This cheesy tater tot breakfast casserole is a really easy, one-skillet recipe made with ground breakfast sausage, golden tater tots, egg, milk, and melted cheddar cheese. Its got all the elements of a hearty breakfast in every bite.
Ive always been enamored with a meaty breakfast casserole. It must have bacon or sausage (or both), it must contain eggs and cheese, and needs to have some form of crispy potatoesall the breakfast elements you really care about. My tater tot breakfast casserole comes together in about 10 minutes with 40 minutes of baking. Its the perfect main dish for any brunch party and its sure to please.
How to Layer the Breakfast Casserole
The recipe starts with a layer of browned ground pork sausage, a layer of frozen tater tots (acting as hash browns), all held together by whisked eggs and milk.
I cook the ground sausage in the skillet, drain excess fat, and lightly pack the sausage down to form a single layer on the bottom of the skillet. This acts as the crust-like base and holds together well with a little help from the eggs.
Tater tots should be frozen when baked. This is to ensure they dont overcook. The tots should be tightly layered in a single layer with no overlap. A little space in between allows for the egg to fill in the gaps and spread throughout the casserole. This is a good thing.
Its important to sprinkle the cheese over the tots before pouring in the egg mixture in the skillet. This will coat the cheese with eggs and protect from overcooking.
What About Bacon?
I love where your heads at. You can optionally add cooked bacon on top of the tots if you want extra meat and bacon flavor. Id add on top of the cheese before adding the egg. If you keep the oven rack in the middle, the cheese wont burn in the oven.
Do I Need a Skillet?
No, the recipe is just easier to make in a single skillet. Less cleanup etc. You can cook sausage in a pan and transfer to a baking dish if thats all you have. Either way, its a brunch winner and we can still be friends.
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A delicious and really easy one-skillet recipe made with ground breakfast sausage, golden tater tots, eggs, and melted cheddar cheese. Its got all the elements of a hearty breakfast in every bite.
Ingredients
- 28-ounce bag of tater tots
- 1 pound ground breakfast sausage
- 8 eggs
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Green onions for garnish
- Optional 4-5 strips bacon, fully cooked and chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Whisk eggs in a medium-sized bowl. Add salt, pepper, onion powder, and milk. Whisk and set aside.
- In a cast-iron skillet, cook sausage until browned and fully cooked through. Use the tip of a spatula to break the sausage into small pieces. Drain any excess fat. Use the spatula to gently press down on the sausage, creating a single even layer filling the entire bottom of the skillet.
- Layer tater tots (on their side) on top of sausage as evenly as possible with no overlap. Fit as many as you comfortably fit with a little bit of space in between. Sprinkle with cheese (if adding bacon add now) and then pour egg mixture evenly over the entire skillet. Bake for 40 minutes, uncovered on the middle rack.
- In the last 5 minutes, you can top with additional cheese if you would like. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with green onions, and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
You dont have to make this in a cast iron skillet if you dont have one. You can use a similar oven-safe pan or transfer everything to a baking dish for the baking portion.
Keywords: sausage hashbrown breakfast casserole, brunch recipes, breakfast casserole recipe
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