Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
The first time I made this casserole for dinner not breakfast. I knew it was going to be good. I didn’t realize everyone would be going for seconds and there would be none leftover. Yes, it’s that good.
This recipe has been a reader favorite since it was posted. Conveniently, you could also make this ahead, just heat and serve. You could also prepare the ingredients and bake the next day. You’ll have a meal that the entire family will love.
I’ve decided to update this posts a bit, mostly with new photos. It had been a while since we had this delicious easy casserole so I made it for dinner the other night and took new photos.
Tasty Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
Here’s what you’ll need to make this casserole:
Breakfast Sausage
Eggs, beaten
Heavy Cream
Cheddar Cheese, grated
Small Onion
Tater Tots
Salt and Cracked Black Pepper to taste
Breakfast Casserole with Tater Tots and Sausage
Start by browning the sausage in a skillet. Preheat your oven while the sausage cooks.
Spray a square baking dish with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
Layer the cooked sausage to the bottom of the casserole dish then add the chopped onions on top of sausage layer.
In a mixing bowl or large measuring cup, beat the eggs and heavy cream together. Season with salt and pepper the pour over the sausage and onion.
Top the egg layer with grated cheese. I held back a some of the grated cheese to sprinkle on top of the casserole near the end of cooking. That is completely optional.
Finally, top the casserole with frozen tater tots. Because I’ve gotten the question a few times over the years I just want to point out that you don’t need to cook the tater tots first.
Place the casserole into your preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees and cook an additional 15-20 minutes or until the eggs are set.
If you choose to add a bit of cheese on top during the final cooking time, do so when you adjust the temperature.
Let stand 5 minutes before serving. It will be piping hot.
More Breakfast Recipes You Might Like
Sausage, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Casserole
The photo above is one of the original photos in this post. I hope that you like my new photos better.
Cook’s Note: Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole can made made with or without meat depending on taste preference.
You can also see this photo at Meal Plan Monday and Weekend Potluck.
Let’s make this Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole!
Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb Breakfast Sausage
- 6 Eggs beaten
- 3/4 c Heavy Cream
- 8 oz Cheddar Cheese grated
- 1 small Onion chopped (use half a medium onion if that’s all you have)
- Tater Tots
- Salt and Cracked Black Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by browning the breakfast sausage in a skillet.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C).
- Lightly spray a square baking dish with cooking spray.
- Add the cooked sausage to the bottom of the casserole dish.
- Next, add the chopped onions on top of sausage layer.
- Whisk together the eggs and heavy cream then pour over the sausage layer. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Next add a layer of grated cheese.
- Finally, add a top layer of frozen tater tots.
- Bake for 35 minutes at 350°F then increase oven the temperature to 375°F (190°C) and cook an additional 15-20 minutes until the eggs are set. If you’re choosing to top your casserole with a small bit of cheese, do so when you increase the temperature.
- Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
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Thank you so much for stopping by! I know that you’re gonna love this delicious tater tot breakfast casserole just as much as we do.
Until next time, love and happy cooking by friend!
About Julia
Hey Y’all! I’m Julia, the cook and writer behind the recipes here at Julia’s Simply Southern. I began my website so that I could share easy to follow recipes that anyone can use to put a home cooked meal on the dinner table. Thanks so much for stopping by!
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Hi, I have never used the heavy cream. Could you use something other?
Just use milk.
Lorelei,
Yes milk or hald & half would work also. Heavy cream just adds a richness to dishes – try it sometime in mashed potatoes or something. You'll love it 🙂
Thank you both for your responses. Lorelei 🙂
Do you cook the tater tots first?
No…you don’t have to cook them first. Just set them on the casserole and bake with the rest of the ingredients.
What a fun breakfast casserole! I have never had one like it before!
It was delicious Carlee! The family gobbled it up.
Going to make this tonight for Sunday breakfast.
I hope you enjoyed it.
HI There! I have two teen boys (17 & 18) who are each 6'5" already, plus a 9 year old boy and an adult daughter, my husband and myself to feed. How much of this casserole would you recommend that I make to feed this group? Thanks
Caroline if your teen boys eat like most, I would definitely double the recipe and make it in a large casserole dish. I would pay attention to cooking time because you will likely need to adjust for the size. I would keep check after 30 minutes until the eggs are set. I know they'll enjoy it.
I would double this for that size family.
Thank you Julia and Rose for your replies. I will try making a double recipe of this. Due to vacations and camps, not everyone has been home until last week, so I haven't tried to do a lot of cooking lately and haven't attempted to make this. Between work, college, high school, and grade school, everyone is on a different schedule weekdays, so it will be a great treat for a coming weekend breakfast. Hugs to all!
Julia,
I just found your site and love looking at what you are doing here! I tried to subscribe to your email posts but the feedburner did not send a subscription message to my email-inbox or junk mail. It will not allow me to re-try. Do you have any suggestions on how I can follow you via email?
Good Morning. I'm glad you found us and thank you. I am not sure why the subscribe feature doesn't function properly. I have removed it. If you look on the left hand side columns under the "Tweets" there is a 'Follow By Email' and you can enter your email address and enter. You will receive an email with a link to verify. You will receive emails for each new post. You can also follow by Google +. I hope you'll join us on our social media outlets too. If I can be of further assistance, please let me know.
Julia
I would love a big helping of this – super yummy – you can me at tatter tots! 😀 Stopping by to do some sharing from #FoodieFriDIY
Thank you Debra!
Congratulations!
Your recipe is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week. Enjoy your weekend and your new Red Plate!
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Thank you so much for the feature! Have a wonderful weekend.
My family would go crazy for this! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Blessings,
Edye | http://gracefulcoffee.wordpress.com
I hope you get a chance to try it soon. Thanks for stopping by.
Man, this looks yummy! I know my kids would be ecstatic to see this being served at dinner. Thanks for sharing your recipe with us at Merry Monday this week!
Thank you. I hope you get to try it soon! I'm sure they'll love it.
We're gonna try this with sweet potato tots.. ?
Let me know how it turns out Lisa! That sounds delicious too 🙂
I love everything about this dish!
Could I cook the onion in with the sausage and just go from there? I'm kinda afraid the onion won't get done all the way if I do it by the recipe.
Chrystal,
If you prefer really soft onions, yes you can saute them with the sausage 🙂
Are the tater tots frozen or do you cook them first?
The tater tots are frozen. They cook while the casserole bakes 🙂
I am in australia…what is the equivalent of breakfast sausage…?
Lee,
I can't find what the equivalent would be. From my reading, it seems that American breakfast sausage is difficult to find in Australia. You can make your own if you like. There are many recipes available – it's basically 1 lb of minced pork combined with seasonings such as sage, salt/pepper, red pepper flakes with variations of other ingredients such as crushed fennel, nutmeg, garlic. If you have a favorite minced meat and seasonings combination that would work fine to suit to your taste 🙂
Can I make this the night before and cook in morning?
Yes you can. I typically go ahead and cook it and just re-heat the next morning. Either way will work 🙂
I think I’d put the tater tots on the bottom and then the egg and then the sausage. 🙂 That way it’s kinda like having a scotch egg casserole! This looks delicious though.
I’d leave off the cheese though, my husband dislikes cheeses in general.
What else would you serve with the egg casserole breakfast would this be enough –toast-fruit????
It depends on how many you’re serving. The casserole itself is rather hearty but if you have a lot of folks to feed then I would serve toast/bagels, platter of bacon, and/or fruit alongside it.
Sorry, I forgot to ask what size package tater tots..or just a single layer for the 8 x 8 pan?
Just a single layer 🙂
I absolutely love this recipe! I love to cook for my siblings and family and they all love this. I come from a Filipino family so we are very specific with our food choices for breakfast. this is definitely one of them. Thank’s for this recipe!
A favorite with our family, especially the kiddos! Yum!
Can’t wait to try this casserole. What size pan do you use. It needs to feed at least five people.
Barbara,
It will easily feed 5. It’s a hearty meal. I use a square baking dish around 9 x 9 size. I hope that you enjoy the recipe.
I made some changes, living in the southwest, I used Mexican Chorizo, cream cheese, and jalapeno. I never used milk or cream. So good and creamy and spicy.
Tony,
That sounds like the perfect Southwestern twist and so delicious! I’m glad that you enjoyed the recipe.
I noticed trans fat 1g in the nutritional information listed. What ingredient has trans fat in it?
Trans fat is the very worst that a person could be eating. That’s why it can no longer be in food/ingredient items.
Lynda,
You’re right! The nutritional info in the recipes are automatically calculated. There used to be a small amount in oil used in making tater tots. I looked it up to double check and that is no longer the case so I’ve updated the recipe card to reflect that. Thank you for asking about it so I could check into it.
~Julia
Can you mix this up the night before and cook it in the a.m.?
You could but I would wait to layer the tater tots on top just before baking.
Hi, you said you’ve made this casserole the night before and then you just reheat it the next day. How long and at what temperature did you reheat it? Thanks! This sounds delicious!
Hi Carol,
When re-heating, I cover the casserole with aluminum foil and place into a pre-heated 350 F oven until it is warmed through. That usually takes about 20 or so minutes but depends on how much leftovers you’re re-heating.
~Julia
I found this recipe a month ago and it instantly became our favourite. We make it once a week. We’ve now tried it with Maple sausages cut into pieces, chicken, and hamburger and they have all been fantastic! Tonight we’re making it as written with the sausage meat. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!
I am so happy that you’ve enjoyed using this recipe to create home cooked meals. All of your variations sound wonderful. Thank you for stopping by to let me know.
~Julia
1
hiis this cooked covered or uncovered and how long ?
Uncovered, for an hour or until the eggs are set.
What size pan for the tater tot casserole? Thank you
Hi Ann, I use a square baking dish, which are typically 8×8.