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Cheesy Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

This Cheesy Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole is simply irresistible! Our tater tot casserole is make-ahead easy and tastes scrumptious!  Satisfying and delish…a must try dish. Breakfast-for-dinner, too!

Cheesy Tater Tot Breakfast Bake
Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole is easy to assemble the night before.

Tater tot breakfast casserole

Did you know that winter is all relative depending on where you live? Now that we’ve lived in Minnesota for many years, I get it.

The silver lining for all the chilly days has got to be comfort food. It doesn’t get more comforting than this cozy tater tot breakfast casserole that’s gotten so popular, more people than I can count have requested the recipe. Moms, dads, kids, and friends have enjoyed the magnificent goodness of this cheesy, crispy breakfast casserole.

You’ll ask yourself where this Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole has been all your life. But it’s here now, so let’s get to it.

tater tot breakfast casserole
All your breakfast favorites in one: bacon, sausage, cheese, eggs, and potatoes!

simple pantry ingredients

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

  • 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.
  • 1 lb 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.
  • 2 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, divided; sharp cheddar is the best. It imparts such a big cheesy flavor and melds beautifully in this casserole recipe.
  • 2 cups whole milk – you can use lowfat if you prefer.
  • 2 extra large eggs or 3 large 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.
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper; always grind your own black pepper using fresh peppercorns.
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder (you can chop fresh onions, but it’s not necessary)
  • pinch of table salt (1/8 tsp) — I usually use coarse kosher salt, but we go with fine table salt here because it’s just a pinch.
  • 2 lbs frozen 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.
  • 3 TB freshly chopped parsley for garnish – optional but pretty 🙂

All that goodness, layered in one irresistible breakfast casserole.

tater tot casserole
This tater tot casserole is perfect for lunch or dinner.

Breakfast, brunch, or breakfast-for-dinner

This tater tot casserole is a simple prep-the-night-before deal that everyone will dive for. It’s loaded with all the breakfast favorites: sausage, eggs, cheese, potatoes, and bacon. It travels well for brunch potlucks and is a favorite for holidays and any old weekend.

Can you make this breakfast casserole in advance?

The best part, as always in my book, is the ease of this dish. With just a handful of simple ingredients (nine!)… it’s perfect for weekends, holidays, and even breakfast-for-dinner.

If you’re not a morning person, I hear you with big elephant ears. No need to wake up early to measure a single thing.

This tater tot casserole can easily be assembled the night before and popped into the oven the next morning for a hearty meal everyone loves waking up to.

Tater Tot Breakfast Bake Tater Tot Casserole
Pre-assemble your tater tot casserole the night before and bake it the next morning.

Can you freeze this tater tot casserole?

Technically, you can freeze the unbaked casserole after assembly by covering it airtight and freezing until ready to bake. Then, you’d bake it from frozen (not defrosted) and add bake time until fully cooked through. That said, I do believe 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.

More to cook and eat:


Watch this recipe in action:

Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
tater tot breakfast casserole

Cheesy Tater Tot Breakfast Bake

4.70 from 222 ratings
This Cheesy Tater Tot Breakfast Bake is super easy, can be prepped the night before, and incredibly delicious! Kids and grownups alike will devour this. Sure to be a family favorite.
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Total Time: 1 hr
Servings: 15

Ingredients  

  • 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 1 lb ground breakfast sausage, no casings
  • 2 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 2 extra large eggs, or 3 large eggs
  • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • pinch of table salt, 1/8 tsp
  • 2 lbs tater tots, frozen
  • 3 TB freshly chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

  • Brown Sausage: In a very large skillet, cook sausage on medium high heat, breaking up the meat and browning it. Once cooked through, 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. Once mixed, pour evenly over the cheese and sausage in baking dish. Layer top with frozen tater tots. If not baking right away, cover tightly with foil and chill in fridge until the next morning.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Notes

If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and give it a rating ❤️

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 234kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 447mg | Potassium: 234mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 246IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 182mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Course: Breakfast, brunch
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Method: Oven

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Recipe Rating




212 comments

    • Kaitlyn Rose
    • 5 stars

    Absolutely Delish and super easy and yummy for a very busy Mom of 2 under 2 with a 12 year old and Husband whom are VERY picky eaters. Thank you!

      • Amy Dong

      Yay!! Thank you, Kaitlyn!

    • Laci
    • 5 stars

    I’ve been making this for Christmas morning for a few years now. I put it all together the night before and put it in the oven while we open gifts. My family asks for it every year. It’s become a tradition.

    • Misti
    • 5 stars

    I added a little garlic & left out the parsley. This is a family favorite!

    • Dee
    • 5 stars

    Made this for a work pot luck brunch and it was gone in seconds! My fav breakfast casserole recipe!

    • Derek
    • 5 stars

    Always my go-to for groups and has always been met with rave reviews

    • J
    • 5 stars

    Kiddo wanted a brunch party for graduation and I got at least a half dozen compliments on this casserole! It will surely become a staple go-to in our house for a crowd.

      • Amy Dong

      What a good idea – brunch grad party!! Congrats to your grad 🙂

    • Ellen Williams
    • 5 stars

    This is one of my go to recipes for a big family breakfast. My husband likes it if I make sausage gravy to put on top of it.

    • Miss Dee
    • 5 stars

    I made this recipe today for a work function. It’s really delicious. I used 1 c half and half and 1 c Fat Free milk, and 3 eggs, and it turned out perfect. I did bake it for 45 minutes just to be sure the Tater Tots were crispy.

    • Kayla
    • 5 stars

    Have made this for years now – so good! It’s so easy to throw together & tasty! Love it.

    • Lucia
    • 5 stars

    So delicious. I used turkey breakfast sausage. My calorie count was 4031 per batch. Yours seem to be 2700. Is it the potatoes I used? I didn’t check. It’s a huge difference! I would like to know the specifics. Thank you!

    • Dee
    • 5 stars

    I’ve made this several times and it is always a hit! Easy and delicious!

    • Carolyn

    How many servings in this recipe?

      • Kaitlyn Rose

      15, I believe.

    • Sue

    Can you cook this day before, refrigerate and reheat next morning when serving? If anyone has done this please advise times/temps of rebating. Thanks!

    • Brittany Klassen

    Is this recipe for a 9 x 13 pan?

      • Amy Dong

      Yes, that’s right.

    • Rachael
    • 5 stars

    I just wanted to say this in the top 5 recipes we have ever gotten on pinterest! We have made it many times. It is just the perfect amount of eggy-ness, crispy not soggy tots, and easily customizable on the meat options depending on what you have on hand. We have done ground beef, sausage, or even ground turkey. This recipe is a kid favorite!

      • Amy Dong

      That’s awesome, Rachael…thank you!!

    • Cathleen
    • 5 stars

    This breakfast bake is my ideal breakfast!! So perfect for the holidays, everyone in my family loved it! Thanks for a great recipe 🙂

    • Chandice
    • 5 stars

    Seriously love making this one pan dish for breakfast!! All the best flavors in one tasty dish!

    • Alex
    • 5 stars

    I had a ton of leftover tater tots after Christmas and made this. So tasty and easy! A huge hit with everyone. Thanks!

    • Annie
    • 5 stars

    I love an easy and delicious breakfast recipe. This turned out amazing, cheesy, and flavorful. The whole family loved it.

    • susan | the wimpy vegetarian
    • 5 stars

    My grandkids are coming in a couple days, and they’ll be here for several days. I’m definitely making this when they come!

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