Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole went from being my go-to busy weekend breakfast casserole to the dish I rely on every Christmas morning. It started as a “let me throw something easy together” moment a few years ago, and now I feed it to my family on our most special day of the year. It’s simple, comforting, and hits every note you want first thing in the morning when the house is still waking up.
The base is all the good stuff, crispy tater tots baked until golden, sweet breakfast sausage, sautéed onions and peppers, and a creamy, high-protein egg mixture that keeps everything fluffy and satisfying. Add a layer of melted cheese and you’ve got the kind of breakfast that pulls everyone to the kitchen before you even call them.
What I love most is how customizable it is, because let’s be real… holiday mornings come with enough chaos. This casserole works whether you stick to the classics or switch things up. Sometimes I use turkey sausage, sometimes bacon. Sometimes I sneak in spinach or mushrooms. Sometimes I mix sharp cheddar with a little mozzarella because that’s what’s in the fridge. It always works.
The texture is really what sells people, the top gets golden and crisp, but inside it stays soft, creamy, and cheesy without ever feeling heavy. Every bite has a little bit of everything: the crunch of the tots, the savory sausage, the sweetness of the onions and peppers, the richness of the egg. Even the picky eaters go back for seconds.
And the best part? It saves your morning. I don’t want to be in the kitchen flipping pancakes while everyone else is laughing in the living room. This casserole bakes while life is happening. You can prep it the night before, pop it in the oven while everyone checks their stockings, and breakfast is ready without any stress.
It also feeds a crowd, which is clutch when family is in town or kids are running around asking when breakfast is ready. Pair it with fruit, pastries, or even just some hot coffee and you’ve got a full spread without doing the most.
If you’re building your holiday menu or just want something easy and reliable for busy mornings, this Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole is it. It’s cozy, cheesy, kid-approved, and the kind of recipe that quietly becomes a tradition, the one people look forward to before they even take their first bite.
Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
Equipment
- 1 Pie Dish
Ingredients
- 6 large brown eggs
- 2 cups of frozen mini tater tots
- 1/2 lb breakfast sausage, crumbled
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar
- 1/2 small white onion, diced
- 1/2 small red pepper, diced
- 1/2 small green bell pepper, diced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Add the frozen mini tater tots directly into a lightly greased deep pie dish. Spread them in an even layer and bake according to package instructions until fully cooked and crisp.
- Remove the dish from the oven and, while the tots are still hot, use the bottom of a glass to lightly press and spread them into a thin, even crust that covers the bottom of the dish. (You an spray the bottom of the glass so it doesn't stock or use the back of a fork to press down gently)
- Cook the breakfast sausage in a skillet over medium heat until browned and crumbled, then set aside.
- In the same skillet, sauté the diced onion and diced red and green peppers until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes, then set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth. Add the cottage cheese, shredded mozzarella, and shredded cheddar and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Fold in the cooked sausage, onions, and peppers until evenly distributed.
- Pour the egg mixture over the tater tot crust, spreading it evenly.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and the center is set. Let it rest a few minutes before slicing and serving.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
