Tater Tot Casserole

A vegetarian take on a classic Midwest tater tot casserole that uses homemade meatless crumble.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword tater tot casserole, tater tot hot dish, vegetarian tater tot casserole

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 16

Total Time 1 36

Servings

Calories 658kcal

Author Lindsay Moe

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.

Nutrition