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

Scale

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