I wish I had a cute story behind this not-so-cute dish, but the truth is that I saw a hash brown casserole recipe online and wanted to fat-free veganize it. So I did.
I threw out all the butter, the cheese, the sour cream, the cream of chicken-parts soup, as well as the corn flakes on top, and what I had left was a package of hash brown potatoes–and the need for a really good sauce. So I turned to my favorite cheesy sauce, which can magically transform even the most mundane ingredients into instant comfort food.
As you know, I can’t resist the impulse to turn side dishes into one-pot meals, so I chopped up some kale and added a can of chickpeas, which resulted in one of the least attractive casseroles I’ve ever seen (and casseroles aren’t generally known for their beauty). But it tasted rich and comforting, with less than half of the fat of the original (even though my servings are much larger) and none of the cholesterol. And as an added bonus, it’s gluten-free!
Besides being a great main dish, consider this the perfect choice for your next brunch or hearty breakfast. Leftovers keep well—just reheat gently in the oven or taster oven.
For more casseroles (some of them pretty nice looking!) check out my Casseroles Archive of 40+ recipes.
Healthy Hash Brown Casserole
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1 cup plain sugar-free non-dairy milk
- 3/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup raw cashews or 2 tablespoons tahini optional
- 3 tablespoons potato starch or cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons salt omit for low-sodium diets
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- black pepper to taste
Casserole
- 1 large onion chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 12 ounces kale stems removed and leaves chopped
- 16 ounces frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes thawed (see notes below)
- 1 15- ounce can chickpeas rinsed and drained
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Oil a 11x9-inch baking dish.
- Place sauce ingredients in blender and blend at high speed until smooth.
- Heat a large, deep non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. (Add water by the tablespoon if needed to prevent sticking.) Stir in the garlic, kale, and 2 tablespoons of water; cover tightly. Cook, stirring every 60 seconds, until kale has wilted to about half its volume.
- Add the sauce, hash browns, and chickpeas. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Pour into prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until casserole is set (no longer liquid in the middle), 10-15 minutes. Serve hot.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
Please pin and share:
Enjoy!
M.Miller
October 10, 2013 at 9:09 pmThis is sooo cheesie! My kids and hubs even liked it. Thanks for dreaming it up!
Alta
October 23, 2013 at 6:06 pmIf you don’t have the frozen hash browns and use regular potatoes, do they need to be cooked first (as in leftover baked potatoes)? Thanks!
Siam
November 1, 2013 at 8:49 pmLove this recipe. Very tasty. Made it exactly as the recipe said.
bbhowell22
November 18, 2013 at 6:18 pmThis recipe is fantastic! I had some baby yellow potatoes so used these instead of the frozen hash browns. Made it again with white potatoes; also wonderful. Hmmmmm…think I’ll make this again tonight! Thanks for a great homey and satisfying recipe.
Lisa
November 30, 2013 at 10:39 amThis recipe is da bomb, the whole family loves it including my 16 year old permanently sad that we went vegan son. It has evolved a bit as I’ve made it so many times. I put a bag of frozen hash browns into a large mixing bowl (I can get no oil ones) then I chop up kale and or broccoli in the food processor until it’s very fine, add it to the potatoes then pour the cheese sauce over it, stir it up then pop it into the pan to bake. As for the sauce, I up the amount of cashews to half a cup, leave out the turmeric and cornstarch and use canned roasted red peppers which gives it a gorgeous orangey color. And I don’t cook the sauce either, not needed.
Pamela Wright
December 18, 2013 at 9:02 amI made this casserole last night and it is CRAZY GOOD!!! The potatoes, chick peas and kale work perfectly together and the sauce is out of sight! I’m a terrible cook, and even I couldn’t mess this one up.
April
December 23, 2013 at 11:45 pmCan I prep this the night before and cook it the next morning??? Thank you!
Susan Voisin
December 24, 2013 at 12:13 amYes, it should do fine if made ahead.
Tara G.
February 14, 2014 at 12:24 pmThis is delicious! I can’t even begin to describe! Total comfort food on this icy day. It is fabulous and my first time making a cheese sauce. Thank you!!!
Alison
February 16, 2014 at 9:56 amLoved, loved, loved this! I used a bag of pre-chopped kale (picked out the ribs that remained), cashew milk, tahini since more cashews would have been overkill, and white beans since I didn’t have chickpeas. I also used oil-free shredded potatoes since my store didn’t have the other kind and I didn’t feel like chopping potatoes. This was just awesome! Thank you for sharing the recipe! I am going to add mushrooms to the mix next time I make it…perfect meal! 🙂
Amanda
February 20, 2014 at 3:46 amThis looks really good, but I don’t care for chickpeas. Would I be able to use rice or quinoa instead? If so, would I cook it first then add to casserole to bake or add it uncooked? Thank you. Btw, love your recipes and blog!!
Susan Voisin
February 20, 2014 at 7:28 amThanks, Amanda! Yes, if you substitute any grain for the chickpeas, it should be cooked first. Personally, I would just increase the amount of potatoes rather than add anything else.
dawna
March 3, 2014 at 1:45 pmHi! I’m a long time lurker on your blog and have made several of your recipes that I just love. I just found this one last week (somehow missed it last year I guess!) Anyway made it and loved it and bought all the ingredients to do it again this week, but I have a couple of questions:
1) The lemon – I forgot to buy one! Would it be OK without it or do you think the lemon is necessary for a reason (contrasting with the kale flavor or something?)
2) My husband and I aren’t huge fans of the nutritional yeast flavor generally. Knowing that, I cut the nutritional yeast back in this recipe a bit before I made it, but it was still a bit too nutritional yeasty for our tastes. But we still liked the dish! How much do you think the nutritional yeast could be cut back before it makes the sauce too dull and/or would you add some other spices or flavors to make up for it?
We really enjoyed the casserole and I’m a little nervous to mess with the flavors too much on my own 😀
Bridget
April 22, 2014 at 1:00 pmHi Susan,
Just wanted to let you know that I made this for my work department’s healthy eating potluck today and it was a smashing success. People were stunned it didn’t contain any “real” cheese. Thanks so much!
Best,
Bridget
Claire
April 27, 2014 at 11:27 amI’ve just made this and am eagerly awaiting it to be cooked! I used raw diced potatoes (not peeled – life’s too short 😉 ) and only had 7oz kale, so topped up the green with half a small head of broccoli, roughly chopped smallish. Husband wasn’t keen when he saw it in the pan (he is a committed carnivore but will often like things if I dont tell him what’s in them… lol….), but he just said it smells good as it cooks 🙂 If I like it then next time I will use some white beans not chick peas as he doesn’t like chick peas, and add button mushrooms. I think he would like it as an accompaniment to something meaty. Stepson is another matter…. but I’m working on him lol. Thanks for all the wonderful recipes – I am newly *almost* vegan, and have to be low fat so I was so glad to discover your site. I’m constantly Pinning things but this is the first time I will have made anything 🙂
Claire
April 27, 2014 at 12:33 pmPROPERLY DELICIOUS! Omg yum yum yum. I could eat the whole dish 😀 I love it…. Thank you!!!! xx
Larissa
May 23, 2014 at 4:50 pmI followed this recipe exactly and it turned out so delicious! I’ve never had anything like it. I was shocked by how rich and creamy, yet low fat (and vegan) it was. This has definitely been added to my recipe collection. Thanks Susan!
Katie
October 21, 2014 at 1:09 pmThis was so good! We added bell peppers and lots of crushed red pepper on top! Thank you. Susan, are you on Instagram?
Susan Voisin
October 18, 2017 at 9:54 amYes I am! https://www.instagram.com/susanffvk/
JCB
January 17, 2015 at 9:16 amSusan, this sounds so good. I have to bring a casserole to house party dinner the next night in another city. I will need to make it the day before since we leave early in the morning. Does it reheat well in the oven (not dry out) or should I assemble it the day before and defer baking until the next evening? It will be refrigerated during travel.
Thanks for your fabulous recipes.
Susan Voisin
January 17, 2015 at 10:04 amI haven’t prepared it ahead like this, but my instinct says to put it together the day before but don’t bake it until just before you serve. I hope everyone enjoys it!
Amy
September 30, 2016 at 6:54 pmYou are right on the dot. We make this every year for Christmas breakfast (and about 80 other times a year too lol) and I make it a day or two ahead of time and then leave it covered in the fridge. Before you bake it, add about 1/8-1/4cup water lightly drizzled on the top if you want it to be a moist.
And just so you know, for everyone who asks about subs, the recipe is very versatile and you can make this with almost anything provided you keep the sauce base the same and proportions about the same (extra tbsp or two of starch for “wet” veggies like tomatoes). I’ve made it with squash, sweet potatoes, turnips, with a Mexican flare, with a more Italian flare (fennel and basil), with tomatoes, broccoli, crumbles, and chili peppers.
Willow Moon
March 2, 2015 at 6:03 pmThis sounds delicious, especially with tahini or cashews. Anything with those ingredients, and I am in! I love that readers came back to comment on how it turned out. That always helps. I will have to try this soon…
shannon Litzgus
October 13, 2015 at 7:47 pmThankyou for this awsome recipe, we had so much kale this year and being a vegetarian its hard to find an alternative to “comfort food”.We love this recipe!
Maire
November 21, 2015 at 3:16 pmJust wondering what you mean by nutritional yeast , the only thing I can think of is marmite disolved … What can you suggest I am in Ireland
Susan Voisin
November 21, 2015 at 6:11 pmNutritional yeast is different from marmite. You may be able to find it in Ireland. For more info, check out this article and do read the comments because people often tell where they find it in their countries: https://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2011/10/what-the-heck-is-nutritional-yeast.html
JoAnn
November 22, 2015 at 12:25 amI live in England and buy nutritional yeast online from Amazon.
Diane Maree
November 22, 2015 at 1:57 am12 ounces, 16 ounces – we’re in metric here. How many cups would this be please? Thank you.
Krys
November 22, 2015 at 8:25 pmThank you for such a great recipe! This was the first recipe I saw when I turned on the computer this morning and it looked so delicious I just had to make it.. DELICIOUS! Love your blog 🙂
Emily
November 27, 2015 at 6:40 amThis was insanely, deliciously good – thank you soooooo much for this recipe!!! This will definitely make it into the regular rotation in my house!!!
Louistine
December 5, 2015 at 7:39 pmI just finished cooking your Healthy Hash Brown Potatoes. They were slamming. Thanks for your wonderful recipes. I’m originally from the south and your recipes call to me. They are the most delicious I’ve found!!
salbers
December 20, 2015 at 2:18 amI’m on a mission to save the world from waste. Did you know that 35-40% of all supermarket vegetables never get eaten and are wasted? Disgusting. With that in mind, you’ll appreciate why I consider your kale leaves rape of their nutritious stems food porn. Diced and possibly cooked a bit longer, they are toothsome terrific in your casserole.
An ethnic food store I frequent employs ladies to stem and bag kale leaves for fussy shoppers. They give me their stems FOR FREE! I dice them and freeze them and put them into countless dishes. Imagine all that wonderful free fiber and nutrition. So, if you’ll feed me for free, I’ll send you my fedex account number and you can ship your stems to me.
Kelly L
January 5, 2017 at 10:47 amHi!
This looks really good, but I have a question. You list each serving as 4.2 g of carbs, but 38 g of sugar – what is the total grams of carbs? Would it be 38? Or, 38 + 4.2? Thanks.
Susan Voisin
January 5, 2017 at 11:32 amThe way it’s written can be hard to understand, but it’s 38g of total carbs and 1g of sugar.
Tyler
February 8, 2017 at 12:39 pmWhen I want to “disguise” a casserole that’s not very good looking, I use a topping made of a couple TBSP of almond meal (ground almonds) and ground flax seed, and mix in some dried parsley or Italian herb mix (like Mrs. Dash). Are you allowed that much fat? It’s not a lot – and I spread it thin, but it does make it look better and those two things are healthy for the heart. Just FYI.
Connie W.
November 16, 2017 at 3:45 pmToasted then ground sesame seeds used in toppings the same as you would bread crumbs is equally as good.
Neal Sims
February 8, 2017 at 2:44 pmSusan,
You are the best. We have vegan cookbooks, fat free vegan cookbooks, Asian cookbooks, Indian cookbooks and we use your recipes more than anything else. When you send one out that I think looks interesting, I print it off and put it in a three ring binder. So actually, we now have a Susan Voisin cookbook.
Thank you for all you do.
Colleen
February 26, 2017 at 3:14 pmHi Susan,
Your recipe for Healthy Hash Brown Casserole is great! It is perfect vegan comfort food because it stands on its own as a great casserole. We love it with a green salad and a wedge of pita bread. I think the sauce is best using cashews and almond milk and love to make it with diced fresh potatoes.
Thank you for all the time you have devoted over the years to these recipes!
I think you are a culinary genius and wish you had a cookbook.
Colleen
anne davis
June 17, 2017 at 6:46 pmThank you for putting the recipe at the beginning of the page. Almost all recipe sites make you scroll down through thoughts, family photos, and all kinds of crap before getting to the recipe itself. Not a fan of that at all !
Allison
October 24, 2017 at 8:02 pmIf I am using regular chopped potatoes, should I steam or boil them first?
Thanks!
Susan Voisin
October 24, 2017 at 9:29 pmAs long as you cut them small, they shouldn’t need to be pre-cooked.
Janique
November 8, 2017 at 11:38 amI made this casserole for my vegan brother at a big family brunch and also made traditional hashbrown casserole. This was by far the family favorite. Great recipe, easy to make and absolutely delicious.
* bonus: you feel great after eating it. Energized, a great start to your day!
Megan
December 10, 2017 at 11:06 amJust wanted to say thank you so much for this recipe! It’s become a family tradition for the first snow of the year, and is our favorite comfort food when the weather gets cold. I’ve made quite a few variations (frozen kale, fresh potatoes, added chickpeas) and it’s always come out incredible!
Amy
December 24, 2017 at 4:53 pmCan you make this ahead of time and re-heat it?
Susan Voisin
December 24, 2017 at 11:01 pmYes, just make sure that it doesn’t dry out too much.
Marie
January 28, 2018 at 3:02 pmI’m wondering how many servings this makes (for the purpose of tracking calories) because the label says serving size is 0. Really it could be just one serving because I could eat the whole thing by myself in a day!
Susan Voisin
January 28, 2018 at 5:50 pmSorry about the confusion. It makes 8 servings.
Jodi
February 21, 2018 at 3:17 pmWould it be ok without turmeric? I don’t have it.
Susan Voisin
February 21, 2018 at 3:47 pmYes, I mainly use it to add color.
Mary Pomerantz
March 9, 2018 at 11:25 amI made this again last night substituting broccoli for the chickpeas. We loved it. This is the best ‘ccheese’ sauce ever! Thanks!
Eden
August 17, 2018 at 4:10 pmI can’t express how delicious this recipe is. The only changes I made were;
– Half low sodium vegetable broth and half water (instead of all water)
– topped with bread crumbs for an extra crunchy texture!
And when it came out of the oven, I topped it with some corn salsa and avocado😍
My non-vegan boyfriend was so impressed, he devoured it.
Rosemary
August 27, 2018 at 1:21 pmLove this recipe. it really is extra good.
Deb
September 25, 2018 at 9:36 pmI made this yesterday. It was very runny for some reason and not at all like a casserole. More like a thick stew. I followed the recipe so I’m not sure where I went wrong. We didn’t really care for the sauce. I am completely up for trying to make it again, though. I love the potatoes, chickpeas and spinach together. (We aren’t fans of kale) Thank you for sharing all of your recipes. We really enjoyed the pasta fagioli!
Jordan Cull
February 12, 2019 at 7:34 amI am planning to make this for a girls weekend getaway! However due to equipment I will have to pre-make this dish. Do you think this will hold if I make before hand, store in the fridge, and then put in the oven to warm up when we are ready?
What are your thoughts to turn this into a premade dish or make it easier when I get to the physical location? Is there anything you would recommend me doing before hand?
Susan Voisin
February 12, 2019 at 8:19 amI think you can simply make it ahead and warm it up, as you described, but I’ll take a look at the recipe, and if there’s anything else I can suggest I’ll let you know.
Susan Voisin
February 12, 2019 at 8:22 amOne thing: it would probably be best if you made it up through step 4 ahead of time and then did the baking in step 5 just before you’re ready to serve it. Good luck!