Vegetarian “Sausage” and Egg Breakfast Casserole – Gluten Free

One of my favorite breakfasts is my aunt’s sausage, egg and hash brown casserole. I wanted to make it vegetarian, but have had a tough time finding gluten free vegetarian “meat” patties.

However, a clever friend of mine happened along “The Original Sunshine Burger” at Whole Foods. Not only was it marked “gluten free,” but also all natural, vegan and soy free.

Made with sunflower seeds, they are pre-baked, browned and packed full of protein.

The key with this dish, as with any of my hash brown casseroles, is to pre-bake your hash brown crust to get it crispy and brown. If you skip this step, the consistency of the hash browns is too similar to that of the veggie patties and doesn’t provide enough texture variety.

This is a great make-ahead dish and warms up great for serving the next day.

Pre-bake pie shell for 10-12 minutes

Filling waiting for cheese and eggs

Golden brown. Let cool.

Vegetarian "Sausage" and Egg Breakfast Casserole - Gluten Free

Servings
4-6 servings

Ingredients

3 cups shredded potatoes (I use plain Simply Potatoes Shredded Hash Browns)
1/2 cup onion, chopped fine
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
6 oz vegetarian patties, pre-cooked and crumbled
2 tsp dried oregano
salt to taste
pepper to taste
6 whole eggs
1/3 cup cream (or whole milk)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
Spray a 9" pie dish with Pam Original or other gluten free spray.
Press the hash browns into the pie plate to create a shell. Pre-bake at 350 deg F for 10-12 minutes until golden brown and slightly crispy.
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over prepared pie crust.
Saute the onions and garlic in butter over medium heat until onions are clear.
Add the veggie patties and spices. Mix together and heat through (approximately 5 minutes).
Spoon into prepared pie dish.
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and tomatoes on top.
Whisk the eggs and cream together. Pour over top of casserole.Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
Allow to cool to set. Best served the next day heated up.