The Best Vegan Tater Tot Casserole

This easy one pot vegan tater tot casserole is filled with fresh veggies and topped with golden brown and crispy tater tots. It is such a flavor packed comfort food! Whether you call it a hot dish or tater tot casserole, you will love this cozy meal. 

This casserole is a great recipe for a holiday side dish, a lazy weeknight meal, or when you just want the ultimate vegan comfort food. This would also be a delicious snack or side dish for football season. 

There are a few different styles of tater tot casserole out there. Some are more like chicken pot pie. They have vegetables like green beans and carrots in a creamy sauce, usually made from cream of mushroom soup. This version is taco style made with onions, black beans, tomatoes, corn, taco seasoning and of course, some melted vegan cheese! 

Quick Tips

• Add the tater tots to the casserole straight from frozen. This helps them be crispy and not soggy. 
• Use an oven safe skillet to make this a one pot family favorite. 
• Top with guacamole, salsa, cilantro, hot sauce, vegan sour cream, or lettuce for a taco style casserole. 

Equipment

You will need a cast iron skillet or other large oven-safe skillet. You could also bake this in a casserole dish, but then you will still need a large frying pan. Save on dishes and keep this a one pot meal by using a cast iron skillet!

Ingredients for vegan tater tot casserole

You just need a few simple ingredients to pull off this mouth watering dish.

Vegan cheddar cheese shreds - There are a lot of brands out there, but I like Mykonos the best.

Fresh mushrooms - Helps give this casserole a meaty texture. You can use your favorite kind. 

White onion - You can also use a yellow or red onion here.

Garlic cloves - You can omit if you have an intolerance. 

Black beans - Pinto beans would also work well in this recipe. 

Corn - I love the texture corn adds to this casserole. 

Tomato (or salsa) - Meaty tomatoes like Roma work well. You can also use canned diced tomatoes or salsa!

Tomato paste - Buy the kind in a squeezable tube for less waste. 

Jalapeño - This is optional. If you want it less spicy, scrape out the inner membrane and the seeds. 

Taco seasoning - Make sure its the low sodium version. 

Package of frozen tater tots - Most tater tot brands are vegan, but check the ingredients in case. 

Topping ideas: guacamole, salsa, cilantro, hot sauce, vegan sour cream, or lettuce.

How to make vegan tater tot casserole

Let’s make this easy recipe!

First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 

In a cast-iron skillet, or other oven safe large skillet, add olive oil or vegetable oil. Heat your garlic and onion over medium to low heat until fragrant. 

Next, add in the rest of your vegetables to the garlic and sauteed onion: mushrooms, black beans, corn, tomato and jalapeno if using.

Cook for about 3-5 minutes, stirring often. Sprinkle in your taco seasoning and tomato paste and combine well with the veggie mixture. Season with sea salt and black pepper as needed.

Remove the skillet from heat and sprinkle half of the vegan cheese evenly on top.

Next, layer your tater tops over the skillet in a single layer.

Bake for 30 minutes. The tater tots should be crispy and golden brown. 

Remove from the oven and sprinkle the rest of the vegan cheese on top. Bake again for 5 minutes until the cheese layer is nice and melty. 

Remove from oven and let sit for 3-5 minutes before digging in! 

Option to top with extra vegan cheese shreds, guacamole, salsa, cilantro, hot sauce, vegan sour cream, or lettuce.

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Can I make this ahead of time?

It's best to make this casserole the day you want to eat it, so the tater tots are as crispy as possible. Its so easy though, this won’t be a problem!

How to store leftovers

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. 

How to reheat

You can microwave this to reheat, but for best results (and crispy tots) reheat in an oven safe dish in the oven or toaster oven until warmed throughout. 

Substitutions & Variations

The great thing about this recipe is it’s pretty versatile. You can add and swap out ingredients to your liking. 

• You can also add a ½ cup of diced green bell peppers if you like those. A red bell pepper would also work. 
• Try adding vegan sausage or vegan ground meat. 
• Add some hearty lentils if you want some extra protein. 
• Make it a vegan tater tot breakfast casserole by adding vegan breakfast sausage and vegan eggs (like Just Egg). 
• If you don’t have taco seasoning, you can add a 1 teaspoon of each: paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin. 

FAQs

Looking for some more vegan comfort foods?

• Cozy Vegan Hamburger Helper
• Easy Vegan Buffalo Mac and Cheese
• Butternut Squash Sweet Potato Mash
• Creamy Vegan Buffalo Dip