Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
Tater tots with meaty, cheesy eggs makes this Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole a crowd-pleasing, comfort food!
I can’t quite remember what I was making for breakfast that fateful day… perhaps omelets. But I do remember the feeling I might never get out of the kitchen to join the fun.
I do clearly recall the tip I got afterwards, talking with a friend. When the family’s all home for the holidays, you’ve really got to start making breakfast casseroles.
My hesitation arose from several past attempts–which did not have happy endings. Soggy bread stratas. Bland, dry egg bakes. And while quiche was a winner it seemed somehow too formal for the long holiday sleepover.
So when my blogging buddies decided to share tater tot recipes, I knew what I had to do. The resulting Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole was a wild success, effectively putting my husband in comfort food nirvana. Yes!
Better late than never!
Why You’ll Love This!
Easy. Just sautee a few ingredients in a pan then top with eggs, cheese and tater tots. Bake. How easy is that!
Adaptable. Go bigger or smaller. Add in the leftover dinner broccoli. Do you.
Comfort food. Tater tots over meaty, cheesy eggs? How could this not be a crowd pleaser!
Step by Step Overview
Heat an oven proof skillet (see recipe notes for pan alternatives), then sautee the sausage, breaking it apart as it cooks, until cooked through. Leave a tablespoon or two of oil in the pan for cooking the vegetables, then pour off any excess oil.
Pour in a tablespoon of oil if needed, then add the chopped onion and pepper and sautee until tender.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the milk.
Add the beaten eggs, cheese oregano, and salt to the sausage mixture, then stir to combine.
Place tater tots in concentric circles as the top layer of the casserole, starting at the outermost ring and moving inwards.
Bake at 350 F until cooked through and browned, about 45 minutes. If the tater tots aren’t browning, turn up the heat briefly to 400 to finish.
Variations
I like to include extra vegetables in my recipes wherever possible. While this Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole includes onion and red pepper, it’s hardly limited to that. If you have diced carrots from last night’s dinner, consider using them as an add-in!
This dish is super adaptable. How about using ground lamb with feta and tzatziki? Maybe a tater tot casserole with an Italian twist? Or take a look at Tater Tot Nachos, Taco Tot Casserole and Tater Tot Poutine!
Now I’m psyched!
Tips & FAQs
I made this in a cast iron skillet so I could take it from stovetop to oven as a one pan recipe. An enameled braiser would work the same way. But if neither is an option for you, you can sautee the vegetables and sausage separately then transfer to a baking dish before baking.
I was really leery of eating packaged tater tots but the only chemical sounding name in the ingredients list was Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose. Happily, this was rated “lower concern” by the Environmental Working Group.
Of course, even this can be avoided by going with organic tater tots. This isn’t a bad idea since potatoes hit the EWG Dirty Dozen list of most contaminated fruits and vegetables in 2025. Or go with a homemade recipe like these Baked Tater Tots or Homemade Tater Tots.
If you tend to like more flavorful cheeses, be a little picky with what you use in this. I was disappointed that the “sharp” cheddar I got from the (not my usual) grocery store turned out to be pretty wimpy. Wisconsin girl here.
Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 12-16 ounces breakfast sausage
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil if needed
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 Bell pepper chopped (frozen is okay)
- 8 eggs
- 1/2 cup reduced fat milk or skim or full fat
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon dried Italian Seasoning
- 2 cups sharp cheddar grated (or your favorite hard cheese)
- 16 ounces tater tots approximate and may vary with pan size
Instructions
- Heat an oven proof skillet (see notes for pan alternatives), then sautee the sausage, breaking it apart as it cooks, until cooked through. Leave a tablespoon or two of oil in the pan for cooking the vegetables, then pour off any excess oil.
- Pour in a tablespoon of oil if needed, then add the chopped onion and pepper and sautee until tender.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the milk. Add the beaten eggs, cheese oregano, and salt to the sausage mixture, then stir to combine.
- Place tater tots in concentric circles as the top layer of the casserole, starting at the outermost ring and moving inwards.
- Bake at 350 F for 45-60 minutes until cooked through and browned. If the tater tots aren’t browning, turn up the heat briefly to 400 to finish.
This looks like the ultimate cozy‑morning saver. I love how you’ve turned tater tots into this golden, crispy crown over all that cheesy, sausage‑y goodness. Honestly, this is the kind of breakfast that makes a whole house wake up happy.
I was really happy with the “look” too. Now I can’t wait until the family is all together again.
This is a scrumptious breakfast! You can’t go wrong with this.
I had a friend recently request tater tots to go with his dinner. Against my better judgement, I looked for the plain classic tots. Nope, only the fancy ones which all have garlic. I would DEFINITELY make this for him if I could find the classic ones!
The Cascadian Farms organic Spud Puppies don’t list garlic in their ingredients if your friend comes around again!