Vegan Cheesy Spinach Breakfast Casserole StrataThis hearty, healthy brunch dish is filled with gluten-free croutons, spinach, mushrooms, onions, and lots of melty cheese. It’s been renovated to be egg and dairy-free.

If you’re looking for regular strata made with eggs and cheese, click here. After going on a plant-based diet last year, I’ve tried many, many new foods. And sometimes I miss my old standbys. I was hoping to come up with a magical substitute for custard and be able to tell you that this is exactly like the original and no one would be able to tell it’s vegan. Um, not exactly. But it’s healthy and gluten-free.

I made it four times, playing with the faux custard. Some were gluey, some were dry, one was just plain icky. What I’m sharing is a nice hearty casserole that is great for brunch. You can pre-cook the mushroom and onion mixture and mince the tempeh bacon the night before. If using frozen spinach, thaw in the refrigerator in a sieve over a bowl.

Suitable for:
vegan, gluten-free, reduced-sugar diets

Not for:
low-sodium or migraine diets

Vegan Cheesy Spinach Breakfast Casserole Strata

Cheesy spinach, mushroom, and bread casserole

3.86 from 21 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 35 mins
Total Time 1 hr 5 mins
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 16 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4-8 ounces tempeh bacon optional
  • 8 ounces mushrooms cremini
  • 6 ounces onions yellow, 1 small or 1/2 large
  • 10 ounces spinach fresh or frozen
  • 3 cups milk soy, rice, almond, hemp
  • 6 ounces tofu silken
  • 3 tbsp flax seeds (ground)
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg (dried)
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 8 ounces cheddar (shredded, vegan) mozzarella flavor, or other vegan cheese
  • 12 slices bread (gluten-free) cubed

Instructions
 

  • Oil an oven-proof casserole dish.
  • Preheat oven to 350F/180C/gas mark 4.
  • Mince the tempeh bacon and set aside.
  • Clean and thinly slice the mushrooms. Peel and mince the onions. Sauté onions and mushrooms in olive oil over medium heat until golden brown.
  • Squeeze the spinach dry if using frozen spinach.
  • Put the milk, tofu, flax seeds, nutmeg, and pepper in a blender or food processor and pulse just until blended.
  • In a large bowl, gently stir all ingredients until evenly mixed. Spread into the casserole dish.
  • Bake until golden and puffy, about 35-45 minutes. Let sit about ten minutes before cutting.

Notes

Per serving:
  • 132 calories
  • 5 g fat
  • 1 g saturated fat
  • 2 g monounsaturated fat
  • 1 g polyunsaturated fat
  • 0 g trans fat
  • 0 g cholesterol
  • 264 mg sodium (with tempeh)
  • 264 mg potassium
  • 20 g carbohydrate
  • 3 g fiber
  • 5 g sugars
  • 5 g protein
  • 4 Weight Watchers Points Plus
Use Daiya cheese if you can. It's absolutely the best vegan cheese sold in the U.S. and Canada. I used Udi's gluten-free whole grain bread for this, as it's the most like ciabatta, which is perfect for this recipe. Don't use more tofu, or less milk, or any of the substitutions I'd normally encourage. Trust me on this one.