This vegetarian tater tot casserole will fool even the heartiest meat eater! Homemade meatless crumble is mixed with a simple gravy and veggies before topping it with cheese and crisp tater tots in this vegetarian take on a Midwest classic.
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The Midwest is well known for its meat and potatoes.
Tater tot casserole is a classic meal that combines ground beef with veggies and cream of mushroom soup before topping it with cheese and crispy tater tots.
This recipe uses my walnut burger/mushroom walnut taco meat recipe to create a meatless crumble that fooled my entire family into thinking they were eating meat. I didn't even mean to trick them and assumed they knew it was vegetarian, but they were very surprised once I realized they didn't know!
I'm also making my own gravy to mix with the meat instead of using cream of mushroom soup. While this recipe does have a few different steps, there are plenty of shortcuts you can take (see the customization options below), or just enjoy it on a slow weekend or special holiday.
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Cremini mushrooms
- Shiitake mushrooms
- Yellow onion
- Walnuts
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Egg
- Vegan Worcestershire sauce
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Salted butter
- All-purpose flour
- Vegetable stock
- Milk
- Canned corn
- Cheddar cheese
- Frozen tater tots
How to make tater tot casserole
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and onions and cook.
- Add two cloves of garlic and cook. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
- Add the walnuts to the bowl of a food processor and allow it to run until the walnuts are very finely chopped but not powdery.
- Transfer the cooked vegetables to the food processor and pulse until a chunky paste is formed.
- Transfer this mixture to a large bowl and add the breadcrumbs, egg, worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.
- Spread the mixture on the prepared baking sheet and smooth out evenly. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping and breaking it up halfway through. It should resemble ground beef, but you can keep the crumbles as small or as large as you like. When it comes out of the oven, keep the oven heated to 375ºF.
- While the fake meat is in the oven, prepare the gravy by heating 2 tablespoons of butter in a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the remaining clove of garlic and cook.
- Add 2 tablespoons of flour and stir for 1 minute.
- Slowly add the vegetable stock and milk, whisking constantly until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook.
- Spray a large braiser or 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Add the meatless crumble, gravy, and corn to the dish and stir to combine. Spread the mixture out evenly. Top with shredded cheese, followed by the tater tots. It doesn't take too long to arrange them neatly, but you can also just spread them out evenly.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until the tater tots are lightly browned and crispy.
Top tips
What kind of dish to use for tater tot casserole
I used a large Le Creuset braiser to cook this. It's basically a big, oven safe, enameled cast iron skillet. If you don't own a braiser I would recommend using a 9x13 baking dish.
Vegan worcestershire sauce
Regular worcestershire sauce contains fish. If you want to keep this casserole vegetarian, look for vegan worcestershire sauce in the natural and organic aisle of the grocery store.
Shred your own cheese
You can use pre-shredded cheese if you must, but shredding your own cheese will give you the meltiest, creamiest result.
How to make ahead
You can assemble everything except the tater tots the day before baking, just keep it covered in the refrigerator and add the tater tots right before baking. You may need to add a few extra minutes of cooking time if it's going from the fridge to the oven.
How to store
Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I like to reheat portions in the oven to get the tater tots crispy again. You can also freeze this for up to 3 months.
Tips for customizing tater tot hotdish
- Double the gravy portion of the recipe if you want it saucier
- Swap the corn for an equal amount of canned green beans
- Use a store bought meatless crumble instead of making your own
- Add some minced jalapenos with the corn to make it a little spicy
- Swap the homemade gravy for one 10.5 ounce can of cream of mushroom soup
- Double the cheese if you like it extra cheesy
FAQ
It's both! A casserole can be pretty much anything combined and baked in a pan, while a hotdish is a regional term for a main dish that includes a protein, vegetable, starch, and binder.
This homemade meatless crumble is similar to my walnut burger recipe and includes garlic, onions, mushrooms, walnuts, breadcrumbs, egg, and vegan worcestershire sauce.
Changing the gravy to make it vegan will really change this dish, but if you want you can make vegan swaps for the butter and milk (only use plain, unsweetened dairy-free milk). You can also substitute a flax egg for the egg and omit the cheese or use a vegan shredded cheddar cheese.
Yes, you'll just need to find gluten-free breadcrumbs. Double check your tater tots to make sure they're gluten-free (many are).
More casserole recipes
- Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
- Butternut Squash Casserole
- Italian Quinoa Casserole
- Savory Sweet Potato Casserole
- Meatless Stacked Enchilada Casserole
- Broccoli Cheddar Sweet Potato Casserole
- Spaghetti Squash Casserole
- Low Carb Breakfast Casserole
- Slow Cooker Quinoa Enchilada Casserole
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, roughly chopped
- ½ medium yellow onion, diced
- ¾ cup walnuts
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 teaspoons vegan worcestershire sauce
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups vegetable stock
- ½ cup milk, I used 2%
- 15 ounces canned corn, drained
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 32 ounces frozen tater tots, I like the extra crispy ones
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and onions and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 5-8 minutes.
- Add two cloves of garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
- Add the walnuts to the bowl of a food processor and allow it to run until the walnuts are very finely chopped but not powdery.
- Transfer the cooked vegetables to the food processor and pulse until a chunky paste is formed. Open the feeding tube on the processor to allow any steam to escape while processing.
- Transfer this mixture to a large bowl and add the breadcrumbs, egg, worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Using a rubber spatula, stir until fully combined.
- Spread the mixture on the prepared baking sheet and smooth out evenly. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping and breaking it up halfway through. It should resemble ground beef, but you can keep the crumbles as small or as large as you like. When it comes out of the oven, keep the oven heated to 375ºF.
- While the fake meat is in the oven, prepare the gravy by heating 2 tablespoons of butter in a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the remaining clove of garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Add 2 tablespoons of flour and stir for 1 minute.
- Slowly add the vegetable stock and milk, whisking constantly until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened slightly, 5-10 minutes.
- Spray a large braiser or 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Add the meatless crumble, gravy, and corn to the dish and stir to combine. Spread the mixture out evenly. Top with shredded cheese, followed by the tater tots. It doesn't take too long to arrange them neatly, but you can also just spread them out evenly.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until the tater tots are lightly browned and crispy.
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