Cheezy Tater Tot Casserole

Merry Christmas. This year we have new vegans (yay!!), those limiting their meat intake (yay too!), a baby (!),  and my daughter, who has been diagnosed with Celiac disease. So.. I had to prepare a complete vegan & gluten free breakfast for Christmas brunch. Challenge accepted! 

I probably was great entertainment for the staff at our local Harris Teeter. I walked back and forth through the store,  looking at Pinterest (my saving grace most night!), searching for ingredients, and coming up with a plan to make tge best vegan & gluten free breakfast for my family - one that even the picky ones would eat & enjoy (no pressure 😂).

This was the filling, crowd pleasing recipe I can up with to make everyone happy. My entire meal plan is in the footnotes, if you want to know how to make a gluten free & vegan brunch fir your family.

Recipe:

2 bags frozen tater tots

Olive oil

paprika 

8 oz. Sliced mushrooms, chopped 

8 oz. Kale, chopped & de -stemed

1 Tbsp. Cumin

1/4 cup vegetarian chick'n broth (or veggie broth)

1 tsp. Onion power

1 tsp. garlic powder 

Salt & pepper

1 recipe Easy 5 minute vegan cheese sauce

method:

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Pour tater tots into a greased 11x13 pan. 

3. Toss tater tots into a little olive oil and paprika.

4. Bake about 20 minutes, until tater tots are brown. 

5. While tater tots are cooking, make your cheezy sauce (see recipe link above).

6. Once cheese sauce is ready, start your vegetables. 

7. Steam your chopped mushrooms and kale in the vegetarian chick'n broth, paprika, cumin, onion powder,  garlic powder, salt and pepper. 

8. Cover & steam over medium heat until softened.

9. Remove tater tots from the oven.

10. Top tater tots with kale/ mushrooms and  the cheeze sauce. 

11. Toss lightly to mix all ingredients. 

12. Bake 30 - 40 minutes, until golden brown. 

Makes 8 servings. 

* Entire vegan & gluten free breakfast plan:

1. Delicious Scrambled Tofu

2. Vegetarian baked beans

3. Southern style grits

4. Cheezy Tater Tot Casserole 

5. Olive platter

6. Fruit roasted with pecans 

Italian Roasted Veggies over Chive & Turmeric Mashed Potatoes

It's Summer time and vegetables are plentiful. We have so many fresh zucchini, summer (yellow) squash, green beans, & tomatoes. Roasted Veggies is a very frequent meal at our home in the Summer and mashed potatoes are ALWAYS a favorite...so let's have BOTH!

This is an easy meal. I'm taking the short cut of using mashed potato flakes and "doctoring" them for convenience (nothing against homemade, please use homemade if you have the time). All you have to do is cut up your vegetables, toss them in your marinade (which becomes a delicious sauce for your potatoes!), and roast while you do your laundry,  help kids with homework, or enjoy a glass of wine while catching up on one of your favorite shows. This is so simple, it will become a staple in your home too.

Looking for more easy vegan family meals? Try my Vegan Cabbage Rolls, BBQ Tempeh over Southwestern Cauliflower "Rice", Baked Crispy Tofu, Kale Stuffed Eggplant "Parm", Chipotle Mac-n-Cheese with Smokey Lentils, Creamy Jackfruit Casserole & Baked Ziti

RECIPE:

3 small yellow squash, chopped 

1 large zucchini, chopped 

8 oz. Mushrooms 

2 cups green beans, chopped 

2 cups carrots, chopped 

1 large purple onion, chopped 

1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes w/ juice

1 head of garlic cloves, pealed

1 cup Italian dressing 

Salt, pepper, paprika to taste

6 servings of mashed potatoes 

Fresh chopped chives 

1 Tbsp. Turmeric 

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 450°

2. Toss chopped veggies with diced tomatoes (do not drain!), Italian dressing, salt, pepper & paprika.

3. Pour veggies into a large roasting pan. 

4. Cook 30- 40 minutes (depending on how large you chopped your veggies), stirring once about half way through.

5. Prepare your mashed potatoes adding fresh chives and turmeric. 

6. Once your veggies are "fork tender", remove from oven.

7. Layer your mashed potatoes & top with roasted veggies. Make sure you get the pan sauce to pour over your mashed potatoes because it's delicious!

Makes 4-6 servings

Vegan Breakfast Burritos

Breakfast burritos are great! You can make large batches and freeze for later. You can eat them as "breakfast for dinner". You can pack them up for a "breakfast on the go". This is a great recipe to use up leftover veggies too! Breakfast burritos are good for you and make your life easier too, gotta love that!

Looking for more vegan breakfast ideas? Try Chocolate Protein Pancakes , Veggie & Tofu Quiche with a Crispy Potato Crust, Maple & "Sausage" Bites, Green Coconut & Citrus Smoothie, Big Family Style Breakfast, Blueberry Breakfast Cookies, & Spicy Tempeh & Grits with Cheddar Biscuits

Recipe:

2 (14 oz.) Extra firm tofu, drained well

3 Tbsp. Earth Balance vegan butter

3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast 

1 tsp. each- garlic powder, turmeric, chicken seasoning, paprika 

Ground black Sea salt (regular salt if you don't have it, but black salt is preferred)

Fresh cracked pepper 

4 cups cooked, cubed potatoes

 8 flour tortillas 

2 cups cooked, shredded kale (optional)

I prepared package vegan bac'n or sausage, crumbled (optional)

Leftover veggies like mushrooms, onions and peppers (optional)

Vegan cheese (optional)

Salsa (optional)

Method:

Melt vegan butter over medium heat. 

Add your tofu, crumbling as you add it to the pan to resemble scrambled eggs.

Add nutritional yeast, spices, salt & pepper to tofu.

Turn heat to medium- high and cook tofu until all liquid is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes, depending if you liked a softer scramble or a hard scrambled texture.

In a large mixing bowl, combine tofu, potatoes, kale, vegan bac'n or sausage, leftover veggies, and vegan cheese (or any combination you like with your tofu).

Mix well and divide evenly between the 8 tortillas. 

Top tofu with salsa (optional) and roll up tightly into a burrito. 

Serve immediately, or freeze once they are completely cooled.

Makes 8 servings