This Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole is easy, cheesy and delicious! Browned breakfast sausage is topped with fluffy eggs, crispy golden tater tot rounds, melty cheese and crispy bacon bits. Perfect for any family breakfast, brunch or made on a weeknight for brinner! This recipe serves 12.

Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

If I have one guilty non-from-scratch pleasure, it’s tater tots.

From regular tater tots to crowns, minis and onion flavored… I love them all. Although I don’t buy them often, when I do, I bake them until they’re extra crispy and golden brown, then I sprinkle with salt (sometimes pepper!) and eat them plain or dunk them in ketchup.

So imagine my glee when I was introduce to this tater tot breakfast casserole. It was 2016-ish and it was our close friends son’s 5th birthday brunch. My plate overflowed with pancake nutella kebabs, fruit salad and tater tot casserole. After my first forkful of the tot casserole, I turned to my friend and begged kindly asked her for the recipe. She must think I lived under a rock because I’d never had it before.😂

Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

So believe me when I tell you this tot casserole is freaking amazing. We’re talking browned breakfast sausage baked in eggs, topped with gooey, melty cheese, crispy golden tater tots, more cheese and then crispy pieces of bacon. SO good!

ingredients for Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

To Make This Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole You Will Need:

  • olive oil sprayI like to use extra light olive oil or ghee oil spray.
  • baconLends distinct smoky flavor.
  • yellow onionLends delicious onion flavor.
  • ground breakfast sausageUse regular or spicy!
  • eggsPull these out 30 minutes ahead of time to bring to room temperature or place in a bowl of lukewarm water.
  • milkGives this dish a custard-like texture.
  • kosher saltEnhances the flavors in this recipe.
  • freshly ground black pepperLends distinct bite and flavor.
  • cheddar jack cheeseFreshly shredded is best!
  • tater tots crispy crownsOr substitute with regular tater tots.
  • fresh parsleyLends a pop of green and fresh herbaceous flavor.
  • sliced green onionAdds a subtle fresh onion flavor.

lightly grease 9x13 baking dish

Preheat your oven to 350°.

Lightly spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick olive oil or ghee oil spray.

Add 6 strips of bacon into a skillet. Heat over medium to medium-low and cook until slightly crispy. They will further crisp in the oven later on. Once cooked, transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate and drain all but 1 teaspoon of bacon fat from the pan.

Once cool, finely chop.

saute onions

Add 1/2 cup diced yellow onion with a pinch of salt to the smidgen of the leftover bacon fat and sauté until soft.

cook 1 pound breakfast sausage

Add 1 pound ground breakfast sausage to the skillet. Crumble with a wooden spatula and cook until it’s no longer pink.

browned breakfast sausage

Increase the heat to medium-high and deeply brown the sausage.

drain breakfast sausage on a paper towel lined plate

Transfer the cooked breakfast sausage to a paper towel lined plate to drain any excess fat.

eggs, milk, salt and pepper

Meanwhile, in a large bowl crack and add in 8 eggs. To that pour in 1 cup of milk, season with a pinch or two of salt and some freshly ground black pepper.

Whisk eggs with milk, salt and pepper.

Whisk until thoroughly combined.

Add crumbled browned breakfast sausage to prepared pan.

Build The Casserole:

Once the sausage is cooked and drained of fat, place it in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

Pour egg mixture over sausage.

Pour the egg mixture over top of the sausage.

sprinkle with half of the shredded cheese

Sprinkle 1 cup of the cheese over top.

Arrange the frozen tater tots over top

Then arrange the frozen tots over top.

bake the casserole for 30 minute (rotate halfway through)

Slide the pan onto the middle rack of your preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. Be sure to rotate the pan halfway through baking to ensure even cooking.

sprinkle with remaining cheese and top with finely chopped bacon.

After the 30 minutes are up, sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of cheese and the finely chopped bacon pieces over the tots and return the casserole back to the oven for 10 more minutes.

just baked Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

Remove the tater tot breakfast casserole and allow it to cool slightly before serving. This is great served hot or even room temperature.

Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

I sprinkled this with a little chopped fresh parsley and finely sliced green onions.

serving Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

Serve with ketchup or hot sauce.

Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

Make Ahead Instructions:

If making this the night before, stop right before adding the tater tots. The tots should stay frozen up until you’re ready to bake. The morning of pull the baking dish out of the fridge while the oven preheats. Top with the tater tots and follow the remaining recipe instructions. Since coming straight out of the fridge, it may need a little extra time in the oven for the eggs to set, so bake the 30 minutes and if not set, bake in additional 5 minute increments until set, then proceed with the remaining recipe.

Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

Enjoy! And if you give this Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!

Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
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Yield: 12 servings

Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

This Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole is easy, cheesy and delicious! Browned breakfast sausage is topped with fluffy eggs, crispy golden tater tot rounds, melty cheese and crispy bacon bits. Perfect for any family breakfast, brunch or made on a weeknight for brinner!

Ingredients

  • olive oil spray
  • 6 slices center cut bacon
  • 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
  • 1 pound ground breakfast sausage
  • 8 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cups cheddar jack cheese, shredded
  • 30 ounce Tater Tot Crispy Crowns, (or just about)
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
  • 1 green onion, sliced

Equipment

  • REVOL Set of 3 Rectangular Baking Dishes

Instructions 

  • Preheat your oven to 350° and lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish and set aside.
  • In a large skillet over medium-low heat, cook the bacon until just crispy but not over done. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to absorb any grease. When cool, finely chop.
  • Drain all the grease out of the skillet, leaving only a teaspoon or so. Add the onion with a pinch of salt to the pan and cook about 4 to 5 minutes to soften. Add in the ground breakfast sausage, use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage into crumbles. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the breakfast sausage is cooked through. Increase the heat to medium-high and continue cooking until deeply browned in spots - stirring occasionally.
  • Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper.
  • Once the sausage is fully cooked, drain the fat from the ground sausage (I place the sausage crumbles onto a paper towel lined plate, like I do with the cooked bacon) and then place the sausage into an even layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Pour the egg mixture over top and sprinkle with half of the cheese.
  • Arrange the frozen crispy rounds and bake for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
  • Remove and scatter the remaining cheese and chopped bacon pieces over top. Bake for an additional 10 minutes.
  • Let the casserole cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving with a sprinkle of parsley and thinly sliced green onions.

Notes

Make Ahead Instructions:
If making this the night before, stop right before adding the tater tots. The tots should stay frozen up until you're ready to bake. The morning of, pull the baking dish out of the fridge while the oven preheats. Top with the tater tots and follow the remaining recipe instructions. Since coming straight out of the fridge, it may need a little extra time in the oven for the eggs to set, so bake the 30 minutes and if not set, bake in additional 5 minute increments until set, then proceed with the remaining recipe.
Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on SimplyScratch.com should only be used as a general guideline.
Serving: 1piece, Calories: 414kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 179mg, Sodium: 899mg, Potassium: 409mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 444IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 193mg, Iron: 2mg

Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole