Description
This delicious breakfast casserole is very easy to make! It’s a hearty dish that’s perfect for feeding a hungry family, or sharing with friends at brunch. Made with all of your favorite breakfast ingredients, don’t be surprised if everyone wants a second serving!
Ingredients
- 1 7-ounce package sausage links
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 2 + 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (hand shredded from a block of cheese*)
- 1 32-ounce bag of frozen tater tots
- 2 cups milk
- 8 eggs
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 8 slices of thick-cut bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
*WHY GRATE YOUR OWN CHEESE FOR THIS RECIPE? Pre-shredded cheese is covered in a coating to keep it from clumping together. Because it doesn’t melt as smoothly as hand-grated cheese, breakfast casseroles can end up oily on the top and sides.
Instructions
RECIPE PREP: Adjust oven rack to the middle position. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 casserole dish or two 8 x 8 square bakers.
- Slide the sausage links out of their casings and into a large skillet. With a wooden spatula, roughly chopping the links into pieces while cooking. They’re done when the meat is no longer pink. Lift the cooked pieces out of the pan with a slotted spoon. Transfer them to an extra-large mixing bowl. Reserve the drippings for sautéing the veggies.
- Add onion, garlic and bell pepper to the pan. Cook until tender. Transfer veggies to the mixing bowl. Add shredded cheese and mix with a spatula until combined. Fold in the frozen tater tots.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, salt and pepper. Pour the wet mixture over the tater tots, cheese and veggies. Fold everything together until well incorporated. With a spatula, transfer the breakfast casserole mixture into your greased baker(s).
- Bake for approximately 55-65 minutes, or until the egg mixture is completely set and the top is golden. Remove from the oven and allow it cool for 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle crispy bacon pieces and sliced green onions over the top of your tater tot casserole. Serve while toasty warm. Enjoy!
Notes
- IS TATER TOT CASSEROLE A MAKE-AHEAD BREAKFAST? Yes it is. It can be assembled and baked in advance. Allow the hot dish to cool and shed heat, thenrefrigerate.
- HOW LONG DOES TATER TOT CASSEROLE LAST IN THE FRIDGE? Food safety guidelines recommend that with proper handling and refrigeration, cooked egg dishes can last up to 4 days. Refer to this resource for best practices on fridge storage for food safety.
- CAN TATER TOT CASSEROLE BE FROZEN? Yes it can. If baked in a freezer-safe dish, cover and freeze for up to 3 weeks. Or slice the casserole in half and place it in 2 large zip-top freezer bags. Before rewarming in the oven, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Brunch
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: tater tot casserole, make-ahead breakfast casserole, tater tot breakfast casserole