Description
A hearty and comforting Breakfast Tater Tot Casserole featuring layers of crispy tater tots, savory sausage, sautéed vegetables, and a creamy egg mixture topped with melted sharp cheddar and pepper Jack cheeses. Perfect for a satisfying morning meal or brunch.
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 Oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9"x13" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Cook Sausage and Veggies: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, onions, and bell peppers. Cook while crumbling the sausage until fully cooked and the onions are softened. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Drain excess grease, then transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Let it cool slightly.
- Prepare Egg Mixture: In a large bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, diced green chilies, dried parsley, paprika, ground mustard, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Assemble Casserole: Add half of the tater tots to the baking dish with the sausage mixture along with half of both cheeses (¾ cup sharp cheddar and ¾ cup pepper Jack). Stir gently to combine, then spread into an even layer.
- Add Egg Mixture and Top: Pour the egg mixture evenly over the sausage and tater tot mixture. Sprinkle the remaining tater tots over the top.
- Bake: Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 70 to 80 minutes or until the eggs are set and the casserole is cooked through.
- Add Remaining Cheese: Remove from oven and sprinkle the remaining cheeses on top. Return to the oven and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes to melt the cheese.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove from oven and optionally sprinkle with chopped chives or green onions before serving.
Notes
- Turkey Option: Substitute with turkey sausage adding 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon beef bouillon for flavor.
- Cheese Substitutions: Use sharp cheddar and pepper Jack or swap pepper Jack for mozzarella, Gruyere, Swiss, Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, Fontina, or Gouda. Use freshly grated cheese for best melting.
- Variations: Swap meat and vegetables for your favorites but keep proportions to ensure the egg mixture envelops the filling.
- Storage: Cover tightly or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: Microwave individual servings for about 1 minute until warm or reheat the whole pan covered with foil at 325 degrees F for 20 minutes until heated through.
- Overnight Casserole: Assemble but do not add the top layer of tater tots. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Before baking allow to sit 30 minutes at room temperature, then add remaining frozen tater tots on top and bake as directed with an added 10-15 minutes cook time.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 260 mg
