Description
A hearty and delicious Breakfast Tater Tot Casserole featuring layers of crispy tater tots, savory sausage, fresh vegetables, melted cheeses, and a creamy egg mixture, perfect for a comforting morning meal or brunch with family and friends.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 32-ounce bag frozen Tater Tots®, divided (DON'T THAW)
- 1 pound hot bulk pork sausage
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ cups freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 ½ cups freshly grated pepper Jack cheese
Egg Mixture
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 4 ounces diced green chilies
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9"x13" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Cook Sausage and Vegetables: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage, diced onions, and chopped red and green bell peppers. Cook while crumbling the sausage until fully cooked and onions are softened. Add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Drain grease and transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish. Allow to cool slightly.
- Make Egg Mixture: In a large bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, diced green chilies, dried parsley, paprika, ground mustard, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Assemble Layers: Add half of the frozen tater tots to the baking dish with the sausage mixture. Sprinkle half of each freshly grated cheese (¾ cup sharp cheddar and ¾ cup pepper Jack) over the tater tots. Stir gently to combine and spread into an even layer.
- Add Egg Mixture and Top: Pour the egg mixture evenly over the sausage and tater tot layer. Then, sprinkle the remaining tater tots over the top.
- Bake: Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 70-80 minutes or until the eggs are set and the top is golden.
- Add Cheese and Final Bake: Remove casserole from oven and sprinkle with the remaining cheese (¾ cup sharp cheddar and ¾ cup pepper Jack). Return to the oven and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve: Remove casserole from oven. Optionally, garnish with chopped chives or green onions. Let cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- Turkey Substitute: Swap pork sausage with turkey sausage and add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper for extra flavor. Adding 1 teaspoon beef bouillon enhances the taste.
- Cheese Variations: Use sharp cheddar and pepper Jack cheeses or replace pepper Jack with Mozzarella, Gruyere, Swiss, Monterrey Jack, Colby Jack, Fontina, or Gouda. Always use freshly grated cheeses for better melting.
- Ingredient Variations: Feel free to swap meat and vegetables but maintain the proportions to ensure the egg mixture adequately covers the filling.
- Storage: Store the casserole covered tightly or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: Microwave individual servings on a microwave-safe plate for about 1 minute until warmed through; cut slices in half for even heating. Reheat the entire pan covered with foil in a 325 degrees F oven for about 20 minutes until warmed.
- Overnight Option: Assemble casserole without topping with the final half of tater tots. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Before baking, let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, add remaining frozen tater tots, and bake adding an extra 10-15 minutes as needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 210 mg
