Vegan Potato Gratin with Panko Breadcrumb Topping

Yes, that’s right, a creamy comforting vegan potato gratin. This dish is easy to prepare and it’s served with the most amazing crunchy panko breadcrumb topping.

Potato Gratin usually relies on cream, eggs and cheese to make it rich and comforting, so attempting to transform it into a vegan dish was questionable. However, it was totally worth it because it worked!!

The potatoes were super tasty and the panko breadcrumb topping worked so much better than I thought it would.

What makes this dish “cheesy”?

I wouldn’t say that this dish tastes super cheesy, but it has a slight cheesy vibe about it. And it’s the nutritional yeast that helps achieve this.

Nutritional yeast has quite a strong flavour. So I would say that you don’t want to be shy with it, yet you don’t want to add too much of it either. You can use it to season pasta dishes, soups, sauces, you can sprinkle it over salads, it can be used in so many different dishes.

Nutritional yeast is also very good for you. It contains good minerals such as zinc and phosphorus. It is also a great source of proteins and B vitamins. And I hear a lot of talk about how it can be a struggle to get b12 if you are a vegan. So nutritional yeast can really help with this.

Any health food shop will sell nutritional yeast so I highly recommend giving it a go. Since it can make your food taste great and it’s really good for you, it’s a win-win.

I simply just added it to the sauce…..

What potatoes should I use?

You don’t have to get too fussy about this because any potato will work. However, in case you were wondering I used royal blue potatoes, which is what I normally use because they are super versatile. They are great for mashing, roasting, baking, pretty much anything.

If you can’t get your hands on a royal blue potato, I highly recommend that you use a waxy potato. Such as Dutch crème or Nadine potatoes. Unlike a floury potato, a waxy potato holds it’s shape, which can be beneficial for a dish like this.

Here is a list of waxy potato varieties:

• Dutch Creme
• Nadine
• Nicola
• New potatoes
• Bintje
• Desiree
• Pink eye
• Golden delight

Why didn’t I use vegan cheese?

As much as I would like to experiment with vegan cheese one day, I was more focused on just making a great tasting dish. Rather than trying to make it as close to the original potato gratin as possible.

Although, if you really wanted to replace the panko breadcrumb topping with vegan cheese please feel free to do so. And if you end up trying this feel free to share how it went.

You could also make mini potato gratins!

If for whatever reason you want to serve this vegan potato gratin with some class, you can also make these in mini baking dishes or ramekins. This could be a great idea if you are only serving this dish to a few people.

The cooking process is exactly the same when making a mini potato gratin, so you don’t have to change any steps. Although, as you can see in the collage below, I tried spicing up the sauce a bit this time by adding extra pepper, some cumin and paprika…

Thank you so much for checking out this recipe. I really hope you enjoy it. If you haven’t done so already, please feel free to subscribe. And I am on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest if you want to follow me on social media.

5 from 2 votes

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Vegan Potato Gratin with Panko Breadcrumb Topping

Creamy delicious baked potatoes topped with a beautiful golden panko breadcrumb topping. This dish will feed the family with no trouble.

Course Main Course

Cuisine non specific

Keyword Potato Gratin Recipe, Vegan Potato Gratin, Vegan Potato recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories 411 kcal

Author Nicolas

Ingredients

Vegan potato Gratin

• 60 g vegan butter or margarine
• 60 g of flour
• 4 cups of vegetable stock
• 2 teaspoons of tahini
• 1½ tablespoon of nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
• Cooking spray
• 1.25 kg of peeled potatoes sliced about 1/2cm thin and then kept in a bowl of water.
• Salt and pepper for seasoning

Breadcrumb topping

• 25 g Vegan margarine
• 1½ cups Panko Breadcrumbs
• 3-4 sprigs of thyme laves picked off

Instructions

Vegan potato Gratin

1. Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees C (400 degrees F)
2. Melt the vegan butter in a pot over low-medium heat, then add your flour. Mix together until you get a paste.
3. Add about ½ cup of vegetable stock at a time stirring through until there are no lumps on each addition.

4. Bring the sauce to a boil, then turn the heat down low and simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. 

5. add your tahini, mustard, nutritional yeast and season to taste with salt and pepper.

6. Get a deep baking tray, then spray the inside of it with your cooking spray.

7. Add half of your potatoes neatly in the tray, then pour half of your sauce over the top. Once again, add the other half of your potatoes and finish by pouring over the rest of your sauce (make sure you get an even coating).

8. Cover the baking tray with aluminium foil, then cook in the oven for 1 hour

Breadcrumb topping

1. Melt the margarine in a pot or pan, turn the heat off then add the thyme and breadcrumbs. Stir through until the breadcrumbs are well coated.

Finishing touches

1. Once the potatoes have finished cooking, Remove the foil off, then sprinkle your breadcrumbs on top, making sure they are evenly spread out.
2. Put back in the oven uncovered and cook for 20 more minutes.

3. Once those breadcrumbs are nice and golden on top, serve the gratin and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

• The thicker you cut your potatoes, the longer they will take to cook. So take the time to cut them nice and thin. And check to see if the potatoes are cooked with a small knife or a skewer before you add the panko breadcrumb topping.
• Serve this dish with a simple salad or some steamed vegetables. 

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Potato Gratin with Panko Breadcrumb Topping

Amount Per Serving

Calories 411 Calories from Fat 145

% Daily Value*

Fat 16.1g25%

Saturated Fat 4.4g28%

Sodium 670mg29%

Potassium 1093mg31%

Carbohydrates 60.8g20%

Fiber 8.4g35%

Sugar 3.8g4%

Protein 11.1g22%

Calcium 40mg4%

Iron 4.9mg27%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.