This tater tot breakfast casserole is the ultimate crowd-pleaser—Easy to make, hearty, and perfect for any brunch or holiday breakfast. Loaded with eggs, savory sausage, veggies, melty cheese, and a crispy tater tot topping, it’s a comforting dish that also works great for meal prep or make-ahead breakfasts.
Whenever I’m planning a special breakfast or holiday brunch, an egg casserole is always a must. I always include eggs, veggies, and some kind of meat—but I had never tried adding tater tots until now, and wow… total game changer!
The tater tots brought just the right amount of crunch on top, plus a soft, comforting potato texture that blended beautifully with the eggs.
I love how simple this casserole is to make! You can assemble it right before baking, or prep it the night before for an easy, stress-free morning. It’s also incredibly versatile—swap in whatever veggies you have on hand and use your favorite meat.
Not only is this egg casserole great for brunch, but I love how well the leftovers hold up. You can eat them for breakfast all week and they’re excellent for lunch or breakfast for dinner!
Ingredient Notes
Red bell pepper, onion – Peppers and onions are a great combination to you in an egg casserole. It adds great flavor to the eggs which are rather flavorless.
Breakfast sausage – Use ground breakfast sausage that you can cook and crumble in the skillet. Pork sausage, chicken sausage, or turkey sausage can all be used.
Eggs – A great source of protein and part of what makes this a hearty breakfast casserole. They also act as the glue that hold all the other ingredients together.
Milk – I recommend using 2% milk, whole milk, or even half and half if you want a richer flavor. Dairy-free milk can be used, but may affect the flavor of the casserole.
Greek yogurt – Whole milk Greek yogurt or low-fat Greek yogurt will give you the best flavor and creaminess. Non-fat may break during the baking and give the egg casserole a rubbery consistency. You can also use sour cream. Crème fraîche or mascarpone are other alternative ideas.
Garlic powder and smoked paprika – Flavor enhancers for the egg mixture. I love using smoked paprika for a hint of smoky flavor, but you can also use regular paprika.
Tater tots – The star of this egg bake! They give the casserole a crispy potato topping that you don’t get when you use diced potatoes or hash browns. You’ll want to use a bag of frozen tater tots. Don’t defrost them before adding them on top of the egg mixture.
Havarti cheese – Havarti is a mild, buttery flavored, creamy cow’s milk cheese. It melts wonderfully and gives the casserole a delicious cheesy topping when sprinkled on top of the tater tots. You can substitute it with whatever cheese you like best.
Tips for Making Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
- Drain the cooked breakfast sausage on paper towels before adding it to the casserole dish. You don’t want the casserole to be too greasy.
- Let the eggs, milk and Greek yogurt come to room temperature. Doing this will make it much easier to thoroughly whisk them together.
- If you don’t want the cheese on top to be crispy, wait to add it on during the last 5 minutes of baking.
- Bake just until it’s set in the middle. Don’t overbake or eggs will get rubbery and dry.
- If you’re short on time, you can assemble the tater tot breakfast casserole up to 8 hours in advance. Cover it with foil and refrigerate, then let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking so it doesn’t go into the oven cold.
Substitutions
- Instead of breakfast sausage try using bacon, ham, or crumbled Italian sausage. You can also make the casserole vegetarian and omit the sausage.
- Greek yogurt can be substituted with sour cream.
- Use a different type of cheese. I like the melty, mild flavor of havarti cheese, but cheddar, monterey jack, colby jack, mozzarella, or even a smoked cheese like smoked provolone or smoked mozzarella would all be delicious.
- For a little bit of spiciness add a few dashes of hot sauce or a couple pinches of red pepper flakes.
Serving Suggestions
Storage
Leftover tater tot breakfast casserole will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat the casserole in the microwave or in a 350° F. oven covered with a piece of foil until warmed through.
This egg casserole can be frozen, but keep in mind that the texture may become slightly spongy after thawing due to excess moisture.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
In a mixing bowl of large glass measuring cup. Whisk together the eggs. Add the milk, Greek yogurt, salt, pepper, and dried spices in with the eggs and whisk together until well combined.
Add the breakfast sausage to a skillet heated over medium-high heat, I used non-stick so I didn’t need to use any additional oil. Cook and crumble the sausage then remove it onto a plate lined with paper towels to remove the excess grease.
Add the onion and peppers to the skillet and cook them until they’ve softened, 3-4 minutes.
Spread the breakfast sausage, peppers and onions into a single layer in the baking dish. Pour the egg mixture over the top.
Arrange the tater tots on top of the egg mixture and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top.
Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45-55 minutes or until the center is set. Garnish with sliced green onions if desired and serve.
Leftover egg casserole will keep for 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. You can freeze the casserole, but the texture won’t be quite the same once defrosted, a little more spongy from the excess liquid.
Calories: 395kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 17gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 175mgSodium: 898mgPotassium: 450mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 753IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 132mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Breakfast Casseroles
If you make this Tater Tot Breakfast Casseroleplease leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love hearing from you and do my best to respond to your comments. And if you’re on Instagram tag @reciperunner so I can see your beautiful creations!
