This vegan cheesy potato casserole is the ultimate comfort food recipe. It’s perfect for those busy weeknights when you don’t have time to spend an hour in the kitchen chopping up veggies and standing in front of the stove. Just stir up the vegan cream cheese mixture, add in the potatoes, and throw it in the oven!
Vegan Cheesy Potato Casserole
As someone who works eight hours a day and spends an additional hour each day commuting, I have no interest in making a complicated recipe for dinner. My ideal meals involve minimal preparation and don’t require me to monitor it the entire time it’s cooking. I love to be able to throw something in the oven or let it simmer on the stove while I go do something else. If you’re anything like me, this vegan cheesy potato casserole is for you!
The focus of my website is easy, cheap vegan meals with minimal ingredients. Because of this, I’ve kept this recipe super simple, yet still very filling and flavorful. If you’d like to bulk it up a little more, some great additions to the dish would be broccoli, chickpeas, or tofu.
This recipe uses just 7 ingredients (including the salt and pepper)! No chopping anything up or overflowing the sink with dozens of bowls and dishes. Keep reading to find out how to make this vegan cheesy potato casserole.
To make this vegan cheesy potato casserole, you’ll need:
Vegan cream cheese: I used the Trader Joes brand of vegan cream cheese, but any brand will do. You can use a plain, unflavored version, or one with a mild, savory flavor such as chive and onion. Any fruity or sweet cream cheese flavors should be avoided for this recipe.
Lemon juice: This will add acidity to the cream cheese, making it more like a sour cream. Many cheesy potato casserole recipes call for sour cream, but I’ve found that vegan cream cheese is easier to find than vegan sour cream, so I’ve written the recipe this way.
Vegan cheddar cheese: You can use any brand of vegan cheese you like; I used the Aldi brand vegan cheddar.
Plant milk: Any unsweetened, unflavored plant milk will work.
Salt and pepper: Adjust to your liking!
Substitutions
I’ve tailored the ingredient list to what the majority of people have access to without having to shop at any fancy or specialty grocery stores. All of the ingredients, including the vegan cheese and cream cheese, can be found at most Walmarts and Targets. See my recommended substitutions below if you’re not able to find something or want to switch it up!
Vegan cream cheese: Traditional cheesy potato casserole recipes call for sour cream, but in my experience it’s easier to find vegan cream cheese than vegan sour cream. If you are able to find vegan sour cream and prefer to use it, that will work great! Just omit the lemon juice if you do this, or taste before adding so it’s not too sour tasting.
Lemon Juice: In place of lemon juice, you can use lime juice, white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar. If you use vinegar, start with two teaspoons and add more after tasting if you want it more tart.
Vegan cheddar cheese: If you’re not able to find vegan cheddar cheese, you can add a half cup of nutritional yeast to the cheese sauce, which will give it a cheesy flavor.
Now, let’s take a look at how to make this vegan cheesy potato casserole!
Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and adding a bit of oil to a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
Next, in a large mixing bowl, add in the cream cheese and lemon juice. Stir until totally combined. This will mimic the tart, acidic taste of sour cream. Alternatively, you can just use vegan sour cream if you’re able to find it.
Then add in the almond milk, salt, pepper, and shredded cheese. Mix it up until it’s completely combined.
Then we can go ahead and fold in the frozen hash brown potatoes so they get nice and coated in the cream cheese sauce.
After that, just add the mixture to the baking pan and bake it for about 40 minutes. In the last five minutes of cooking, sprinkle a little more shredded cheese on top.
This casserole can be served as a main course or used as a side dish. It’s the perfect dish to bring to a vegan potluck, holiday dinner, or to make on a busy weeknight!
Continue below to see the full recipe for my vegan cheesy potato casserole.
Vegan Cheesy Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegan cream cheese
- Juice of half a small lemon
- 1/2 cup unsweetened, unflavored plant milk
- 1/2 cup vegan cheddar cheese (and a little extra to sprinkle on top at the end)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 15 oz frozen hash browns
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly oil a 7 x 11 inch baking pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese and lemon juice, mixing until completely combined.
- Add in the almond milk, salt, pepper, and shredded cheese. Mix until combined. It should have the consistency of a thick sauce.
- Fold in the hashbrown potatoes until completely mixed in with the cream cheese sauce.
- Add the cheesy potato mixture to the pan, spreading it into an even layer.
- Bake for 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add a handful of the vegan shredded cheese on top.
Notes
This post was all about how to make vegan cheesy potato casserole.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to know! Post it on Instagram and tag me at @theeastcoastveggie