This vegan scalloped potato casserole is equal parts comforting and delicious. It features layers of creamy sauce and parboiled potatoes, along with a satisfying topping of crunchy breadcrumbs.
The sauce is especially tasty, as it’s dairy-free yet wonderfully velvety. In fact, it’s so good that you might be tempted to eat it by the spoonful! It’s also nut-free and contains no cashews.
Once baked to perfection, this homemade potato casserole can be enjoyed as a side dish or appetizer. Serve it with your favorite plant-based protein, like tempeh or Tofu Bacon. It also works well in a holiday spread when paired with dishes like Vegan Green Bean Casserole or Vegan Meatloaf.
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
- Baby potatoes. You can use sliced or diced baby potatoes.
- Plant milk. Any plain, unsweetened plant milk will do. We used oat milk.
- Nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast gives the sauce in this casserole a classic cheesy taste.
- Breadcrumbs. This casserole is garnished with breadcrumbs for a delicious crunch. Feel free to use gluten-free breadcrumbs, if necessary.
How to Make Vegan Potato Casserole
You’ll need just 20 minutes to prepare this recipe. What’s more, it’s a simple and versatile dish, so you can adjust the spices and ingredients based on your preferences. Here’s how to make homemade vegan potato casserole:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×9 square baking dish (or a deep pie dish) with oil or butter.
In a small skillet over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Add the flour and whisk until golden brown and creamy. This is called a roux.
2. Add the plant milk, vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, vegan Worcestershire sauce, and spices. Stir well to combine, then simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until thick. Add the vegan cheese shreds and stir until melted, about 2 to 3 minutes.
3. While the sauce is simmering, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the potato slices or cubes, then parboil for about 8 minutes. The potatoes should be easily pierced with a fork but still somewhat firm.
4. Drain the potatoes.
5. To the greased dish, add a layer of potatoes.
6. Spoon a layer of sauce over the potatoes.
7. Repeat with the rest of the potatoes and cheese sauce. You should enough to repeat this sequence 3 or 4 times.
8. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the microwave or on the stovetop. In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, hemp seeds, salt, pepper, thyme, and melted butter.
9. Sprinkle the butter-breadcrumb mixture on top of the casserole.
10. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until the breadcrumb topping turns golden brown. Top with chopped scallions, vegan cheese shreds, and/or crumbled vegan bacon.
Recipe Tips, Variations, and Substitutions
- Slice the potatoes evenly. To promote even cooking, make sure the potato slices are about the same thickness.
- Dice the potatoes into cubes. Alternatively, you can dice the potatoes instead of slicing them.
- Use a deep pie dish. If you don’t have a 9×9 square dish, you can use a deep pie dish.
- Place the dish on a cookie sheet. If your baking dish is shallow, put it on a metal cookie sheet before placing it in the oven. The sauce will bubble, so the sheet will catch any drippings.
- Use vegan mozzarella or cheddar cheese. Either cheese works for this recipe. We used vegan cheddar cheese shreds from Daiya.
- Skip the vegan cheese shreds. If you don’t have vegan cheese shreds, you can omit them.
- Add crushed red pepper flakes. For an extra kick, add red pepper flakes to the sauce. You can also add a splash of hot sauce or sriracha.
Can I store leftovers?
Store leftover Vegan Potato Casserole in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Enjoy within 3 to 4 days.
Can I freeze Vegan Scalloped Potatoes?
Yes, you can freeze this potato casserole. Store it in a sealed freezer-safe container for up to 1 month. When you’re ready to eat the casserole, thaw in the refrigerator, then warm in the oven until heated through. If needed, add a splash or vegetable broth or plant milk to rehydrate the sauce.
Serving Suggestions
- Smokey Tempeh Bacon — Add chopped tempeh bacon between the layers of potatoes and sauce.
- Shiitake Mushroom Bacon — Garnish your casserole with shiitake mushroom bacon.
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese — For even more crunchiness, sprinkle vegan Parmesan cheese on top.
Creamy Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter unsalted plant butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour gluten-free, if needed
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- 1 ¼ cups oat milk plant-based milk
- 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ⅓ cup vegan cheese shreds
Vegan Potato Casserole
- 1.5 pounds baby potatoes sliced or diced
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter unsalted plant butter melted
- 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs gluten-free, if needed
- 3 tablespoons hemp seeds or more breadcrumbs
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or oregano
- Chopped scallions for topping, optional
- Vegan cheese shreds for topping, optional
- Crumbed vegan bacon for topping, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×9 square baking dish (or a deep pie dish) with oil or butter.
- In a small skillet over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Add the flour and whisk until golden brown and creamy. This is called a roux.
- Add the plant milk, vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, vegan Worcestershire sauce, and spices. Stir well to combine, then simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until thick. Add the vegan cheese shreds and stir until melted, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- While the sauce is simmering, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the potato slices, then parboil for about 8 minutes. The potatoes should be easily pierced with a fork but still somewhat firm.
- Drain the potatoes.
- To the greased dish, add a layer of potatoes.
- Spoon a layer of sauce over the potatoes.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the microwave or on the stovetop. In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, hemp seeds, salt, pepper, thyme, and melted butter.
- Sprinkle the butter-breadcrumb mixture on top of the casserole.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until the breadcrumb topping turns golden brown. Top with chopped scallions, vegan cheese shreds, and/or crumbled vegan bacon.
Notes
- You can also dice the baby potatoes.
- To promote even cooking, make sure the potato slices are about the same thickness.
- Use vegan mozzarella or cheddar shreds, depending on your preference.
- Alternatively, you can omit the vegan cheese shreds.
- For an extra kick, add crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce.
- Top your casserole with chopped scallions, vegan cheese shreds, and/or crumbled vegan bacon.
- This recipe serves 6 to 8 people, depending on the serving size.
Recommended Tools & Products
Nutrition
About the Author
Kirsten Nunez
Contributing Writer
Kirsten is a journalist who focuses on healthy food and cooking. Her vegan and plant-based recipes have appeared on VegNews, eHow, Shape, and more. When she’s not creating and photographing vegan recipes for Clean Green Simple, you can find her experimenting in the kitchen and sharing plant-based meals with friends and family. More articles by Kirsten.
[email protected]
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