I am very careful when posting a casserole recipe on Macheesmo as there are many average casserole recipes out there. I want it to be something really good. This Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole is a premium breakfast!
You can make this casserole entirely ahead of time and it’s very flexible with add-ins so you can customize it to your liking. Personally, I like to add crispy bacon, veggies, and cheese (obvs).
Read on to learn how to make this wonderful breakfast casserole. Add it to your meal plan this week!
Description: “This delicious Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole features crispy bacon along with some veggies, cheese and an egg mix. Can be stored well and can be warmed up super! “
Ingredients in this tater tot casserole
One wonderful thing about this casserole is that the ingredients are simple.
- Frozen tater tots! These can be any brand, and you don’t need to thaw them before mixing them into the casserole.
- Bacon. I like regular sliced ​​bacon that gets crispy in a pan. You can also use the bacon fat to cook the veggies!
- aromatics. Onions and peppers and garlic go well in this casserole.
- eggs. Eggs make this breakfast casserole stick together nicely. I also stir in some milk for a real custard texture.
- Cheese. I’m using a mild cheddar cheese, but see the Substitutions section below for more ideas.
How to Cook the Bacon (and Substitutions)
The first step to making this casserole extra tasty is to prepare a batch of crispy bacon. There are many ways to cook bacon (baking is my favorite in general), but for recipes like this, I like to chop the bacon and slow cook it in a pan.
This gives you very crispy bits of bacon and also a good amount of bacon fat to use in the casserole for extra bacon flavor!
If you omit the bacon from this recipe (which is fine), simply substitute butter or olive oil for the bacon fat in the recipe.
Prepare the Tater Tot casserole
Once you’ve reserved your crispy bacon, add 2 tablespoons of bacon fat (or other fat) to a skillet and cook the veggies until tender but not browned.
Then pour this over the frozen Tater Tots in a large bowl. Mix that well with half the shredded cheese and bacon, then pour in your whisked egg mixture. Season the mixture well with salt and black pepper.
Transfer that to a greased casserole dish. You can use a 9×13 casserole dish or a 2 1/2 quart deep casserole dish (which takes longer to bake).
Bake the breakfast casserole at 350ËšF for about an hour. It can take up to 75 minutes to cook through and be crispy on the edges. If you use a deeper baking pan (like me) you will need to bake them for about an hour and 45 minutes.
Halfway through the baking process, I like to add the second half of the cheese to the top of the casserole.
When the casserole is ready, let it sit for 10 minutes before serving with chopped green onions!
What to serve with this Tater Tot casserole
In all honesty, this breakfast casserole is a full meal on its own and you don’t have to serve anything with it. But if you want to fill the table, try these side dishes!
I would shy away from other carb dishes like pancakes or waffles as this casserole is loaded with carbs unless you just want something sweet.
Reserve and reheat the casserole
This casserole is a dream to keep and reheat. You can easily store it in the fridge for up to a week, or cut into smaller portions and freeze for up to three months.
If you want to reheat a batch of breakfast casserole, the microwave is fine. Just cook it on high until heated through and the cheese is melted.
An alternative reheating idea that I love is to cut the thawed casserole into slices about 1 inch thick and place them on a griddle or in a skillet with a little oil. Cover and cook over medium heat until warmed through. The base will be wonderfully crispy!
Serve the slices or reheated casserole with hot sauce or spring onions.
replacement and ideas
Oh the substitutions! You can go crazy here! As a starting point …
- Substitute any cheese you like, from Pepper Jack to Swiss cheese.
- Alternate the meat in the casserole with diced ham, boiled sausage, or leave out the meat for a vegetarian option.
- Add other veggies like sautéed mushrooms, spinach, broccoli.
- Make the casserole flavorful with sautéed jalapenos and a dash of hot sauce into the casserole
- Make the casserole a mini version in a muffin pan, which is great for kid-sized portions.
My Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole Recipe
My Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole Recipe
This delicious Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole features crispy bacon along with some veggies, cheese, and an egg mix. Can be stored well and can be warmed up super!
- 1 Pound bacon chopped
- 2 tablespoon bacon fat or olive oil
- 1 Middle Red pepper chopped
- 1 Middle White Onion chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic chopped
- 6 large eggs
- ½ Cup milk
- 28 oz. frozen potato dumplings
- 8th oz. Cheddar cheese grated
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Green Onions garnish
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1) Preheat oven to 350ËšF. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until the fat comes out and the bacon is crisp. Reserve bacon fat and separate crispy bacon. Put aside.
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2) Add the bacon fat to the pan along with the onions, peppers and garlic and sauté until tender but now browned, maybe 4-5 minutes.
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3) In a large bowl, stir together frozen tater tots, vegetable mix, crispy bacon, half the shredded cheddar cheese, and salt and pepper. Whisk eggs with milk and pour over the mixture. Stir well to combine.
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4) Transfer the mixture to a greased 9 by 13 baking pan. Bake for 60-75 minutes. Halfway through, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the casserole. The casserole is ready when it is crispy on the edges and firm in the center (no runny eggs). If you have an instant thermometer, it should read 170°F at the center of the casserole.
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5) Let the casserole rest for a few minutes before serving with spring onions and hot sauce.
Portion: 1plateCalories: 644kcalCarbohydrates: 31GProtein: 21GFat: 49GSaturated Fatty Acids: 17GPolyunsaturated fat: 8thGMonounsaturated fatty acids: 19GTrans fats: 0.1GCholesterol: 210mgSodium: 1365mgPotassium: 526mgFiber: 3GSugar: 2GVitamin A: 1003ieVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 265mgIron: 2mg
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