. They even sent me a nice picture from the book to share also. Did I mention the book has a bunch of pictures so you can see what your cooking before you cook it? That is a what truly makes a good cookbook great, if you ask me!

But that is not all! They also have offered to let my readers in on a great giveaway to win a BlendtTec 725 Designer Blender. That is a professional blender that will blend anything smooth…including those cashews we vegans like to blend. The giveaway will end on December 11 and 5 runners up will receive a FREE copy of Vegan Casseroles! So sign up below the to win!

Zucchini Basil Casserole with Buttery Crumb Topping

11/2 pounds zucchini

1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

2 tablespoons non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, melted

3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 recipe Buttery Crumb Topping
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish.
2. Trim off the ends of the zucchini, and shred them on a large box grater in a medium bowl. Add the basil, salt, and melted margarine, tossing until everything is coated. Add a few grinds of freshly ground pepper.
3. Spread the zucchini mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the foil, and evenly sprinkle the crumb topping over the zucchini. Return to the oven and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the top is browned and crispy.
Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs in the topping.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Reprinted with permission from VEGAN CASSEROLES © 2014 by Julie Hasson, Running Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group.
November 17, 2014
Meatless Monday: Healthy Vegan Frito Pie!

I wasn’t going to do it…but I felt obligated after all this talk about chili. I have made over the Frito pie recipe. The funny thing is I have never ever made a Frito pie before. I have seen the recipe and it always looked good, but never could get passed the fact that it was so unhealthy. So I fixed it!

Do you remember the Baked Chili Cheese Baked Frito’s I made a few weeks ago? Because they are baked with just a few sprays of cooking oil and the tortillas are whole grain corn, they are super healthy and low fat. These healthy Frito’s became the base for the “pie”. I used my low fat, high fiber Spicy 3 Bean Chili. Then I topped the whole thing off with a great new nacho cheese dip that I have been creating. It was really, really good!

I served it up with some shredded lettuce, tomato and homemade salsa to round out the meal. Even my anti-chili son thought it was pretty tasty!

March 31, 2014
My Trip to Scandinavia and Lasagna
We just returned home from an amazing adventure to Sweden and Iceland. When I first found out we were going, I was excited to learn some new recipes and try some new foods. I wanted to learn some traditional favorites. Who knows? I may want to write an international cookbook someday!

As destiny would have it, I was able to try a few new things but ended up doing most of the cooking! The funny thing is that we were invited to three different homes in both countries and in all three homes they served us Lasagna! Another funny thing about Iceland is that their most famous and popular restaurant is a little hot dog stand. Apparently they have adopted many of our American eating habits.

I did learn a couple of fun recipes. One is a Nutella-like date spread that is amazing and I would love to share it with you, but first I need to get permission from our host to post it here. In the mean time, here is my favorite lasagna recipe, the secret is in the sauce.

Lasagna
- 6 cups Tomato Sauce (recipe below)
- 12 lasagna noodles, cooked
- 1 recipe Tofu Ricotta
- ¼ cup nondairy Parmesan cheese (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Ladle 1 1/2 cups Tomato Sauce in the bottom of the prepared dish. Arrange 4 noodles over the sauce. Spread 1/2 of the Tofu Ricotta over the noodles. Repeat layers once.
3. Top with remaining 4 noodles and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan, if using.
4. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 1 hour.
Tomato Sauce
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 cup green bell pepper, chopped (optional)
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 5 cans (28 ounces) tomatoes (crushed, diced, pureed, or sauce)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or other sweetener
1. Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cook until onions are translucent, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
2. Add basil, oregano, and salt to stock pot; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add tomatoes and maple syrup to stock pot; stir well. Add water if needed.
4. Bring to a boil over high heat; lower to a simmer and cook 1 hour.
Makes 12 cups.
February 20, 2014
Just Another Meatless Monday…Pot Pie
The first Monday in January! Everybody is excited about making some healthy changes in their diet (and exercise). At least I am. We have been traveling for weeks, so I am looking forward to a regular routine and schedule at least for a little while.

I am happy to get back to cooking too! So many things to try! I am planning to post some of the recipes from my Meatless Monday Supper Club each week, once I’m back in the saddle, so to speak. But until then I thought I would share our favorite pot-pie recipe to get the ball rolling.

We tested this one on the kids at ridzogirl’s school and they loved it. We actually made puppies and pigs for them and they loved them. This recipe uses a chicken substitute but I often make it without any it all. It is a good way to help the kids LOVE their veggies.

A super simple way to make it completely gluten free would be to make the filling and serve it with some gluten free crackers. It is almost better that way because you don’t have to make the crust and you get a crunchy cracker in every bite.

Oh My, Pot Pie Crust
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 4 stalks celery, diced
- 1 cup carrots diced
- 1 teaspoon sage
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon marjoram
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 4 medium potatoes, diced
- 1 cup green beans, fresh or frozen
- 2 cups non-dairy milk
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 cups chicken substitute, diced (optional)
- 1 cup green peas
- 1 Crust recipe (see below)
1.     Pre-heat oven to 400˚ and spray pie pans with non-stick cooking spray.

2.     Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

3.     Add onion and cook until they begin to brown about 7-8 minutes.

4.     Add celery, carrots, sage, thyme, marjoram and salt. Cook for another 3-4 minutes.

5.     Add potatoes, green beans and broth. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

6.     Mix yeast flakes and cornstarch with cold milk and add to boiling vegetables. Stir until it thickens, about 1-2 minutes.

7.     Stir in peas and chicken substitute, if using.

8.     Pour into individual pie pans or a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

9.     Cover with crust or top with cute pie crust faces and bake for 20-30 minutes for the little pies or 30-40 minutes for a big pie, until crust is firm and edges are bubbly.

Speed up the process by using 3 cups of frozen mixed vegetables instead of carrots, green beans and peas.

Pot Pie Crust (or really yummy crackers)
- 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (or one cup whole wheat flour and one cup unbleached white flour)
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- pinch (or two) cayenne (optional)
- ½ cup oil, chilled
- ½ cup water, very cold
1.     In a medium sized bowl, mix together flour, yeast flakes, salt, paprika, onion powder and cayenne.

2.     In a separate bowl mix together chilled oil and ½ cup very cold water.

3.     Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and knead briefly to form dough.

4.     Roll between two pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap.

5.     Remove the top paper and gently flip dough onto pie or use cutters and make into cute little puppy and kitty faces.

Roll out the left over piecrust and bake for about 10 minutes to make Pot Pie Crackers…very yummy with the pie!
January 6, 2014