Tempeh Sausage Breakfast Casserole

 

This breakfast is reminiscent of a shepherd's pie that can be made ahead and then baked and enjoyed when ready. It has a bottom layer of tempeh sausage, then a layer of cooked greens, and is topped with hash browns. 

It isn't hard to assemble, but there are three layers to make separately. This is totally worth the savory breakfast that is ready for you to enjoy throughout the week. It has plant-based protein in the tempeh sausage, micronutrients from the greens, and carbs from the potatoes so it is a well-balanced breakfast.

Tempeh Sausage Breakfast Casserole

Tempeh Sausage Ingredients:

1 cup cooked quinoa

1 8 oz package of plain tempeh, crumbled

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 1/2 tsp dried sage

1 tsp ground thyme

1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

pinch of nutmeg

1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos

Tempeh Sausage Directions:

Spray on non-stick frying pan with olive oil and add the quinoa and crumbled tempeh to the pan. Then add all the seasonings and cook until heated through. This is the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, maple syrup, sage, thyme, paprika, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce. 

This is the bottom layer of your casserole. When it is done spread it on the bottom of a casserole dish.

Cheesy Greens Ingredients:

1 large bunch of greens (collards, kale, chard, or spinach) or 1 bag of frozen greens

1 tbsp soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 tsp liquid smoke

Cheesy Greens Directions:

Wash and chop your greens and then put them in a saucepan with just a little water. You want the greens to steam and cook down. You can use frozen greens and prepare them the exact same way: a little water in a saucepan and dump them in over medium heat. Cook until the fresh greens are wilted, or the frozen greens are defrosted, and then add the soy sauce or Bragg's, the garlic powder, and the nutritional yeast. Taste and add salt to your liking. I add about 1/2 tsp to mine (but I love salt :-). Top it off with the liquid smoke and mix to combine. 

Put this layer on top of the tempeh sausage layer in your casserole dish.

Hash Brown Ingredients:

1 bag of frozen hash browns (shredded potatoes)

Directions:

Heat the hash browns according to the package directions and top the casserole with them. 

Casserole Directions:

At this point, you can either dig in, or you can refrigerate and heat later. If you prepare ahead, you will want to heat in a 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes. Be sure to check on it and cover it with foil if the top is getting too browned. You just need it to heat through.

Enjoy!