Dina here.
So remember when I said in the recipe review post for this casserole that I followed the recipe to the letter (except for the hollandaise sauce because fuck hollandaise sauce)?
Yeah. Here’s what that means for me. (Keep in mind, “Dina in the kitchen” = “mustard on the ceiling when making fried chicken which doesn’t call for mustard.” Don’t ask.)
First, I got all my ingredients. Not an easy thing, given I had no idea there were different types of tofu, vegan shredded cheese, and sausages. I ended up choosing a firm tofu (as medium wasn’t available at my store) and a mozzarella-type cheese.
So far, so good! Now to consult the recipe!
1 bag tater tots – check!
1 recipe tofu scramble – uhhh…huh. Okay.
Wait…that’s an entirely separate recipe. Hold up. I have to make the tofu scramble before I can make the casserole? That doesn’t seem fair. I thought this was an all-inclusive thing! Like, the scramble gets made as a casserole. Can’t I buy tofu scramble already done?
No? That’s not a thing? Fine. Let’s see what I need.
Huh. This seems like a lot of work. But, it’s what we decided on for our first recipe review, so let’s get to it. Damn that’s a lot of ingredients….
1…2…3…7…9…FOURTEEN? There are FOURTEEN ingredients in this shit? And it’s part of the OTHER recipe that only calls for six, one of which I’m skipping because I hate it? I feel misled! This is betrayal! RUDE!
*sigh* It’s for a good cause, I guess. Trying to be healthy sucks. *sees Doctor’s Stern Look in her mind*
FINE.
Okay, I got the FOURTEEN THINGS! Now what do I do with them?
Step 1 – combine the spices and bouillon!
Step 2 – Saute the onions! Um…in a pan…with the butter-flavored coconut oil…. So…chopping then…
Might as well slice up the green onion while I’m at it.
Step 3 – Crumble the tofu and add to pan with the onions. Cook three minutes. (Note: Herbivore Skyla was on hand via FaceTime for this step, as WTF? She instructed me on the draining and pressing of the tofu, which should be done BEFORE you cook it! I would never have known to do this crucial step without her, and now I’m passing it on. Thank you, Skyla!) 
(It took longer than three minutes to cook the remaining moisture off, which is how long it should be done for.)
Step 4 – Add the broth/spice mix to the pan and cook without stirring for 4 minutes. Got it.
Step 5 – Continue to saute, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates. About 5-8 minutes. (More like 10-15 for me.)
Step 6 – Add the green onion, spinach, dill, and everyday seasoning. Saute until greens are wilted.
Step 7 – Garnish with additional dill/chili flakes if desired. (Dill yes, chili flakes no for me.)
Okay! Tofu scramble recipe complete! Now what?
2 veggie sausages – check!
Vegan shredded cheese – check! (Apparently you can also make a homemade cheese sauce here, but I have my limits.)
1/2 cup vegan hollandaise sauce – NOPE. Because fuck hollandaise sauce. I don’t like the non-vegan version, so I’m not about to make this.
1 tbsp fresh chives – check!
All right now! Let’s do this!
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F – Got it. Well, that was easy! Oh…there’s more.
2. Bake or air-fry tots per package directions then put them in a casserole dish. – Easy enough. I’ve baked tots before. Done!
3. Cut up vegan sausage and fry until browned and heated through. – Sure. No problem.
Okay, ew. They were all…squishy. And moist.
Well, now I know why they were moist. That’s not butter in that pan.
4. Sprinkle tofu scramble and sausage on top of tots and top with cheese shreds. – Can do!
5. Into the oven until cheese shreds have melted, 5-7 minutes. – Done! Wait…they’re not melting…how long is this supposed to bake again? Yeah, it’s gonna need longer. Like 15 minutes instead of 5. Okay this is taking forever! It’s as melted as it’s going to get! (For the record, I used the whole bag of cheese, which in hindsight was probably unwise. But fun!)
7. Top with fresh chives and serve. – FINALLY! That took all fucking evening! The combined total time listed for both recipes is 62 minutes, and mine took like 3 hours! Of course, I also have Multiple Sclerosis, so spoons are a factor here. I’m a bit slower than an able-bodied person.
OMG I did it! I made a thing! And it was edible!
And that’s how Dina made this recipe.
Verdict: Worth the spoons. I’d totally make this again, with some minor adjustments for ingredient choices (not so much cheese next time, and maybe a cheddar instead of a mozzarella).
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