Cheesy Vegan Tater Tot Casserole
If you’re craving something warm, crispy, and loaded with flavor, this vegan tater tot casserole is calling your name! It’s the kind of comfort food that hits the spot—crispy tots on the bottom, melty plant-based cheese on top, and all the best toppings in between. Whether you’re making it for game day, a cozy family dinner, or just because you love tater tots (who doesn’t?), this recipe is easy to whip up and super fun to eat. Plus, it’s totally customizable, so you can make it just the way you like it.
We’ll walk you through everything you need to make this casserole a hit. We’ll share the simple ingredients, step-by-step instructions, delicious homemade sauces, and even a few fun topping ideas. There’s no need for fancy equipment or complicated steps—just your oven, a sheet pan, and your appetite. Ready to make the ultimate vegan comfort food? Let’s get started!
And, if quick and easy casseroles are up your alley, don’t miss out on this rice and bean bake, green bean casserole, and breakfast-in-pan recipes!
Why You Must Make This Vegan Casserole
This vegan tater tot casserole is crispy, cheesy, and loaded with all your favorite toppings. It’s easy to make, super satisfying, and always a hit with family and friends!
- Crispy and Comforting. Tater tots bake up golden and crispy, making every bite totally satisfying. They’re the perfect base for a warm, cozy dish.
- Easy to Make. There’s no complicated prep here—just layer, bake, and enjoy. It’s great for busy nights or lazy weekends.
- Crowd-Pleaser. Kids, picky eaters, and non-vegans all love it. Bring it to a party or potluck, and it disappears fast!
- Great for Leftovers. It reheats really well, so you can enjoy it the next day for lunch or dinner. Just pop it in the oven or microwave and dig in.
- Fun to Eat. There’s something about tater tots that just makes eating more fun. Add your favorite sauces or toppings and turn it into a meal you’ll look forward to!
How to Make This Dairy-Free Tater Tot Bake
Making a vegan tater tot casserole is super easy and seriously tasty. Just bake the tots, load them up with plant-based toppings, and pop it back in the oven until everything’s hot and melty!
Step 1: Get the Oven Ready – Preheat your oven to 425°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Step 2: Bake the Tots – Spread the tater tots on the pan and sprinkle with Old Bay if you like. Bake for 20 minutes, then take them out and flip them.
Then, Step 3: Add the Toppings – Push the tots close together so they’re touching. Pile on the ground beef, onions, tomatoes, relish, and cheese.
Finally, Step 4: Finish and Serve – Bake for another 10–12 minutes, until the cheese melts and the tots are golden. Add mustard, ketchup, or dressing (see additional sauce recipes below) on top, and toss on some scallions if you’re using them.
So Many (Awesome) Sauces!
Want to take your Cheesy Burger Taters Tots to a whole new level? Pssst..the secret is in the sauce! Here are two simple, saucy recipes for a Thousand Island Dressing and Punk Cheddah Sauce to smother onto your tots and add a bit of sass.
Thousand Island Dressing
This Thousand Island Dressing will bring back memories of trips to McDonald’s as you transform your tots into a bold, vegan Big Mac style dish!
- 1/2 cup (115g) vegan mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) of yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) of sweet pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) of ketchup
Drizzle the dressing over your team of tater tots instead of mustard or ketchup. Keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.
Punk Cheddah Sauce
Next up is a smooth, velvety Punk Cheddah Sauce. If you prefer homemade to store-bought vegan cheese, then this recipe is for you! This silky sauce is very mild and very simple to make because it uses canned pumpkin for the base.
- 1½ cups (218 g) of pumpkin puree
- ½ cup (68 g) of raw cashews, soaked overnight or boiled in water for 10 minutes, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup nutri
- 2 tablespoons (32 g) of white miso
- 3 cups (705 ml) of water
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) of Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon (20 g) of maple syrup
- 1½ teaspoons of sea salt
- 1½ teaspoons of onion powder
- 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
To make the Punk Cheddah Sauce: Add the pumpkin, cashews, nutritional yeast, miso, water, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, maple syrup, lemon juice, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder to a blender. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy. To store, place in a covered, sealed container. It should last for a few days in the fridge.
Serving Tips and Suggestions For Your Vegan Tater Tot Casserole
These terrific tots taste top-notch without any other sides, but you may want to stretch this delicious dish into a supper-sized meal. Here are our yummiest tips:
- Make It a Tater Tot Bar – Let everyone build their own plate by setting out toppings like vegan sour cream, hot sauce, chopped pickles (or pickled veggies!), and jalapeños. It’s fun, customizable, and perfect for a casual get-together!
- Add a Fresh Crunch – Serve your casserole with a side of crisp coleslaw or a tangy pickle salad. The cool crunch balances out the warm, cheesy tots perfectly!
- Lettuce Make Wraps – Consider using your toasty tots as a filling in a butter lettuce leaf—almost like an inside-out vegan cheeseburger. Pop some tots in the middle, add your selected sauce, and munch away. Mmmm…
- Always Add Veggies – When you’ve got a calorie-dense meal on your hands, it’s nice to throw in a whole lot of raw or steamed veggies into the mix. How about a fresh garden salad or a couple of ears of corn-on-the-cob? Perfect combo! Here are more vegan vegetable recipes to explore.
- Serve Along With Soup – Another way to add fiber and fullness to your plate of potato puffs is to supplement with a big bowl of vegan soup packed with lots of vegetables.
FAQs
If you have extra tots that you haven’t tasted, store them in a covered container in the fridge for a few days. To freeze the remaining tots, place them in a sealed, freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Place the leftovers on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees until desired temperature and texture.
If you have an air fryer, let them cook for 5 minutes at 400 degrees or until they’re as crispy as you like them. Keep in mind that the vegan cheese might not reheat as well as the tots or vegan burger.
More Amazing Appetizers to Try
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Vegan Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 cups frozen tater tots, (half of a 32-ounce (905-gram) bag)
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning, optional
- 1 cup frozen vegan ground beef or crumbled vegan sausage, (110 grams)
- ½ cup roughly chopped white onion, (80 grams)
- ½ cup diced tomato, (90 grams)
- ¼ cup sweet pickle relish, (60 grams)
- ¾ cup vegan cheddar shreds or Punk Cheddah sauce, (88 grams)
- Mustard
- Ketchup
- Quick Thousand Island dressing, optional, see recipe below
- 2 scallions, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C, or gas mark 7).
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Spread the tater tots out on the prepared sheet pan and sprinkle with Old Bay Seasoning (if using).
- Bake for 20 minutes, remove from the oven, and flip the tater tots with a spatula.
- Position the tater tots close together so they are touching to minimize the toppings falling through to the sheet pan.
- Top the tater tots with ground beef, onion, tomatoes, relish, and cheese.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the tater tots have turned golden brown.
- Drizzle tater tots with mustard, ketchup, or dressing, and sprinkle with chopped scallions (if using).
Notes
Nutrition
We want to thank our amazing recipe testers Annie Sparks & Tracey Ferren for helping us perfect this recipe!
This vegan Vegan Tater Tot casserole recipe was reprinted with permission from the Epic Vegan Quick & Easy: Simple One-Pot and One-Pan Plant-Based Recipes cookbook by Dustin Harder (Quarto Publishing Group, Co, 2021) Photography by Ashley Maddem @riseshinecook.
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Leave a Comment
This was a really neat idea & looks super flavourful!
Perfect meal for entertaining!
The most delicious and decadent dish that takes only a little while to make. SOOO worth it! Perfect for a movie night meal!
YES PLEASE! I’m so excited to make this!
OMG, amazing!! I love finding epic one-pan meals!
Wow! Is there anything more delicious than crunchy tots and toppings?