What if breakfast was a matter of tossing together your favorite morning goodies with a bunch of tater tots and baking it while you enjoy your second cup of coffee? This casserole takes about 15-20 minutes to assemble and most of the time is spent baking it. It's exactly the right kind of comforting, laid back breakfast dishes I tend to crave once the season has me and my family busy with gardening, yardwork, summer play, and more.
If you have other breakfast favorites than those listed in the recipe below, you can tweak the add-ins to suit your tastes. You can even give it a theme - Tex-Mex? Denver omelet? You get the idea. Make it yours.
This casserole can absolutely be the beginning and end of breakfast or brunch. That said, a fresh fruit or green salad is a lovely accompaniment, along with juice, coffee, and tea. Fuel your day with morning comfort food!
Breakfast Tater Tot Casserole
- 2 tsp. cooking fat of your choice
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 bunch scallions, diced
- 2 ½ c. shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ lb. fully cooked ham, chopped
- 7 oz. precooked sausage links, chopped
- 32 oz. frozen tater tots
- 6 large eggs
- 1 ½ c. whole milk
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish or 9-inch deep casserole round with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat the cooking fat of your choice over medium-high heat. Sauté the diced onion for 5 minutes or so until the onions are translucent.
Once cooked, add the onions and any grease to a large mixing bowl. Stir in the peppers, scallions, 2 cups of the cheese, chopped ham and sausage, and tater tots and mix everything together.
Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, ground black pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Pour the mixture over the top of the tater tot mixture.
Bake the casserole in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes; remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup of shredded cheese and bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Yields: 6-8 servings
- Preparation Time: About an hour