Cheesy Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

By Amy Dong
Updated Jun. 24, 2024

This Cheesy Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole is crispy on top, tender in the center, and busting at the seems with big flavors. It’s an overnight breakfast casserole that can be prepared the night before. Breakfast-for-dinner, too!

Tater Tot Casserole in white Dish. — Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole is easy to assemble the night before.

Video: Watch Us Make This Recipe

Why This Recipe Stands Out

Tater Tots: Every kid and grownup alike loves tater tots, especially when layered on top of all your hot breakfast favorites.
Crispy: The tater tots will bake up beautifully golden and crispy on top.
Bacon: This is (kind of) optional, but crispy, smoky bacon crumbled on top of this breakfast casserole makes it a standout!
Overnight: Fully assemble this tater tot casserole the night before and bake it in the morning – super easy!
Family and Friends: You’ll essentially become the king or queen of breakfast, once they taste this tater tot casserole. Every time we bring this recipe to a brunch party, we get recipe requests – you will, too.

Tater Tot Casserole in baking dish. — All your breakfast favorites in one: bacon, sausage, cheese, eggs, and potatoes!

Simple Recipe ingredients

This Cheesy Tater Tot Breakfast Bake is teeming with all our AM faves: breakfast sausage, bacon, cheese, eggs, and potatoes.

Bacon: 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled; I really like thick cut, applewood style bacon here. Get it really nice and crispy, let the oil drain, and crumble away. You can do this ahead of time, as the bacon stays crisp on the counter while you prepare the rest of the breakfast casserole.
Sausage: ground breakfast sausage, no casings; my favorite kind are the Italian seasoned, but feel free to use your preferred ground sausage. You’ll brown it and break it up in the skillet before adding to the breakfast casserole.
Cheese: sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, divided; sharp cheddar is the best. It imparts such a big cheesy flavor and melds beautifully in this casserole recipe.
Milk: whole milk is preferred for a creamier texture, but you can use low-fat if you prefer.
Eggs: if you’re wondering why there aren’t more eggs in this breakfast casserole recipe, it’s because 3 large eggs is just the right amount to allow the tater tots to crisp up nicely during baking.
Tater Tots: your favorite brand will work fine, as long as it’s un-seasoned. Just be sure to keep it frozen until ready to assemble.
Seasonings: freshly ground pepper from fresh peppercorns, onion powder, salt, and freshly chopped parsley, if you’d like a bit of color.

Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions

Tater Tot Casserole Egg Mixture Pouring Over.

Brown Sausage: In a very large skillet, cook sausage on medium high heat, breaking up the meat and browning it. Drain and layer onto the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan. Evenly sprinkle 2 cups of the cheese over cooked sausage.
Combine Filling: In a large bowl, hand-whisk together the milk, eggs, pepper, onion powder, and salt. Pour evenly over the cheese and sausage in baking dish. Layer top with frozen tater tots.

Tater tot casserole finished dish with parsley.

Bake: When ready to bake, set oven to 350F with rack on lower middle position. Once oven reaches 350F, place uncovered casserole in oven for about 35 minutes.
Topping: Top with additional 1/2 cup cheese, cooked/crumbled bacon, and bake another 5-10 minutes or until sides are bubbling and top is golden brown. Garnish with chopped parsley, let rest at room temp 10 minutes, and serve.

What to Serve with Tater Tot Casserole

Fruits

Fresh Fruit Salsa
Berries
Cut-up melons

Yogurt

Yogurt Fruit Dip to go with fresh fruits
Your favorite yogurt and granola

Oatmeal

Commonly Asked Questions

What is tater tot breakfast casserole?

A tater tot breakfast casserole is a hearty and flavorful breakfast dish made with frozen tater tots, eggs, cheese, milk and seasonings.

Can I make this tater tot casserole the night before?

This dish can be fully assembled the night before. Cover airtight, chill in fridge overnight, and let it come to room temperature as the oven preheats.

Can I freeze tater tot casserole?

You can freeze the unbaked casserole after assembly by covering it airtight and freezing until ready to bake. Then, bake it from frozen (not defrosted) and add bake time until fully cooked through. The texture may come out differently from the original recipe. My suggestion would be to pre-assemble the casserole the night before (at most, up to 2 nights before) and keep covered/chilled in fridge. Then bake according to recipe instructions.

What to serve with tater tot breakfast casserole?

We love serving this hearty breakfast casserole with fresh fruits, more crispy bacon on the side, yogurt, and oatmeal.

Can I make this vegetarian?

You can make a vegetarian tater tot breakfast casserole by omitting the bacon and using plant-based sausage crumbles instead of regular sausage!

Is tater tot breakfast casserole gluten free?

This dish is naturally gluten-free, so more people can eat and enjoy! Just double check that the brand of tater tots you buy is certified gluten-free.

Did you make this?

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