Make-Ahead Overnight Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
This make-ahead overnight tater tot breakfast casserole is loaded with tater tots, sausage, eggs, veggies and cheese. It is a delicious, hearty, make-ahead breakfast!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was a big hit Christmas morning but will definitely be added to my year round rotation. I loved the how the tater tots turned into soft potatoes. So tasty!! Thanks Mel! -Michelle
Why You’ll Love This Breakfast Casserole
There is so much to love about this popular overnight breakfast casserole. I’ve detailed a few of the merits below:
- It is assembled 12-18 hours before you need to bake it, so it makes a perfect make-ahead breakfast option.
- However, it can also be baked right away. The tater tots don’t soften quite as much when baking right away, but many people have made it that way (including myself), and it works great.
- The make-ahead option means it is a perfect holiday breakfast or for when you are hosting company that doesn’t require you to wake up at 4 a.m. to get breakfast on the table.
- It is delicious for breakfast OR dinner.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Also included in the ingredient details below are several easy substitutions.
- Breakfast sausage: Sausage is our favorite meat to use in this casserole, but other meats can easily be substituted or added, like chopped ham or cooked bacon. The casserole can also be made meatless.
- Bell peppers + onions: These two ingredients cook with the sausage. The vegetables are adaptable. Sub other veggies in or out, based on taste preferences or what you have on hand.
- Eggs: The recipe calls for six large eggs. You can add more eggs (up to 10) for a higher egg-to-potato ratio (if doing so, the casserole will need to bake quite a bit longer).
- Milk + Sour cream: These ingredients are blended with the eggs and add a creamy texture to the filling.
- Tater tots: You’ll need a 24-ounce bag of tater tots for this recipe. They don’t need to be thawed first.
- Shredded cheese: I prefer using a combination of Monterey Jack and cheddar.
For serving: this breakfast casserole is delicious served with salsa and sour cream on top, and it can also be garnished with chopped green onions and chives after baking.
How to Make Overnight Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
- Scatter the tater tots in a single layer in the bottom of a 9X13-inch pan. It’s ok if there’s a few gaps and holes. No one is going to notice you’re carefully arranged pattern after it all bakes, so just toss them in.
- Cook the sausage, peppers and onions in a skillet. Drain the grease.
- Whisk or blend together the eggs, milk, sour cream, salt and pepper until smooth.
- Sprinkle the sausage and veggies over the tater tots.
- Sprinkle cheese evenly across the top.
- Pour the egg mixture over all the other ingredients.
- Cover the dish with lightly greased foil and refrigerate (overnight, up to 18 hours).
- Bake and serve warm.
A Favorite Breakfast
This egg and tater tot casserole has been a breakfast staple for us for almost ten years. It appears nearly every Christmas morning, and several of my kids request it on their birthdays, too.
It is filling and hearty and ever so delicious. We often enjoy it for dinner, too!
I love how easy it is to make and how adaptable it is! I throw it together using inspiration (and what’s available in the fridge!) as my guide. Every single variation has been devoured with nary a complaint. This is definitely a tried-and-true keeper of a recipe!
Make-Ahead Overnight Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 12 to 16 ounces breakfast sausage (see note)
- 1 cup small diced bell peppers, any color
- ½ cup small diced onion
- 6 large eggs (see note)
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Pinch of black pepper
- 24 ounces (about 6 cups) frozen tater tots
- 1 cup (114 g) grated cheddar cheese
- 1 cup (114 g) grated Monterey Jack cheese
- Chopped green onion or chives, for garnish (optional)
- Sour cream and salsa, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage, peppers and onions, crumbling the sausage into small pieces as it cooks, until it is no longer pink and cooked through and the veggies are tender. Drain the grease (you can let the sausage/veggies hang out in the skillet for a minute or remove them to a plate).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sour cream, salt and pepper until smooth.
- Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan. Place the tater tots in a single layer across the bottom of the pan. (Use only as many tater tots as will fit in a single layer).
- Sprinkle sausage over the tater tots followed by the veggies. Sprinkle cheese evenly across the top.
- Pour the egg mixture evenly over and across the top. Cover the dish with lightly greased foil and refrigerate (overnight, up to 18 hours). OR you can bake it right away. The tater tots won’t break down quite as much, but it is still delicious.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake covered for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 20-25 minutes longer until golden, bubbly, and set. Add additional time, as needed, until the center of the casserole is no longer runny. Sprinkle with green onions or chives, if using. Serve warm.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Is the cooking time in the recipe based on the casserole going into the oven cold from being in the fridge overnight or going straight in the oven after preparing? I’m getting mixed information from the reviews and the recipe doesnt say for sure. I’m wondering if the baking time needs to be increased if it’s been in the fridge overnight? Also, would adding 3 extra eggs increase the cooking time? Thank you for all the wonderful recipes! I’ve used so many of them over the years!
Hi Laura, that’s a good question – sorry for the confusion. The cooking time is assuming the casserole is coming from the fridge and going into the oven. However, a lot of readers have reported they’ve needed extra time, so I’ll clarify in the recipe to add time, as needed, and bake until the casserole is firm throughout.
This is an excellent recipe; so easy to assemble and delicious. I will definitely make this again.
This was a big hit Christmas morning but will definitely be added to my year round rotation. I loved the how the tater tots turned into soft potatoes. So tasty!! Thanks Mel!
This was a lifesaver and we are ditching our other casserole recipe for this one now. 🙂 It was so nice to prepare a day ahead and it was so easy to make and so delicious. The only change we made was to add 8 total eggs for a little more protein and it was perfect! Merry Christmas and thanks for this yummy recipe, Mel.
When using more eggs, be sure to add more time so the eggs aren’t runny!!
This breakfast casserole is delicious my whole family loves it. It is my holiday breakfast know so easy just pop in the oven .Thank you for sharing wish I had this recipe years ago
This is so yummy! I wish I could have it more often. Simply the best!
Can this be frozen
Yes…I prefer to freeze it after it has been baked.
This is delicious and such a lovely combination of ingredients—mild and tasty. (One note: I added two extra eggs this last time based on other comments, and I feel like the original recipe of six eggs is a better balance to the overall texture.)
Just made this. I did put in two extra eggs. It was very tasty…loved by everyone. Thanks.
Simply the best! My picky husband doesn’t like veggies in it… so just some shallots, meat, and the rest. It’d be fun and flexible to add more veggies and swap out meats for sure. I could see a Denver style one 100%!
Excellent dish! I’ve made it so many times and always comes out perfect. For my smaller family, I use a 9×9 baking dish and keep the egg milk sour cream amounts the same. I add a diced 8 ounce ham steak and use one generous cup of shredded cheese. I’ll never use any other breakfast casserole recipe again, this one is truly the gold standard!
Very adaptable to the veggies you may have on hand! Easy, quick and toss in the oven substantial!! Just overall excellent! Thank you again Mel!! Planning to make this ahead and take to church to share!
Happy to hear that, Elisabeth!
I make this every Christmas, on vacations, the occasional Saturday. My family LOVES it. Both as a casserole and as burritos. My kids are pepper haters, so I usually leave out the peppers and onions. And i always use 8 eggs instead of 6.
It looks amazing. I have not made it yet… I’m a mom who’s getting ready to have surgery and I was curious if I wanted to make this and then freeze, would it still bake up ok?
Hi Christina, yes, it should freeze fine!
LOVED it! Made it and baked it right away. Made 2 8x8s, froze one for later. Will do that again next time!
Delicious and versatile! Used ham and veggies, topped with cheese. Husband liked the tater tots too! So easy!!
I just assembled this casserole, haven’t baked it, and wanted to freeze it. When I’m ready to bake, what degree and amount of time should I cook it? Thanks so much love your new cookbook!
Hi Mindy – thank you! This bakes a bit more evenly if thawed first. If so, you can bake it according to recipe directions and add about 15-20 minutes to account for it being chilled.
Really tasty and not difficult. Will happily make it again
I quite like this recipe, it’s become a Christmas morning staple. I think it would be interesting to try with jalapeños and pepper jack cheese.
The cooking time is always much longer for me than the recipe states, however. Today it took 2 hours and needed to be recovered to prevent the top from burning.
Thanks for the reminder email right before Christmas. Always a hit at my house! I know it’s a little bit extra work at night when you’re tired, but you will thank yourself in the morning!!!
This was the first thing my wife ever cooked for me, and it’s pretty safe to say this is what made me fall in love with her. It’s a complete 10/10. Thanks Mel, we should have sent you a wedding invite.
Haha, so happy this won you over!
This is Christmas morning staple. We love it!
This has become my holiday breakfast – made it for Thanksgiving morning for several years. It’s easy, delicious and feeds the whole family. Love it!
I do not have milk can I use heavy cream instead?
I would think the heavy cream with a bit of water if using in place of the milk.
A wonderful woman made this for my baby shower. It was sooo gooooood it was all I wanted to eat for the rest of the day! Now I’m going to make it for my family’s supper tomorrow!
We are wanting to make this for our ward Christmas party but it’s at night. How important is the 12 hours/overnight thing? Can it be thrown together and baked right away? Thanks for the help!
Yes, it definitely can be baked right away – the texture of the tater tots is a bit different, but I do that all the time!
Wonderful recipe! We’re considering using this recipe for our church Christmas breakfast. We’d have volunteers make the casserole and then we’d scoop it onto a tortilla to make breakfast burritos. Anyone ever done this? 🙂 #melfansforever
It makes a delicious breakfast burrito filling!!
Absolutely LOVE! Best breakfast casserole I’ve ever had! I was hoping to meal prep it – bake the casserole and freeze individual portions to be reheated on busy mornings. Have you frozen it after you baked it?
Yes, works great!
Ok, I have to comment because this recipe saved me. I was hosting a breakfast for 70 people the day after we got home from a week long trip. I made these casseroles before I left and froze them for a week. I pulled them out of the freezer the night I got home and baked them the next morning. They were fantastic!! Easy, delicious, and froze wonderfully for anyone wondering.
That’s exactly what I was wondering and yours is the first comment. Perfect! Thanks for sharing your experience with freezing!
Did you bake before freezing?
I made this dish for Sunday Brunch at my church. I made the day before with 2 modifications: Save the egg mixture until you are ready to bake it and, therefore refrigerate the layered tater tots, the sausage, veggies, and cheese in a covered baking dish overnight.
You know it’s a keeper when you come back to it again and again! We change up the meats and veggies all the time. After it’s cooked, it makes an excellent breakfast burrito filling, too!
First off I’m not a good cook. Mostly because I haven’t cooked much in the past. So one year I said I’ll do Christmas day breakfast. They looked shocked. Did as much as I could the night before, placed all the wet ingredients in a jar to go. With all ingredients in a lil cooler I traveled to my Sisters. The next morning tossed it together in minutes, & let sit. Tot casserole, artisan toast and fresh fruit was a hit! ALL loved-loved it! I’m just afraid they want me to do holiday breakfasts from now on. Oh nooo what have I done! Lol, Thanks for the awesome-easy recipe!
Has anyone made the tater tot breakfast casserole and froze it before baking it? I would like to make week or two beforehand
It freezes great, Karen! I prefer baking it once it has been thawed.
We loved this recipe. We assembled and then cooked it immediately. I used 10 eggs, and the cook time was quite a bit longer. In looking at other reviews, I think that has to do with the fact that it did not sit overnight in the fridge. I think the cook time would have been spot on making it ahead. Delicious flavor, and we will definitely make this again.
Hi Mel, are you saying that it is best to thaw the tater tots overnight and then use them at room temp? i want to be sure the casserole is not soggy. Thank you so much!
No, I use the tater tots frozen when I assemble the casserole. It shouldn’t be soggy if the casserole is baked long enough, so don’t be afraid to add time if needed.
So good and super easy. It will be my breakfast or brunch potluck go to . Thanks for the great recipe.
Made this for Christmas Day and am making it again for New Years Eve! This is so easy to put together.
Could I substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream
Yes, I think so.