This easy Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole is loaded with crispy tater tots, a full pound of bacon, fluffy eggs, and plenty of cheddar cheese. Assemble it the night before, pop it in the oven in the morning, and you’ll have a hearty breakfast that feeds a crowd. It’s perfect for holiday mornings, brunches, and busy weekends.
This tater tot breakfast casserole recipe is more than enough on its own. But, if you are planning a brunch spread, or if you want to serve with as part of a holiday breakfast, try serving with this Classic French Toast, Candied Bacon, or a simple Fruit Salad.
The Ultimate Make-Ahdead Breakfast Casserole
Whether you’re feeding your family on Christmas morning or bringing a dish to a brunch potluck, this make-ahead tater tot breakfast casserole is an easy win. Crispy tots, bacon, eggs, and cheese… what’s not to love?
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Our family loves spicy, so sometimes we’ll do a Southwestern version by adding some canned green chilies and sautéed bell peppers into the mix. Other times, we’ll switch up the bacon with breakfast sausage, or change up the shredded cheese. However you decide to make it, you can be sure that your whole family will absolutely love it.
This recipe is also a great make-ahead recipe so it’s perfect for feeding a crowd of both kids and adults. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream and a splash of your favorite salsa and you’ll be good to go!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Crispy tater tots make it more fun than a typical breakfast casserole. They create a hearty potato base for the eggs, bacon, and cheese, with golden, crispy edges after baking.
- It’s loaded with classic breakfast favorites. A full pound of bacon, cheddar cheese, eggs, and seasoned tater tots make this an especially satisfying, crowd-friendly breakfast.
- It’s perfect for making the night before. Assemble the entire casserole, refrigerate it overnight, and bake it the next morning—ideal for holidays, brunches, or feeding a crowd without a lot of morning prep.
How to Make Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients You Will Need
- Bacon – any kind of bacon will work to make bacon bits.
- Tater Tots – it’s best if these stay frozen. Of course, if you plan to make this the night before that won’t be possible.
- Cheddar Cheese – you can purchase shredded cheese, or shred your own. Also, feel free to substitute colby jack, pepper jack or Monterey jack cheese.
- Eggs – you can use any type of large whole eggs.
- Milk – we recommend that you use whole milk or 2% milk.
- Onion Powder and Garlic Powder – these add so much flavor to the whole dish.
- Chives – you could also substitute chopped green onions.
- Salt and Pepper
How to Make Tater Tot Casserole
- Cook the bacon. Cook sliced bacon in a skillet over medium heat for 5–7 minutes, or until crispy. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
- Assemble the casserole. Arrange tater tots in a greased 9″ x 13″ baking dish. Season with salt and pepper, then top with half the bacon and half the cheddar cheese.
- Add the egg mixture. Whisk together the eggs, milk, onion powder, garlic powder, and chives. Pour over the tater tots and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight if making ahead.
- Bake. Bake at 350°F for about 1 hour, or until the top and edges are golden brown and the eggs are set in the center.
- Serve. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with the remaining bacon.
Tips for the Best Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
- Keep the tater tots frozen. Take them out of the freezer right when you’re ready to assemble. Thawed tots turn mushy.
- Drain the bacon well. Extra grease can make the casserole heavy, so let the bacon sit on paper towels for a few minutes.
- Check the center. The casserole is done when the eggs are set in the middle and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let it rest. Give it 5–10 minutes out of the oven so it holds together when you slice it.
Recipe Variations
- Vegetarian – remove the bacon and you’ve got yourself a vegetarian breakfast casserole.
- Substitute a different breakfast meat – diced ham or even breakfast sausage would taste great in this casserole. You could also try a “meat lovers” version and use all three!
- Sautéed veggies – add sautéed red peppers, onions or mushrooms. You can sprinkle the veggies over the tater tots just before you pour over the egg mixture.
- Spicy – add a pinch or two of cayenne powder and a dash of your favorite hot sauce if you want to make things a little spicy.
- Tater Tot Casserole Muffins – bake individual portions into muffin tins! Just keep an eye on the cooking time which will vary quite a bit, depending on the size of tins that you use.
Frequently Asked Questions
You sure can. Just prep completely, then wrap well and store in the fridge overnight. The next morning, pull your baking dish from the fridge and preheat the oven for at least 30 minutes (you want to be sure that your baking dish has enough time to come to room temperature so that you don’t risk the chance of it shattering in the oven!).
Bake as directed and voila – breakfast is served!
Yes! Simply prep and bake as directed, cool completely, then wrap with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
In order to reheat, it’s easiest to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then pull out to room temperature the next morning while you preheat your oven. Reheat in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until warmed through.
Nope! Layer the frozen tater tots right into the baking dish. They cook in the egg mixture and get golden and crispy on top. Keep them frozen until you’re ready to assemble, or they’ll get mushy.
Yes! Frozen shredded or cubed hash browns both work. The casserole will be a little softer without the crispy tater tot tops, so keep an eye on the bake time and check that the eggs are set in the center.
The top and edges should be golden brown, and the eggs should be set in the center with no jiggle. A knife inserted in the middle should come out clean.
Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound bacon, sliced into 1/2" pieces
- 32 ounces tater tots, frozen
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 12 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons chives, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add sliced bacon. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes or until the bacon is golden brown. Once cooked, remove the bacon bits and drain on paper towels. Set aside.
- Grease a 9" x 13" baking dish, then line the bottom of the prepared baking dish with tater tots. Season with salt and pepper along with half of the bacon bits and half of the cheddar cheese.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, onion powder, garlic powder, and chives. Pour this egg mixture over the tater tots and top with the remaining cheddar cheese. (I like to save the rest of the bacon bits to top after baking) If you don't plan on baking right away, wrap with plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight.
- Once you are ready to bake, place the prepared tater tot dish into a preheated oven for about 1 hour, or until the edges and top are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and top with remaining bacon bits. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Refrigerator: cover and store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: wrap in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, transfer to the fridge overnight.
- To make ahead: assemble the casserole, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight. Let it sit on the counter while the oven preheats, then bake as directed.”
- To reheat: Reheat in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until warmed through.
Nutrition
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Categories:
Breakfast, Breakfast Casseroles, Fall Recipes, Nut-Free, Spring Recipes, Summer Recipes, Winter Recipes,
My husband wanted an egg casserole to bring to a guys weekend so I trialed the receipe on my family last week. Everyone loved it. It’s certainly not the healthiest meal but once in a blue moon works for me.
Jill this was amazing! Thank you for this easy to make recipe! I loved being able to prepare a hot breakfast for my family ahead of time and they LOVED starting the day with such a yummy hot breakfast. I’m excited to try some italian sausage next time…
I really enjoyed this. It was so easy to make and very delicious!