Vegan tater tot hotdish is hearty, delicious, and a top dinner request in our house. This family-favorite casserole is a real crowd-pleaser and the ultimate comfort food that’s perfect for any night of the week.
The beloved Tater Tot Hotdish is a well-known dinner for most Minnesotans, especially those with kids. This Vegan Tater Tot Hotdish (to which we recently added bacon bits) is seriously one of our favorite meals, and we make it at least a few times every year. If you’ve never had tater tot hotdish (or casserole), you have to try this!
Vegan Tater Tot Hotdish Ingredients:
- Vegan Ground – We like Impossible
- Frozen Tater Tots
- Mushrooms
- Onion
- Plant-Based Milk – Just make sure it’s plain and unsweetened
- Vegan Butter
- Flour
- Garlic and Onion Powder
- Canned Corn – or vegetables of choice (canned or frozen)
- Vegan Bacon Bits (optional)
This cast iron version goes from stovetop to oven and straight to the table for an attractive display. Invite some friends over and impress them with this rich, earthy, and savory skillet casserole that you made from scratch! You could also bring this to your next potluck or family reunion to score some points with your buddies or in-laws.
Casserole Variations
There are so many variations of the famous tater tot hotdish. Some use more veggies like green beans and carrots, some use canned veggies, some use frozen veggies, some add cheese, and some spice it up with peppers and jalapeños. I’ve even seen a few people drizzle ketchup on top.
We’ve always been pretty basic around here. I only use one can of corn, other than the onions and mushrooms used to create the creamy base. Maybe one day I’ll switch it up and see if anyone notices. Or perhaps I’ll try the ketchup thing next time. That actually sounds kind of delicious in a weird way!
Most traditional tater tot casseroles use canned soup like cream of mushroom or cream of chicken. Since those are not vegan, we’ll make our own cream of mushroom with dairy-free butter, onion, mushrooms, soy milk, flour, and spices. It’s a little more involved than just opening a soup can, but really not that hard and only adds a few extra minutes to our prep and cook time. Plus, it tastes better so, it’s totally worth it!
National Tater Tot Day
Did you know that there’s a National Tater Tot Day? Yep, an entire day devoted to these little gems. In 2009, National Tater Tot Day was officially recognized and is celebrated every February 2nd. Here are a few more fun facts I found while googling:
- Tater tots were invented in 1953 by Ore-Ida.
- Other names for these little guys include potato rounds, potato puffs, potato nuggets, and baby taters.
- In Australia they’re called potato gems.
- Americans consume a whopping 70 million pounds of tater tots every year.
There’s really no compromise when it comes to vegan cooking. It’s better for us, for the animals, and for our environment, so make this family-favorite, crowd-pleasing casserole and share it with the people you love – whether they’re vegan or not!
If you make this recipe, let me know! Please leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and be sure to tag me. And, make sure to follow MNVegHead on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Lots of love, Allison
More Recipes:
8-Ingredient Hot Italian Vegan Sausage Pasta
Vegan Hibachi Dinner with Teriyaki Tofu and Yum Yum Sauce
Pub-Style Vegan Wild Rice Burgers
Vegan Tater Tot Hotdish (with Bacon Bits)
Ingredients
- 12-16 Ounces Beefless Ground Like Beyond or Impossible
- 4 tablespoon Vegan Butter
- 8 Ounces Mushrooms Chopped
- ½ Onion Diced
- ¼ Cup Flour
- 1 Tsp Each: Garlic Powder & Onion Powder
- 2 Cups Plain, Unsweetened Soy Milk Or plant milk of choice
- 1 Package Frozen Tater Tots
- 1 15-Ounce Can Corn Drained
- 1 Batch Vegan Bacon Bits (Optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F degrees.
- Cook the beefless ground over medium heat until no pink remains and set aside.
- Heat the butter in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Add the onion and mushrooms and sauté over medium heat until softened – about 5 minutes.Note: If you don't have a cast-iron skillet, just use any skillet and then transfer the mixture to an oven-safe casserole dish before baking.
- Add the flour and continue to cook for another minute.
- Slowly add the milk, ¼ cup at a time, whisking continuously. Add the onion and garlic powder. Bring the mixture to a boil and let simmer for a few minutes to thicken. Taste and add salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Add the beefless ground and the corn to the mixture and stir to combine.
- Arrange the frozen tater tots on top and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for about 30 minutes or until bubbly and tots are golden brown.
- Optional: Top with vegan bacon bits and parsley!
Amanda
Allison!! 😂😂 the Napoleon Dynamite gif. 😂⚰️
Website looks great!
MN Veg Head
Hi Amanda! Classic,right?!? Love you!