Sausage Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

This Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole with Sausage combines your favorite breakfast ingredients all in one pan. Savory pork sausage, crunchy tater tots, fluffy eggs, and cheese baked in the oven…making the ultimate weekend brunch, breakfast for dinner, or even potluck party dish.

Even better, this cheesy tater tot breakfast casserole is made all in one baking dish in the oven and super simple and hassle-free to prepare! Great for when you need to feed a crowd and don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen!

Lifting up tater tot breakfast bake out of the casserole dish

Table of Contents

Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole with Sausage

I might have a bit of an obsession with tater tots. It’s potatoes, but potatoes that are crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, and seasoned with lots of flavor. Oh yum! Who says it’s just for kids??

This is Tater Tot Sausage Breakfast Casserole, we take tater tots, combine them with breakfast sausage and oven bake with eggs and cheese and make it a tater tot casserole extravaganza.

And you bet they will maintain their gorgeous crunchy texture in this recipe. It might be a casserole, but those tater tots will be crunchy.

So much great flavor and texture….breakfast and brunch just got a whole lot yummier. I can’t get enough of this tater tot breakfast casserole recipe, and neither can the people I’ve served it to!

I typically make this Tater Tots Sausage Breakfast Casserole when I’m entertaining a lot of people, or during the holidays when I have family staying over, or when I have to make something super easy for a potluck.

And every time I make it, it gets devoured so quickly I have no leftovers. It’s always such a big hit!

Sausage Tater Tots Breakfast Casserole is great for so many reasons:

One-pan breakfast meal. It has all your favorite breakfast foods in one pan: tater tots, breakfast sausage, eggs, cheese…what can I say, we are big fans of breakfast casseroles!
8 ingredients only! And that includes salt and pepper.
10-minute prep, then bring everything to bake in the oven…and the oven does the rest of the work!
Great for potlucks, parties, gatherings, and holidays because it feeds a lot of people without a lot of work.
Reheats well in the microwave – wow, seriously, W-I-N for an easy meal!
TATER TOTS!! 🥰 (the obsession is real…)
It really is SO. YUMMY.

A serving of sausage tater tot breakfast casserole

Ingredients

When I titled this ‘Sausage Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole’, I was fully aware that I am giving away the ingredients in the name of the recipe itself.

But nonetheless, here are the yummy ingredients that make up this tater tot breakfast casserole recipe:

Sausage: Jimmy Dean sausage rolls are my go-to! They are raw, and come in different varieties and seasonings so pick your favorite. Ground sausage or crumbled sausage can be used as well.
Frozen tater tots: Get a big bag from the frozen aisle, it’s one of those easy potato ingredients that makes everything so much more convenient.
Eggs: lots of them! 8 to be exact.
Milk: I always prefer to bake with 2% or higher like whole milk, but if you want a lower fat meal, feel free to use 1% or even skim.
Cheese: I use mozzarella and cheddar cheese but you can use only one type of cheese, or three type of cheeses, or a totally different type of cheese. Cheese it up however way you want! Monterey jack, pepper jack, swiss, or any soft cheese will make an awesome Sausage Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole as well.
Seasonings: garlic powder, salt and pepper. We want to make sure there’s plenty of yummy flavors in the egg mixture as well!

Let’s make Sausage Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole!

Let’s get to work make this Breakfast Tater Tot Casserole with Sausage happen!

And by work, I really mean, not a lot of work… (translation: easy peasy!)

Step 1: Sear Breakfast Sausage

First, sear the raw sausage under medium high heat. Crumble it into small pieces and cook until it is no longer pink.

Step 2: Assemble Casserole

For the first layer in this tater tot breakfast casserole, add crumbled cooked sausage to a large greased 9′ x 13′ casserole dish. Spread it out evenly.

Combine egg mixture by whisking together eggs, milk, garlic powder, salt and black pepper.

Gently pour whisked egg mixture into the casserole dish.

A rectangular casserole dish layered with crumbled sausage, then with egg mixture

And then to the top of the egg layer, add a little (or a lot of) cheese!

And last, but not least (drumroll please)… TATER TOTS!

Oh yes those tots are finally making their debut.

But there’s a reason why they are last. These tater tots should only be partially submerged in mixture so that the top can be browned, and yes, crispy.

Casserole dish filled with mixture layered with shredded cheese, followed by tater tots

Because crispy tater tots are the REAL DEAL.

Step 3: Bake

Lastly, send the tater tot sausage breakfast casserole into the oven to bake!

350℉ for 50 minutes, or until eggs are no longer runny. You can test that by piercing the center of the breakfast casserole with a toothpick. Toothpick will come out clean if done.

When it’d done, the tops should be slightly golden brown, egg mixture should have solidify (but still soft) and no longer in liquid form, and tops of the tater tots should be golden brown and crispy.

Let casserole cool for a few minutes before cutting into it.

Behold: Sausage Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole in all its glory. ❤️

Top down view of a rectangular breakfast casserole

Bite into it, and it should be cheesy, flavorful, crunchy, and SO VERY YUMMY.

Gimme this Sausage Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole for breakfast, lunch and dinner please! 😍

Variations and Substitutions

Sausage Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole is supposed to be a super easy and versatile dish. Feel free to substitute and make it your own!

Sausage replacement: ham, cooked bacon, ground beef, or Canadian bacon work great as well
Add veggies: I also love adding vegetables like bell peppers, spinach, onions, or tomatoes to the egg mixture. Add it right before adding cheese and tater tots.
Additional spices: feel free to use other herbs and seasonings (Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, oregano, onion powder etc) in addition to the garlic powder, salt and black pepper.
Try other cheeses: honestly, you should use whatever soft cheeses you have on hand as it’s a great way to clean out the fridge. Cheddar, mozzarella, Monterey jack, Colby jack, Swiss etc. work great on Tater Tot Sausage Breakfast Casserole.
Garnish the top: After baking, garnish with chopped green onions, parsley, or whatever herbs you have on hand!

Make Ahead, Storage, and Reheating

Make ahead: This is one of those dishes that is perfect for making ahead, especially when entertaining to cut down on day-of kitchen time. Follow the recipe in its entirety and pop it in the fridge. It’ll keep well, I promise.

Storage: You can store made ahead Tater Tot Sausage Breakfast Casserole covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you have leftovers, I recommend cut them into smaller slices or squares before storing. Keep in airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Reheating: When ready to reheat, cover with aluminum foil and reheat in oven at 350℉ for 30 minutes, or until it is heated through. Note that while you can reheat Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole in the microwave oven, tater tots would be less crispy.

Ways to serve this

You know I love Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole with Sausage for breakfast and brunch, but it also works great as potluck dish or even the holidays, because it serves a lot of people and still taste great in room temperature. It’s also a great candidate as breakfast for dinner.

Here are a few things that you can serve with this Easy Breakfast Sausage Tater Tot Casserole dish:

With toast/bagel/English muffins
With Coffee or tea or orange juice
As a taco with salsa and/or avocado on top
With fresh fruit on the side. Or whip up a Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Dressing or Winter Fruit Salad!

Tips and Tricks

Grease baking dish: Make sure to grease it with cooking oil spray or brush with a neutral oil so prevent the tater tot casserole from sticking to the dish.
Try flavored sausage: Use Italian sausage to bring an additional layer of flavor to this dish. If using plain sausage, considering adding a pinch of red pepper flakes for additional flavor.
Adjust salt in variations: If using crumbled bacon or an already savory type of meat, cut back or completely eliminate the salt in the egg mixture, or taste before adding salt.
Let it cool: Allowing the casserole to cool slightly before cutting to help it set better.
Reheating: If leftovers look really dry, add a few drops of water when reheating in the oven (see Reheating instructions above).

Frequently Asked Questions

Do the tater tots have to be thawed?

It’s not necessary to thaw the tater tots. Just place them directly into the casserole frozen.

How do I keep my casserole from being too soggy?

Make sure to cook the sausage thoroughly and drain any excess grease before adding the egg layer. Also, avoid over-baking the casserole, as it may become overly moist.

My casserole keeps sticking to the pan and makes the pan really hard to clean!

Grease your pan generously before adding the ingredients. You can use cooking spray or a thin layer of butter to prevent sticking.

Help! My casserole is browning too quickly on top!

If the top of your casserole is browning too fast while the center is not fully set, you can tent it loosely with aluminum foil to prevent further browning while allowing the center to cook through.

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Other Yummy Breakfast Casserole Recipes

If you love breakfast casseroles, check these out!

Ham and Cheese Croissant Casserole
Frittata with Ham, Tomato and Spinach
Berry French Toast Casserole
Apple French Toast Casserole
Cheesy Bacon Potato Casserole
Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole (by Savory Nothings)