PP Breakfast Casserole with Hash Brown Crust (w/ Spicy Breakfast Patties)

Chef: Del Sroufe

Makes: Patties: 14-16 patties/Casserole: Servings 6-8 servings

Prep Time: Patties: 20 min/Casserole: 20 min

Cook Time: Patties: 50 min /Casserole: 40 min

Total Time: Patties: 1 hr 10 min/Casserole: 1 Hr

INGREDIENTS

Spicy Breakfast Patties

• 2 c water

• 1 c millet

• 1/4 c minced yellow onion

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 sun-dried tomatoes, minced

• 2 T tamari, or to taste

• 1/2 t dried sage

• 1 t crushed fennel seeds

• 1 t crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

• 1/4 c nutritional yeast

• Sea salt

Casserole

• 1(12-oz) package extra-firm silken tofu

• 3 T chickpea flour (see Tip)

• 2 T nutritional yeast

• 3/4 t sea salt, or to taste

• Black pepper, to taste

• 1/4 t ground nutmeg

• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

• 8 oz button mushrooms, sliced

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 recipe Spicy Breakfast Patties, crumbled

• 1 (12-oz) package frozen spinach, thawed and wrung dry

• 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and grate

DIRECTIONS

Spicy Breakfast Patties

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Combine the water and millet in a 2-quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and cook the millet until tender, about 20 minutes.

3. While the millet cooks, sauté the onion in a small skillet over medium-high heat until it turns translucent and starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Add water 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the onion from sticking to the pan.

4. Add the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, tamari, sage, fennel, and red pepper flakes, and sauté for another minute to toast the seasonings. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the nutritional yeast and cooked millet, season with sea salt to taste, and mix well.

5. Using a 1/4-cup measure or small ice cream scoop, shape the millet mixture into patties and place them on a nonstick baking sheet or a regular baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

6. Bake for 15 minutes, turn over the patties, and continue to bake until the patties are firm to the touch and lightly browned, another 10 minutes or so.

7. Will be added to casserole.

Casserole

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Combine the silken tofu, chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, sea salt, black pepper, and nutmeg in a blender, and puree until smooth and creamy.

3. In a large skillet, sauté the onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms over medium heat until the onion turns translucent and starts to brown, about 8 minutes. Add water 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the vegetables from sticking. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.

4. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the pureed tofu mixture, crumbled breakfast patties, and spinach and mix well. Pour the mixture into a nonstick 9×13-inch baking dish.

5. Season the potatoes with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Scatter the grated potatoes over the casserole and cover with aluminum foil.

6. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the potatoes are browned, 12 to 15 minutes more. Let the casserole sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

TIPS

Patties

1. One could make the patties one day, the casserole the next.

2. For the millet to work as a binder to hold everything together in these patties, you need to almost overcook it. If it seems crumbly when you first make it, add 2 to 3 tablespoons more water to the pan, cover tightly, and let it cook for another 2 to 3 min. The millet should hold together when pinched between your fingers or pressed against the side of the pan.

Casserole

1. Chickpea flour is a gluten-free flour and is not easily exchanged for flours containing gluten. It’s used in this dish as a thickening agent and, while you can use wheat flours instead, chickpea flour imparts a specific flavor that works especially well in this dish.

Chef Del Sroufe teaches cooking classes at local venues like Whole Foods, Community Recreation Centers, and The Wellness Forum. Sroufe is the author of The China Study: Quick & Easy Cookbook, The China Study Family Cookbook, Better Than Vegan, and Forks Over Knives—The Cookbook, a vegan cookbook companion to the acclaimed documentary Forks Over Knives. Learn more at www.chefdelsroufe.com.