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Home » Dinner » Sweet Potato Tater Tot Casserole (Hotdish)

Sweet Potato Tater Tot Casserole (Hotdish)

December 9, 2018 By Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan 6 Comments

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What is a hotdish, you ask? In this case, it’s a creamy, spicy vegetable mixture topped with crispy sweet potato tater tots. It’s basically the ultimate vegan sweet potato tater tot casserole.

Overhead view of a sweet potato hotdish with a creamy black bean layer layered with sweet potato tater tots, with a dollop of guacamole and 4 sliced jalapenos on top

I recently learned that there is something called a hotdish that’s basically a pot pie with tater tots on top. Did any of you know about this? And if so, why were you keeping this information from me?

I left for the grocery store about 4 minutes after being awakened to this concept and I continue to have no regrets. Y’all know how much I hate making pie crust, and how much I simultaneously love potatoes. There couldn’t be a more perfect casserole for me.

A scoop of vegan sweet potato tater tot hotdish, showing the cheesy texture of the inside of the casserole

I’ll share a “classic” hotdish with regular tots someday soon, but one of my favorites that I’ve been playing around with is this vaguely Southwestern sweet potato tater tot hotdish. I modified it heavily from a recipe I saw on Pinch of Yum. While their recipe was mostly based around cheese for flavor, I upped the spices, hot sauce, lime juice, and obviously circumvented the mushrooms. In this rendition I added plantains, but I see this as a mix-and-match veggie of your choice!

This spicy sweet potato tot casserole would also be great with spinach or kale cooked into the filling, so you can pack plenty of nutrition into this dish. If you can get your hands on the right variety of sweet potato tots, the recipe is also gluten-free and without added sugar. I have trouble finding anything other than Alexia brand, which are delicious but do have a bit of cane sugar in them. Not my preference, but neither is making sweet potato tots from scratch :D.

A portion of sweet potato hotdish being served with red onion and guacamole

With smoky paprika, chili powder, hot sauce, peppers, onions, garlic, black beans, and corn – and of course, the tater tots! – this is a super hearty, nourishing and flavorful cold or warm weather casserole. You can do the sauteeing and the baking both in the same cast iron skillet, so cleanup is easy. Optional, but I serve it with a big ole’ dollop of guacamole and salsa. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Tater Tot Casserole (Hotdish) | Yup, it's Vegan
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5 from 5 votes

Southwest Sweet Potato Tater Tot Hotdish

If you've never tried hotdish then you're in for a treat with this sweet potato tater tot version. Onions, peppers, black beans, and veggies are cooked in a cheezy vegan chili sauce and then baked in a cast iron skillet with a layer of tater tots on top. Pure heaven.
Course Main Course
Cuisine casseroles, gluten-free, soy-free, Tex-Mex, vegan, vegetarian
Keyword sweet potato hotdish, sweet potato tater tot casserole
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 300kcal
Author Yup, it's Vegan

Ingredients

Saute mixture:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 3 bell peppers diced (any color, or a mix)
  • 1 to 2 jalapenos diced (to taste)
  • 1 ripe plantain cubed (or other veggie, see notes)

Seasoning mixture:

  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp chili powder (taco seasoning works too)
  • 2 tbsp tapioca starch (see notes)
  • 2 tsp mustard powder (see notes)
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
  • 3/4 cup plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp tabasco sauce (or other vinegar-based hot sauce)

For assembly:

  • 1 cup cooked corn (frozen is fine)
  • 1 and 3/4 cups cooked black beans (1 14-oz. can)
  • 20 oz. sweet potato tater tots

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Heat the olive over medium high heat in a large cast iron skillet (9 to 11 inch). Add the onion, garlic, bell peppers, and jalapeno; saute until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add the plantains and cook for another 2 minutes.
  • Whisk together the cumin, chili powder, tapioca starch, mustard powder, salt, and nutritional yeast if using. Add these dry ingredients to the skillet and stir to combine. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant and starting to dry out. Add the non-dairy milk, lime juice, and tabasco sauce, and stir. Continue to cook while stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and gets a little stretchy.
  • Stir in the corn and black beans, and taste for seasoning, adding more salt and lime juice if desired. Place the frozen sweet potato tater tots in a layer on the top of the skillet. Place the skillet in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the sweet potato tots are crispy and cooked through.
  • Let stand for a few minutes before serving, with toppings if desired: guacamole, salsa, red onion, jalapeno slices, cilantro, etc.

Notes

VEGETABLES: I love plantains in this. You could also try using another veggie instead, like zucchini, mushrooms, or just omit it, if plantains aren't your thing.
TAPIOCA STARCH: This specific starch is what gives this vegan casserole a "cheesy", stretchy texture. It is made from cassava, a root vegetable. It's available at more and more stores lately. You can also substitute potato starch, arrowroot starch, or even cornstarch or plain flour if needed, but tapioca starch definitely works the best.
MUSTARD POWDER: Also not essential; you can instead add 1 tsp of prepared wet mustard at the same time as adding the beans and corn, if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1eighth recipe | Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Potassium: 757mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 4150IU | Vitamin C: 92.4mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 3.6mg

Other Mexican-inspired dishes from the blog:

Vegan chile colorado seitan stew

Vegan Chile Colorado Seitan Stew

Loaded spicy lentil vegan nachos

Spicy Lentil Vegan Nachos Supreme | Yup, it's Vegan

Filed Under: Dinner Tagged With: cheese analogues, gluten-free, grain-free, high-vegetable, Mexican-inspired, nut-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free, sweetener-free

« Easy Vegan Potato Bread
Super Simple Garlic Herb Vegan Mashed Potatoes »

Comments

  1. Mangalagiri Handloom Sarees says

    January 9, 2020 at 01:07

    Omg! This looks so hearty and tasty. I usually won’t touch casseroles because I always think that they’ll be uni-textured/flavored.

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      January 13, 2020 at 09:28

      5 stars
      For sure, it can be tricky with vegan casseroles especially!

      Reply
  2. Robin says

    January 22, 2019 at 07:22

    5 stars
    This got two thumbs up from me and the family, including my omni husband.

    Reply
  3. Beth says

    January 21, 2019 at 07:23

    5 stars
    I followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious and flavorful. I found the instructions easy to follow.

    Reply
  4. Emily says

    January 2, 2019 at 16:00

    5 stars
    This was delicious! Wish I could find some “healthier” tots but I am with you – I don’t feel like taking the time to make them myself! I subbed zucchini for the plantain. Very good recipe that I will make again, and it’s so easy!

    Reply
    • Laurie says

      February 11, 2021 at 07:28

      There are healthier tots. whole foods sells both a white potato tot& sweet potato tot, no salt or chemical additives.

      Reply

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I'm Shannon, founder of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. I create healthy plant-based recipes that everyone will love, using seasonal produce and global inspiration.
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