Tater tots plus eggs plus sausage equals a one-skillet breakfast casserole you can eat all week long. Call it a hot dish or call it a tater tot casserole, either way, it’s good!
Photography Credit:
Aaron Hutcherson
Give me sausage, eggs, potatoes, and cheese for breakfast, and I know it’ll be a great day ahead.
This tater tot casserole combines all of these items into one delicious breakfast dish. It makes a great dish for a weekend brunch, or add it to your meal plan and eat it for breakfast throughout the week!
Some of you might know this casserole as “a hotdish,” a term that originates in the upper Midwest. A hotdish typically contains a starch (like potatoes), a meat, and vegetables.
This breakfast tater tot casserole follows the same basic formula. It’s made with tater tots, breakfast sausage, cheddar cheese, and eggs. I skipped the “vegetable” component in an effort to keep the recipe streamlined, but you could also add some chopped bell peppers or cooked mushrooms if you have them.
This is an easy one-skillet dish with minimal prep that can provide breakfast for a crowd. It’s also a great make-ahead dish! Since I tend to cook solely for myself, I ended up reheating slices of this casserole for breakfast throughout the week (and even a few times for dinner) — it was fantastic reheated!
Admittedly, I realize that some readers might want to avoid processed foods. I used Ore Ida brand tater tots in this recipe, but if you are looking for something organic, Alexia has some great options that would work.
And just as a heads up, I only needed about three-quarters of the bag that I purchased, so you’ll have extra tater tots that you can save for another use—bonus!
Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 ounces ground pork breakfast sausage
- 6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) shredded cheddar cheese, plus extra to sprinkle over top
- 8 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (whole) milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- One 32-ounce bag frozen tater tots
- Thinly sliced chives, for serving
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
2 Cook the sausage: Warm a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat, and add the sausage. Cook, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the pan from heat.
3 Assemble the casserole: Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
Spread the sausage into an even layer over the bottom of the skillet. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese, and pour the egg mixture over the top.
Arrange the frozen tater tots over the egg mixture in concentric circles, starting with a row around the rim of the pan and working your way in, or vice versa. (You won’t use the entire bag; reserve remaining tater tots for another use.)
4 Bake the casserole. Bake until the eggs have fully set and the cheese has melted, 35 to 40 minutes. If desired, sprinkle some additional cheese over top and bake an extra minute or two, until the cheese has melted.
5 Serve: Let the casserole cool slightly before cutting into wedges. Sprinkle with some sliced chives and serve. Leftovers will keep for about 5 days.
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Aaron Hutcherson
Aaron or “Hutch” is the blogger behind The Hungry Hutch, which features a delicious variety of savory and sweet recipes. He grew up in the Midwest, but has called New York City home for nearly a decade.
