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Loaded Zucchini Breakfast Casserole
[Vegan]

VM By: Vegan Comfort Cooking by Melanie McDonald

Author Bio

Melanie McDonald is the founder of A Virtual Vegan and author of Vegan Comfort Cooking.... Read More

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A golden-brown Loaded Zucchini Breakfast Casserole, freshly baked and garnished with fresh parsley, showing crispy bread and a rich, savory filling.

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Loaded Zucchini Breakfast Casserole [Vegan]

Dairy Free

Vegan

Make the most of your mornings with a comforting and hearty breakfast casserole. In this one, you will find golden flecks of hash browns, chunks of crusty bread, and sweet sautéed zucchini, all nestled in super-tasty custard. It’s great for feeding a crowd and, as a bonus, the whole thing... Read More

Ingredients You Need for Loaded Zucchini Breakfast Casserole [Vegan]

2 medium zucchinis
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil or water
1 medium onion, chopped finely
16 oz (454 g) medium or firm tofu (no need to press it)
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoon (10 g) Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons (16 g) arrowroot powder or cornstarch
1 cup (240 ml) unsweetened nondairy milk
1 teaspoon salt (reduce to 1/2 teaspoon if using black salt or Kala Namak)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons (about 4 g) dried mixed herbs, such as herbes de Provence or Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup (28 g) nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon kala namak (optional)
1 cup (112 g) vegan cheese, divided (optional)
1 generous handful of fresh parsley, chopped
4 heaping cups (300 g) cubed plain sourdough, or flavored herby vegan bread (crusty bread that is slightly stale works best)
2 cups (260 g) hash browns (shredded or cubes), or the same quantity of fresh potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8" (3 mm) cubes or grated with a food processor

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How to Prepare Loaded Zucchini Breakfast Casserole [Vegan]

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil or water over medium-high heat. Add the onion and zucchini chunks, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the onion and zucchini are starting to turn golden. If using water to sauté, you will need to add a few more drops throughout the cooking process to prevent sticking. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a blender, combine the tofu, garlic, mustard, arrowroot powder, nondairy milk, salt, black pepper, herbs, red pepper flakes, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and kala namak, if using. If you are using the optional vegan cheese, you can add half of that, too, if you wish, or save it all for sprinkling on the top. Blend until smooth; then add the parsley and stir to incorporate.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Then in a baking dish with at least a 2 1/2 liters capacity, layer half of the bread chunks across the bottom. Top with half of the zucchini mixture, and then scatter with 1 cup (130 g) of the hash browns. Cover the hash browns with most of the remaining bread, reserving a handful of chunks to scatter on the top later. Next, add the rest of the zucchini mixture; then pour the tofu mixture over that. It might sit on the top, but you can help it out by poking with a spoon or knife all over to give it channels to run down.
Let the tofu mixture mostly seep in (it might take a few minutes), and then push the top down all over with a spatula to compact everything. Next, scatter the remaining hash browns over the top and poke in the reserved bread cubes so they are mostly sticking out and can get crispy. At this point, if you want to add the remaining 1/2 cup (56 g) of cheese, scatter it over the top.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out almost clean. If your dish is very shallow, it will cook a little more quickly; it might take a little longer if it is really deep.
Alternatively, if you want to cook the casserole the following day, do not bake after assembly but cover with plastic wrap and stash it away in the fridge. For best results when doing this, if you are using potatoes rather than hash browns, make sure that they are all submerged, so their color doesn’t change overnight.
Then, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) the following day and bake, giving it an extra 5 minutes in the oven.

Notes

All sorts of veggies work well in this recipe. Cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, mushrooms, and broccoli are good additions. Vegan sausages are also great in it.