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Breakfast nests: Vegan brunch idea

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Looking for a vegan brunch idea? You’re going to love these delicate breakfast nests with layer of hash browns, tofu scramble, and a drizzle of cashew queso. Vegan & gluten-free.

Breakfast nests with hash browns, tofu scramble, and cashew queso on a plate.

Whenever we travel, I’m always eager to get new vegan brunch ideas.

In our town, vegan breakfast options in restaurants are on the slim side. And it’s too bad, because there are few things cozier than going out on Sunday mornings for cups of coffee, waffles, and hearty scrambles.

So when we were in Portland last spring, I took advantage of the vegan options – from brunch through after dinner drinks.

I was really taken with the breakfast nests at A.N.D. Café. (The restaurant is now called Off The Griddle.) They were unlike any vegan brunch item I’d gotten in the past.

Since Portland is now many airport stops away, I had to re-create this vegan brunch idea at home.

Vegan breakfast nests with a drizzle of cashew queso

Breakfast nests with a creamy vegan queso on plate with bell peppers and cilantro.

These vegan breakfast nests are made with a layer of hash browns. They are then topped with tofu scramble dotted with onions, bell pepper, garlic, and kale. Then they’re drizzled with a creamy vegan queso.

I can’t think of a better way to start the morning than by gathering with friends for hot coffee or tea and a platter of breakfast nests.

Slice through soft scramble, hit the crunch of the hash browns, and sneak your fork through the nacho cheese on your way off of the plate.

These nests can be served as one or two to a plate for an appetizer. Or make it a meal with seitan bacon and fruit.

Hash browns topped with tofu scramble and vegan queso on platter.

How to make them

Grater and grated potatoes in bowl.

To make them for your next brunch affair, start by grating two baked potatoes. (I got the idea to use baked potato, as opposed to uncooked from a non-vegan recipe at Pioneer Woman.)

Grated potatoes in muffin cups for breakfast nests.

Then lightly oil a muffin pan, put three generous tablespoons of grated potato into each cup, and loosely press the potato into a cup shape. (Be careful not to press too hard, though.)

Keep in mind that the potato will shrink as it cooks. So it’s okay for it to spill over the top.

Lightly oil the top of the grated potato and add a dash of salt and pepper. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.

Skillet with tofu, kale, onions, and bell pepeprs.

Meanwhile, make the tofu scramble.

Tofu scramble over grated potato in muffin cups for breakfast nests.

Remove the muffin tin from the oven. Top the potato mixture with a healthy helping of scramble, until it reaches the top of each tin. Put it back in the oven for ten more minutes.

Once the nests are done, carefully remove the nests from the tin with a spoon. The hash browns may come apart a little as you remove them. Don’t worry about it. They will still be delicious!

Cashew cheese sauce in soup pot.

Drizzle the nests with a creamy vegan queso (also known as vegan nacho cheese sauce). I recommend using cashew queso (my personal favorite).

However, if you’re looking for a nut-free queso, use the recipe included in these fried vegan nachos. Heads up that the cashew queso is gluten-free. However, the nut-free queso is not. (It uses flour to make a sort of gravy.)

Hashbrowns with tofu scramble on top and drizzled with non-dairy queso on platter.

Text overlay: Breakfast nests. Hashbrowns with tofu scramble on platter and plate by coffee and creamer.

Breakfast nests on plate with a drizzle of vegan queso.

Breakfast Nests in a Creamy Vegan Queso

These nests were inspired by a dish that I got at A.N.D. Café in Portland. They’re made with a layer of hash browns and topped with tofu scramble dotted with onions, bell pepper, garlic, and kale. They are then drizzled with a creamy vegan queso. Makes about 10 breakfast nests. Vegan & gluten-free.
5 from 8 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American, Vegan
Keyword: brunch, comfort food, gluten free
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 5 people
Calories: 140kcal
Author: Cadry Nelson

Ingredients

  • 2 medium-sized Russet potatoes
  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil plus more for oiling potatoes and muffin tin
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1/2 orange or red bell pepper diced
  • 1/4 cup diced onion
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1 leaf curly kale rib removed, roughly chopped small
  • 14 ounces firm tofu drained
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon kala namak black salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast flakes
  • 1 batch creamy cashew queso
  • Garnish: cilantro optional

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 425 degrees. Scrub two Russet potatoes and prick several times with a fork. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes directly on the oven rack, turning each potato over half-way through. (It's okay if the potatoes are slightly underdone.) Or if you have an air fryer, you can bake the potatoes in the air fryer instead. After they are done cooking, remove them from the oven or air fryer and refrigerate until completely cool.
  • Peel and grate the baked potatoes. Lightly oil the cups of a muffin tin. Loosely pack 3 Tablespoons of grated potato into each cup. Lightly oil the potato mixture in the cups. Cover each cup with a pinch of salt and pepper. Put the muffin tin into the oven and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.
  • While the potatoes cook in the oven, bring a large skillet to a medium heat. Add a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil to the skillet. Saute bell pepper, onion, and garlic until fragrant and translucent, about five minutes. Add kale to the pan and continue cooking until it wilts, a few more minutes. Crumble the drained firm tofu into the pan. Add turmeric, black salt, paprika, cumin, and nutritional yeast flakes. Fully combine the tofu mixture with the spices, so that they are spread evenly throughout the scramble, and continue cooking for about 5-7 minutes.
  • Remove the muffin tin from the oven and cover the grated potato with tofu scramble, until the scramble reaches the top of each cup. Put back in the oven and bake for ten more minutes.
  • Once the Breakfast Nests are done, remove them from the oven and carefully remove each nest with a spoon. Cover with a drizzle of Creamy Vegan Queso (link to recipe above), garnish with cilantro, and serve.

Notes

For a nut-free queso option, use the vegan queso in this fried vegan nachos recipe. Note, however, that the nut-free queso isn't gluten-free. It's made with all-purpose flour.

Nutrition

Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 4g | Sodium: 19mg | Potassium: 452mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1610IU | Vitamin C: 39.4mg | Calcium: 142mg | Iron: 4.1mg
Tried this recipe?Tag @cadryskitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #cadryskitchen!

 

Comments

  1. Vegan Gypsy says

    Ooh, these look amazing! Who doesn’t love a cheesy potato combination, and the fact they’re cute little muffin-sized, brilliant!

    Reply

  2. luminousvegans says

    Happy Virtual Vegan Potluck! I remember reading about those nests on your A.N.D. Cafe post because I thought it would be cool to try and make. But now I don’t have to 🙂 Yours came out so beautifully moist and delicious looking! I could easily eat all of these!

    Reply

    • Cadry says

      Thanks, Ketty! Happy VVP to you too! I’m looking forward to trying more nest ideas. That meal from A.N.D. Cafe was on my blog inspiration page for a long time!

      Reply

    • Cadry says

      Thanks, Kammie! It seems like the options for vegan cheese-making are growing all the time! Whether it’s a sauce, spread, slice, or block, the options are seemingly endless.

      Reply

  6. An Unrefined Vegan says

    Hello, Sunday morning! Talk about enticing, Cadry. I’m pretty sure I could squeeze four of these onto my plate…

    Reply

  8. spinachrevolution says

    I really like the “nest” idea. There are so many fillings that can be added to it. What a great dish. Thank you for the great recipe.

    Reply

    • Cadry says

      Absolutely! There are so many different filling options. I’m looking forward to exploring the idea more. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

  9. sarah@thesweetlife says

    Delicious! I’m basically just going through VVP instead of eating breakfast (can’t multi-task I guess) so I’m really digging this!

    Reply

    • Cadry says

      I hear you! VVP is a recipe for distraction! 🙂

      Oh, and I wanted to let you know that I tried to leave a comment on your blog, but I couldn’t get the captcha to work. I tried at least six or seven times. I wonder if anyone else is having that problem, or maybe it’s just something specific to my computer.

      Reply

  10. Kylie @ FotV says

    I need these in my life now! Anything that includes hash browns is ace in my book! This is the first time I’ve heard of Vegan Virtual Potluck. Pretty great idea!

    Reply

    • Cadry says

      Yes, lately I’ve renewed my love affair with hash browns. They don’t offer them at the one restaurant in town that has vegan brunch on offer, and so I’d kind of forgotten about them. Luckily, they are easy to make at home!

      I’m so surprised that this is the first time you’ve heard about the Virtual Vegan Potluck! It happens twice a year. You’ll have to join up in the spring!

      Reply

    • Cadry says

      I hear you! I’m not a sweet breakfast-type person, but every once in a while I have to have a stack of pancakes or waffles. It’s good to see how the other half brunches on occasion! 🙂

      Reply

  12. Allison (Spontaneous Tomato) says

    These look delicious! I was already hungry for breakfast, but now I am ravenous. The potatoes look so crispy and tempting!

    Reply

  13. Susmitha - Veganosaurus says

    First those taco bowls, now these potato bowls. Girl, your food bowl creativity knows no bounds. I am beyond hungry right now, looking at your delicious breakfast nests. Yum!

    Reply

  17. Somer says

    The cuteness factor alone is overwhelming! Then you go and put everything I love for breakfast inside! Love these Cadry!

    Reply

  18. acookinthemaking says

    Good gracious those look delicious! I love the potato nest idea…I can think of a lot of fun variations to try with just that base recipe.

    P.S. – I am constantly getting great ideas from non-vegan cooking shows! It’s fun 🙂

    Reply

    • Cadry says

      I agree! There’s endless room to play with this nest idea. I’m looking forward to toying with it more.

      I don’t watch a ton of cooking shows, because we don’t have cable at home. However, I do catch them on occasion when I’m on the elliptical trainer at the gym. If only I had a notepad on the side of the workout machine for jotting down ideas of recipes to veganize! 🙂

      Reply

  24. Keely @ Gormandize says

    These look totally fantastic, one of my favourites so far! I’ve bookmarked them to try, I think they are a great idea! 🙂

    Reply

  25. Move Eat Create says

    5 stars
    I’m so excited about this one! One of my favorite local restaurants make vegan nests and they are a favorite of mine. I’m thrilled about the idea of making them at home.

    Reply

  26. Starr says

    I’m always searching for yummy, hot, vegan breakfast ideas. This definitely fits the bill! I’m looking forward to trying it, thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  29. lizziefit says

    They look like little quiches, only better 🙂 A great quick breakfast option to have during the holidays if you make them the night before!

    Reply

    • Cadry says

      What a good idea, Lizzie! This would make for a fun Christmas morning option. I haven’t tried making each section ahead of time and then just baking the scramble & hash browns together on the next day, but I bet it would work. Let me know if you try it!

      Reply

  33. Maggie Muggins says

    Fantastic idea Cadry, so cute and creative. I love that you smothered them in queso, that gives you 10 extra points in my books 😉

    Reply

    • Cadry says

      10 extra points, hooray! Out of curiosity, how many points am I at now? Do the points work like frequent flier miles or Starbucks credits, and will I eventually be able to spend them on something? Or is it like a basketball game and the points help me edge ahead of other brunch competition? Enquiring minds… 😉

      Reply

    • Cadry says

      You and me both! Hashbrowns had fallen off of my radar since they’re not offered at any of the restaurants in the area with vegan breakfast options. However, lately they’ve been making our breakfasts at home extra special!

      Reply

  37. veganmiam.com says

    What heartwarming and delicious Breakfast Nests: veggie hash browns & garlic & kale & creamy cheezy queso? I love all the combinations. I have yet to go to A.N.D. Cafe even though I lived about 2 hours away – however, I was in Bogota, Colombia at that time you were there. Happy VVP, it’s nice to see you here!

    Reply

    • Cadry says

      I really enjoyed our trip to A.N.D. It’s worth checking out the next time that you’re in Portland! Happy VVP to you too!!

      Reply

  38. Shell says

    These look so delicious! As you know, I haven’t tried tofu yet. This looks less intimidating to me than most tofu dishes.

    Reply

    • Cadry says

      Thanks, Shell! I bet we could think of some alternatives to tofu as well for the filling. Maybe sweet potato hash browns with a black bean filling… We’ll have to give it some thought!

      Reply

  39. jessicademarra says

    I almost never make the typical breakfast food but I think I am willing to get up a little earlier to make these. Coffee on the side of course

    Reply

    • Cadry says

      I hear you! Most mornings I just have leftovers from the day before for breakfast. However, some days call for something a little more involved! 🙂

      Reply

  40. thepeacepatch says

    ohgoodgolly I haven’t had potato baskets since I was a kid! My mom used to fill them with some cream of chickeny thing with peas and onions. Very Betty Crocker. I love your sweet potato/bean suggestion…it would be fun to experiment with all sorts of things like purple potatoes, parsnips, etc. Maybe an over-the-top take on a T-day dish…sweet potato nests with a whipped candied sweet potato/date/nut filling and a marshmallow top. 😉
    One of the reasons your blog rocks is all the visuals…thanks for the helpful step-by-step photos! Cheers!

    Reply

    • Cadry says

      I’m so surprised that you grew up with potato baskets! I’d never heard of them before our trip to A.N.D., but that’s a cute name! Yes, there are so many possibilities to branch out and experiment with this concept! I definitely look forward to exploring some more options. Thanks for the kind words on the photos. 🙂

      Reply

  42. kahht says

    Holy crap. I caught myself salivating while reading this! I know exactly what I’m bringing to the next brunch party. Thanks!

    Reply

  44. in2insight says

    5 stars
    Wow, these not only look great but taste wonderful as well.
    A bit of a production, with an end result that is as flavorful as it is impressive.
    Ended up not baking the potatoes first, just grated, shaped and baked “raw”.
    Sauce ended up very thick, so thinned out a bit and adjusted seasonings.
    A great fancy delicious way to start the day. Thank you!

    Reply

  45. Helen Butt says

    Do the potatoes really need to be baked before they are grated. It seems as though they would cook enough in the muffin tins if put in raw. I’m tempted to try, but don’t want to end up with something that’s inedible.

    Reply

    • Cadry says

      Hi Helen,

      I baked the potatoes first, because there are several layers in the nests, and I wanted the hash browns to get crispy at the bottom. However, another commenter recently made the nests without baking the potato first and said it worked fine for them. Good luck!

      Reply

  46. April C. says

    5 stars
    I’m not a great cook, but decided to make these for a brunch I went to last week and they were the hit of the party! Vegans and non-vegans alike went crazy for them. Thanks for the fabulous recipe that even a dunce in the kitchen like me could follow. I highly recommend this recipe to anyone reading!

    Reply

    • Cadry says

      I am so glad to hear that, April! I’m happy that the breakfast nests went over well, and thank you for letting me know.

      Reply

  47. FeedThisFoodie says

    Sounds delicious!! Planning a brunch for my sisters birthday in a couple of months and these would be a great addition 🙂 Has anyone tried making these ahead of time yet and then putting them together on the day?

    Reply

    • Cadry says

      I haven’t tried that, but I’m sure there are shortcuts you could take. The queso can be made ahead of time and gently warmed on the stove on the day. It tends to thicken in the refrigerator, and so you may need to add a splash of water. You could make the tofu scramble beforehand too. I probably wouldn’t do the potato cups ahead of time, as the potato will soften in the refrigerator. Let me know how it goes, and best of luck with your sister’s birthday brunch. Very thoughtful of you to plan it!

      Reply

  48. Janis says

    5 stars
    Oh, A.N.D., how I miss you…

    Thanks, Cadry, for recreating this delicious dish. EVERYONE, vegan or not, loved them! Perfect!

    Reply

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