Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole is a great breakfast for potlucks, brunch, holidays, or brinner, featuring warm, soft tater tots in fluffy eggs with gooey cheese and crispy bacon. Smother all of that in classic breakfast sausage gravy for an epic, hearty, crowd-pleasing breakfast.
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Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
Classic tater tot casserole is one of our family favorite, so it's no wonder I wanted to come with this cheesy tater tot breakfast casserole version.
This mouthwatering Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole features tender tater tots in fluffy scrambled eggs with gooey cheese and crispy bacon. Then we top it all off with the BEST southern sausage gravy.
This dish is as filling as it is delicious!
Tater tot breakfast casserole can be made ahead or frozen, and it's perfect for holidays, brunch, or potlucks. But my favorite is serving it for family brinner night, as it encompasses all the best parts of breakfast in one dish!
Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole Variations
We love this recipe as is, but here are some ways to make it your own.
- Veggies: Adding extra vegetables such as bell peppers, mushrooms, or broccoli can be a tasty way to add more flavor or use up leftovers. I recommend cooking the veggies first. You can use butter or oil and cook in the pan, or you can use the grease from the bacon for a little extra flavor.
- Gravy: The gravy in this recipe is optional. I think it adds an extra element of yum. But you can leave it out, especially if you're making it for a potluck or something where the gravy would be hard to reheat.
- Cheese: Go wild with the cheese. You can use your favorite kind, and however much or little you want. You can also add a little more cheese on top during the last 5 to 10 minutes of bake time to make it extra gooey. I always recommend shredding your own cheese with a cheese grater as the cheese will melt so much more smoothly.
- Spice: Add some spice to your casserole by adding red pepper flakes or a few dashes of hot sauce to the egg mixture. You can also chop up some jalapenos and add those in.
- Bacon: The bacon can be changed for a different protein, if you'd like. If you're omitting the gravy, sausage is a great substitution. I think it's too much sausage if you are doing the gravy. Another substitution is ham. Or you can use both ham and bacon. Just add them in at the same time.
- Vegetarian: This dish can be made vegetarian simply omitting the bacon. If you'd like to still make a gravy as a vegetarian dish, you can omit the sausage and use ⅓ cup butter or olive oil. Heat over medium heat, and then add in flour and continue following the recipe.
- Beans: Beans, like potatoes, are inexpensive way to bulk up a meal. I like using beans even more than potatoes to bulk up a meal because they are also great sources of protein and fiber. Beans would also be a great addition if you're making a vegetarian version. Try black, pinto, great northern white, or cannellini beans.
What to Serve with Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
Tater tot breakfast casserole is a pretty filling meal, especially if you top it with sausage gravy. However, if you're looking to stretch it a little more, consider serving fresh fruit or fruit salad, bagels, English muffins, toast, cottage cheese, or yogurt as side dishes.
You can also serve this dish for breakfast, potlucks, or even brinner (breakfast for dinner!).
Make Ahead and Freezer Directions
The best part about breakfast casserole is that they can be made ahead or frozen to make your life easier for holidays or events or even just daily breakfast. Here are instructions to make and store your tater tot breakfast casserole ahead of time.
Make Ahead Directions
You can make this casserole ahead of time by preparing the whole thing according to the recipe instructions, but don't bake it. Then cover with foil, and store in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, you can just pop it in the oven. Bake for an extra 10 minutes to account for the cold dish coming out of the refrigerator.
The gravy can be made ahead or made in the morning. If you make the gravy ahead, transfer it to a bag or covered container to store in the refrigerator. Reheat over medium-low in a large pot on the stovetop. Reheating in the microwave will cause the gravy to separate.
Freezer Directions
Cook the casserole, then allow to cool completely. Cover tightly and transfer to the freezer for up to 3 to 6 months. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. It is easiest to reheat in individual servings in the microwave so as not to overcook the whole dish. Be aware the freezing and reheating eggs can change their texture a bit.
The gravy can also be frozen. Allow prepared gravy to cool completely. Then, transfer it to an airtight freezer bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. To use, thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
More Savory Breakfast Recipes You'll Love
- Crockpot Breakfast Casserole - a classic breakfast casserole with hash browns, eggs, and bacon, made even simpler in the slow cooker.
- Freezer Breakfast Burritos - easy burritos with southwest flavors, fluffy eggs, black beans, and melty cheese in a tortilla. Makes a perfect easy weekday breakfast.
- Crock Pot Hash Brown Casserole - a gooey, cheesy hash brown casserole with savory onion. Makes a perfect side dish or potluck dish to pass.
- Mexican Breakfast Casserole - a breakfast casserole with some added spice and Mexican flavor with chorizo, tortillas, and eggs in fluffy layers.
- Denver Omelet Casserole - all your favorite ingredients from the omelet in one easy-to-make casserole.
Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole Video
Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- ½ pound thick-cut smoked bacon slices chopped
- 1 package (32 ounces) frozen tater tots
- 12 large eggs
- 1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
- ½ cup whole milk
- 4 green onions thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
For the Gravy
- 1 pound ground pork sausage
- ⅓ cup flour
- 3 cups milk
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease a 9"x13" casserole dish. Set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook chopped bacon until cooked through and crispy. Drain. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb grease. Set aside.
- Arrange tater tots in an even layer in the casserole dish. Sprinkle half the bacon on top. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, Colby Jack cheese, milk, half the green onions, salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture evenly over Tater Tots.
- Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, Top evenly with Cheddar cheese, remaining bacon, and remaining green onions. Bake for an additional 20-30 minutes until cooked through and cheese is melted.
For the Gravy
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, brown sausage until cooked through and no longer pink.
- When sausage is cooked through, add flour to the skillet and stir to combine. Allow to heat through, about 2 minutes.
- Slowly add milk, about ½ cup at a time to prevent lumps, whisking the whole time. Milk should thin out the mixture. If the gravy is very thin at 3 cups, then that's enough. If it's still thick, add another ½ cup, until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Continue cooking and stirring to prevent lumps or sticking, until gravy comes to a low simmer and thickens.
- When gravy has thickened, add white pepper, and salt and black pepper to taste.
- Serve casserole warm topped with sausage gravy. (I find it easiest to top each serving with gravy individually than the full casserole.)
Notes
- For gravy-making tips, check out the full recipe for sausage gravy here.
- Gluten Free: Use gluten free measure-for-measure flour in the gravy to make this recipe gluten free.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in individual servings in the microwave.
- Make Ahead Directions: Prepare according to the recipe instructions, but don't bake. Cover with foil, and store in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, you can just pop it in the oven. Bake for an extra 10 minutes to account for the cold dish coming out of the refrigerator.
- Gravy can be made ahead or made in the morning. If you make the gravy ahead, transfer it to a bag or covered container to store in the refrigerator. Reheat over medium-low in a large pot on the stovetop. Reheating in the microwave will cause the gravy to separate.
- Freezer Directions: Cook the casserole, then allow to cool completely. Cover tightly and transfer to the freezer for up to 3 to 6 months. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. It is easiest to reheat in individual servings in the microwave so as not to overcook the whole dish. Be aware the freezing and reheating eggs can change their texture a bit. The gravy can also be frozen. Allow prepared gravy to cool completely. Then, transfer it to an airtight freezer bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. To use, thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
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