A creamy, cheesy vegan hash brown casserole that’s fantastic for breakfast, brunch, or dinner! It’s lightened up using a mix of cauliflower and potatoes, yet incredibly comforting and satisfying.
This recipe was originally published in November 2020. It has been updated for content and photos.
Shredded potatoes, cauliflower, onion, and pepper come together with a creamy, cheesy, stretchy vegan cheese sauce that will have you salivating!
Just like my air fryer hash browns, I’m using freshly shredded potatoes (no frozen hash browns) for best results.
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Why you’ll love it!
- It’s ultra comforting! What’s better than cheesy potatoes? (But of course, it’s dairy-free.)
- This vegan breakfast casserole is not JUST a breakfast dish, but you can serve it as a side dish with dinner.
- You can prepare it in advance.
- It’s healthier than a classic hash brown casserole using half cauliflower and half potatoes for fewer calories.
- This dish is not only vegan but also naturally gluten-free.
- Plus, it’s oil-free, also lowering the ‘bad for you fat’, and instead, replacing it with healthy fat from raw cashews.
Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this vegan hash brown casserole recipe.
Instructions
(This is a summary with step-by-step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Peel and grate your potatoes using a box grater or other shredding tool. (photo 1)
Soak the shreds in a bowl of cold water for 20 mins and then drain and rinse. (photo 2)
NOTE: Rinse well using cold water to remove as much excess starch as possible, for best texture.
Pat the potato shreds dry and place them in a bowl with the remaining veggies. (photo 3)
Blend the vegan cheese sauce ingredients and pour into the same bowl and mix. (photo 4)
NOTE: If you don’t have a high-speed blender, soak your cashews in hot water first for 15 minutes or longer.
Transfer the mixture to an oven-safe casserole dish in an even layer. (photo 5)
Bake for 30 minutes, and then broil for an additional 2-3 mins to brown the top. (photo 6)
Serve warm with a sprinkle of chives, parsley, and/or black pepper. Or add a dollop of vegan sour cream on top, and enjoy.
Substitutions + Variations
- For no cauliflower, use 3 pounds of potatoes instead of half and half. This will be closer to a classic style but with an increase in calories.
- Make it nut-free by using sunflower seeds or pepitas instead of cashews with similar results.
- Although you MAY substitute the tapioca starch for corn starch or flour, I don’t recommend doing so, unless necessary. The tapioca starch is a unique ingredient that gives the vegan cheese sauce its stretchy texture.
Serving suggestions
If you’re serving these vegan cheesy potatoes for breakfast or brunch here are some great pairings:
- fluffy pancakes
- waffles
- baked beans
- tofu scramble
- fresh fruit
Or if serving with dinner, try it with some of these:
FAQ
Yes and no. Of course, it’s your choice, but I did try this dish both ways and there is a noticeable difference in texture. The extra steps give the dish more texture, but skipping them will result in a creamier dish that’s still delicious.
Storage
This dish is best enjoyed fresh out of the oven. However, leftovers will keep refrigerated for 3-4 days.
When reheating, be careful not to overheat them so the veggies don’t overcook and get soggy.
I don’t recommend freezing this one as it will alter the texture.
Expert Tips
- For the best texture, don’t skip the extra step to soak the potatoes.
- If you don’t have a high-speed blender, soak your cashews in hot water for 15-30 minutes and then drain them, before making the vegan cheese sauce.
- Do not overbake the casserole as this can result in an overly soft texture.
- Watch CAREFULLY when broiling to prevent burning your dish.
More healthier vegan comfort food
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Buon appetito
Rosa
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds yellow potatoes shredded
- 1.5 pounds cauliflower florets about 1 small cauliflower or half large, shredded
- 1 yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
For the Cheese Sauce
- ¾ cup raw cashews
- ⅓ cup tapioca starch
- ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Shred the potatoes with a box grater or another shredding tool. Then place them in a large bowl and cover them with cold water. Let that soak for at least 20 minutes. Then drain the shredded potatoes and rinse well with cold water to remove excess starch. Then transfer to a clean and dry dish towel and pat them dry.
- Preheat the oven to 425℉/218℃ and grab an oven-safe baking dish or casserole dish.
- Shred the cauliflower and towel dry those too, to get out any excess moisture. Add them to a bowl with the dry potato shreds and the finely chopped onion and pepper.
- Blend all the cheese sauce ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth. Then pour the mixture in the bowl of shredded veggies and mix well.
- Transfer the mixture to your oven-safe dish and bake for 30 minutes. Then broil the dish for 2-3 minutes (watching carefully) to brown the top. Remove from the oven and serve warm.
Notes
- For the best texture, don’t skip the extra step to soak the potatoes.
- If you don’t have a high-speed blender, soak your cashews in hot water for 15-30 minutes and then drain them, before making the vegan cheese sauce.
- Do not overbake the casserole as this can result in an overly soft texture.
- Watch CAREFULLY when broiling to prevent burning your dish.
- You may use 3 lbs of potatoes and skip the cauliflower if preferred.
- For nut-free use sunflower seeds or pepitas instead of cashews with similar results.
- Although you MAY substitute the tapioca starch for corn starch or flour, I don’t recommend it unless necessary. The tapioca starch is a unique ingredient that gives the vegan cheese sauce its stretchy texture.
Lu says
This was easier to make than I expected, and so flavourful, and everyone enjoyed it at lunch today. We actually have some leftovers that I will broil again for breakfast tomorrow and enjoy extra crispy 🙂
Rosa says
Awesome, so glad everyone enjoyed this. Thanks for sharing!
Grace Whitnah says
I made this recipe this morning for dinner later today. It looks amazing. I added a green pepper and an onion to go along with the broccoli. I used a frozen bag of broccoli. I doubled the recipe and I used cannelina beans 1 cup and a 1/2 cup of cashews.
Rosa says
Those sound like great additions Grace. Thanks for sharing!
Nira teller says
Thank you for this recepie. It looks great. At last I have found a hash brown recipe that looks tasty. I am going to make this today.
Rosa says
Wonderful, enjoy Nira!
Amir says
Made it last night, very flavorful, thanks for the recipe!
Rosa says
My pleasure Amir, thanks for sharing! 🙂
Sheri Soltes says
Came out watery. Needs more salt.
The onions gets very watery when you process them. Maybe add a note to drain them before adding. Another vegan cheese recipe that has that nutritional yeast flavor 🙁
Rosa says
Sorry you didn’t enjoy.