You’ll love this homestyle Breakfast Tater Tot Casserole recipe made with sausage, vegetables, eggs, cheese, and of course tater tots! Prep it ahead, make it the same day, or freeze it for later. Enjoy it for breakfast or dinner!
Other popular breakfast casseroles include our Hash Brown Egg Casserole, Chili Relleno Casserole, and Breakfast Enchiladas!
Easy Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole Recipe
When my kids were little, they didn’t really like potatoes – not baked, or mashed, or roasted – unless they were French Fries or Tater Tots. Kids are so weird.
This tater tot casserole was (and still is!) always a hit when I serve it. It’s made with breakfast sausage, vegetables, cheese, simple seasonings, and tater tots, of course. It’s crazy easy, hearty and filling, and just plain delicious. There’s also no flour, so it’s a great option for anyone with gluten sensitives.
Enjoy it the same day you bake it or prep and stash it in the fridge overnight for an even easier breakfast the next morning. I’ve been known to serve it for dinner, too. We all love it.
Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole Ingredients
You’ll need just a short, simple list of ingredients to make this cheesy tater tot casserole:
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Tater Tots – frozen tater tots. We’re partial to the Ore-Ida brand, but any are fine.
- Breakfast sausage – or you can use mild Italian or hot sausage, if you prefer.
- Vegetables – onion, red bell pepper, and garlic.
- Eggs – you’ll need 8 large eggs, which makes this tater tot casserole thick and filling.
- Milk – whole milk is my preference for taste and creaminess. 2% is fine, but I wouldn’t go below that. If you want it even richer, use half-n-half.
- Cheese – we love shredded Colby jack cheese. Cheddar cheese or pepper jack would also work really well.
- Seasonings – simple seasonings like salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dry ground mustard add to the delicious flavor. The mustard is very subtle, but you can omit it, if preferred.
No Need To Thaw The Tater Tots
How to Make Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
You only need a few minutes to prep this easy casserole and the fact that the tots don’t need to be defrosted first, makes it even easier! Here’s a brief summary of the steps:
(For all the details, scroll down to the complete printable recipe card.)
- Cook the sausage and vegetables. Drain off grease and place in a 9×13 casserole dish.
- Whisk together the eggs, milk, and seasonings. Pour over cooked veggies.
- Sprinkle with half the cheese and the tater tots.
- Bake, uncovered, for about 55 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and cook a few minutes more.
- Let stand for a couple minutes, then serve and enjoy!
Make Ahead and Storage
- Can you make tater tot breakfast casserole ahead of time? If you would like to make tater tot casserole ahead of time, prep it without the tater tots, then cover it with foil and place it in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, top it with the tater tots and bake it according to the directions. You certainly can assemble the entire thing the night before, but I recommend waiting to add the tater tots right before baking so they don’t get soggy.
- How to store leftovers? Cool completely, then place in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Can you freeze tater tot breakfast casserole? Yes! This casserole freezes well. Allow to cool completely after baking, then transfer to a freezer-safe, airtight container (or portion out into individual servings.) It can be stored up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
More Breakfast Casseroles:
- French Toast Casserole
- Brioche French Toast Casserole
- Croissant Bread Pudding
- Chili Relleno Casserole
- Breakfast Enchiladas
- Eggs Benedict Casserole
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground breakfast sausage
- 1 medium onion , diced
- 1 small red bell pepper , diced
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dry ground mustard (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Colby jack cheese , divided
- 28 ounces frozen tater tots
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9×13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium nonstick skillet, combine the sausage, onions, and bell pepper over medium-high heat. Cook, breaking up the sausage into crumbles with a wooden spoon, until browned and no pink remains. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Drain the grease from the sausage mixture and spread it in the casserole dish.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and dry mustard (if using.) Pour the egg mixture over the sausage mixture.
- Sprinkle half of the cheese and all of the tater tots into the casserole dish.
- Bake the casserole for 55 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on the top of the casserole and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until eggs are cooked through.
- Let stand 5 minute before serving and enjoy!NOTE: like your food more spicy? Feel free to swap out the breakfast sausage with hot sausage and/or replace the colby jack cheese with pepper jack.
Hi Amy, The video with this recipe shows cottage cheese but that is not listed on the ingredient list in the recipe.
Hi Jeanette – This recipe has been revised over the years. The video also includes bacon and not sausage. For optimal results, follow the written recipe not the video. However, you can add in a 1/2 cup cottage cheese to the mixture if you want. Enjoy!
I followed the recipe and it was delicious. Husband loved it. It will be great for family or large holiday gatherings. Don’t skip the mustard. It is not spicy. Terrific casserole for a group or make and freeze some for busy mornings, lunch or dinner with a salad. Not spicy but can add some with salsa or pepper jack cheese.
My family loved this!
This recipe is so delicious, and I know I will make it again and again. Thank you! In addition to the sausage version, I made an all veggie version for the vegetarians in my family. I used broccoli, zucchini, and spinach in place of the sausage. Also delish!
Do you think you can replace the tater tots with hash brown patties? Thanks
This was easy and delicious – the entire family loved it and requested I make it again.
Looks completely fab! I’m going to make this for an upcoming weekend with lots of house guests. If I freeze the whole thing after baking it, are the tater tots still crispy when you reheat it?
My family loved this!
This was amazing ! Very, very good.
Don’t skip the mustard powder! Made for Xmas day brunch. I used cubed ham instead of sausage. Great ratio of eggs to veggies and meat. Will make again!
Hi Amy – this sausage breakfast casserole looks awesome but I haven’t tried it yet. I had this page saved on Pinterest because it used to be a tater tot breakfast casserole with bacon and cottage cheese. I LOVED making it and always got so many compliments. I’ve been making it for years now and usually do it from memory but the last couple times it hasn’t come out quite the same. I came back to this page to brush up on the recipe and I can’t find it anywhere on your site. Do you possibly still have that recipe? If you’re able to share it I would be so appreciative. Thanks so much!!
This casserole is absolutely delicious! My family loved it and my oldest doesn’t even like eggs! The recipe was easy to follow. I added bacon and green peppers to the mix. I also garnished the top with bacon crumbles and parsley. I will definitely make this again.
This was so easy and delicious!
I rarely give anything 5 stars, but this recipe deserves it! We have it every Sunday for breakfast. I’m curious, though, as to whether it freezes well.
Great easy recipe! Whole family loved it.
This was delicious and so easy. The family loved it.
Looks delicious but I’d like to add mushrooms should they be fresh or canned, if fresh should they be cooked first?
Hi Barb – Use fresh, and yes, cook them first. Enjoy!
Very good. Whole family loved it. Only change I made was using pepper jack cheese for a little heat.
My family loved this dish. So easy and tasty. We always have tater tots in the freezer.
Great dish! I noticed this is tagged as gluten free. Just be careful what brand of tot you use as some use flour for crispiness.
Absolutely wonderful!!! I have a large family so I doubled it and it was a huge hit. Easy on the budget too without being super carby. Thanks for this!!!
It was delicious and super easy.
Great casserole! I made it for a brunch at my church everyone loved it!