Happy totsgiving! That will be the new official name for Thanksgiving because you’ll never want to serve any other dish ever again. This weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving, but I have a feeling everyone reading this couldn’t care less and will make this casserole no matter what day it is where you are right now. Digging into this was magic. It has vegan sausage, veggies, apple, all smothered in a savory gravy, and duh, lotsa tots.
Tater tots are a childhood fave of mine, and probably are for you too! This is a fun, sophisticated way to serve them without losing that nostalgic feel.
If you're looking for the dessert casserole, get the recipe here.
totsgiving casserole
Happy totsgiving! Let this be the new official name for Thanksgiving because you’ll never want to serve any other dish ever again.
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Servings: to 8
Ingredients
- 2 C diced white onion (about 1 large white onion)
- 1 C diced celery (about 2 stalks)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 vegan sausages (preferably apple sage flavored, cut on the bias - about 3 cups)
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage
- 2 teaspoon beef flavoured bouillon (or 2 cubes)
- 2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoon vegan worcestershire
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 C frozen vegetables (corn, peas, carrots, green beans)
- ¼ C flour
- 1 ¾ C nondairy milk
- ½ teaspoon sea salt (optional)
- 1 green apple, peeled and finely diced
- 4 ½ C frozen tots
- 2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage, as garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Heat skillet or stock pot over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and brown the sausage for about 6 minutes. Remove browned sausage from the pot.
- Add onion and celery and sauteé for 3 minutes.
- Add garlic, thyme, and sage and sauté for 3 minutes.
- Add bouillon, mustard, worcestershire, ground black pepper, and frozen vegetables and stir to combine well and sauté for another 3 minutes. If you don’t have vegan beef flavored bouillon, you can use a vegetable one.
- Add your browned sausage back in and then gradually add the flour a bit at a time while stirring to coat everything. Once it’s all incorporated, gradually add the nondairy milk and stir frequently to combine the flour well. Also scrape the hardened flour on the bottom of the pan or stock pot with the nondairy milk to incorporate all the browned flour. Use a wooden spatula with a flat end to do this so as to not scratch the pan or stock pot!
- Once all the browned bottom is well incorporated, keep stirring while the mixture thickens over a simmer. Just as it starts to thicken and bubble, remove from the heat and stir in the diced apple.
- Taste it and see if you want to add another ½ teaspoon of sea salt. Some people might think it's salty already. It will also depend on what kind of bouillon you used and if you swapped worcestershire for soy sauce, which is generally more salty.
- Transfer to an 8" x 11" casserole dish and top with the frozen tots and sprinkle with more fresh sage as garnish.
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the tots are golden brown and crispy.
Rachel Perlin
This looks AMAZING!!! Would I be able to make the filling the day before and then assemble and cook the day of?
Connor Lie-Spahn
This was delicious! Also, I was feeling the desire to have some sort of sauce for it, but was wondering if you have any suggestions? Not quite a gravy, because that would be too redundant...but maybe like a cranberry sauce? Or something spicy....chipotle cranberry sauce? Is that a thing?
Lauren Toyota
I have a couple of cranberry sauces on the blog if you search! That could work!
Robert Brown
truth lies decision dotcom
Where did you get the tots at? Did somebody already ask that?
Vegan is a tough sport with all those fruits and nuts in your mouth. .. But potatoes and onions are a vegan gold mine and when you add rice and bean and greens you are in paradise. Ask Betsy the cow?
Robert G Brown
Tator tots, yum.
Bob
I love tator tots.
Angela F.
So delicious! I made this for a family Christmas party where only my husband and I are vegan and EVERYBODY LOVED IT. Thanks Lauren!
Lauren Toyota
AMAZING! That's what we like to hear 😀
Martha
Don't know what you mean when you say 2 tsp of broth or two cubes? Also 4 patties of sausage do not amount to 3 cups? I had to add 4 more! Who measured these?? Did anyone proof read it?
Lauren Toyota
2 tsp of bouillon paste - I use Better than Bouillon "beef" flavored vegan bouillon. AND you can also substitute bouillon cubes. If you don't have this concentrated bouillon for flavor you can improvise and add more spices or use vegan worcestershire. Also I use fieldroast sausages (as seen in the video tutorial) which are links and that is the measurement for those. If you use patties it would be less, of course, so you would need more patties to equal the same amount I used.
Judanne
Truly great comfort food! We both loved it.
Susan Berg
I can't wait to try this for Thanksgiving this year. Can I make the casserole the day before and then put the tots on to bake the next day? Last year I made the cauliflower roast and I am obsessed with that. I have made many times now. Thank you for your wonderful recipes. Have a wonderful holiday season!
Tatiana Petrynec
i will make this every thanksgiving and Christmas! so delicious and keeps so well for leftovers later... yum!
Selena
Made this for a Friendsgiving and it was so delicious, everyone loved it! Plus it was so easy to make!
Lauren Toyota
love to hear it 😀