Ham Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
This Ham Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole combines my love for tater tots and make-ahead breakfast casseroles! It is filled with eggs, cheese, and ham for a hearty breakfast casserole that is my go-to for serving a crowd!
Quick Look: Ham Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
Ready In: 65 minutes
Serves: 8
Calories: 499 Calories
Main Ingredients: ham, tater tots, cheddar cheese, eggs, and milk.
Why You'll Love It: Ham Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole is an easy and hearty breakfast casserole that everyone loves! It can be made ahead of time and is great for serving a large group.
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If you're looking for an easy breakfast casserole that's perfect for holidays, weekend brunches, or meal prep, this Ham Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole is it. Made with crispy tater tots, savory ham, eggs, and plenty of cheese, it's a hearty breakfast that always disappears fast. The best part? Similar to my Sausage Egg Biscuit Breakfast Casserole, it comes together with simple ingredients and minimal prep, making it ideal for busy mornings.
This breakfast casserole is one of my favorite ways to use up leftover ham, like my Cranberry Glazed Ham, especially after Easter or Christmas. Instead of making the same ham sandwiches for days, I love turning leftovers into a warm and comforting breakfast that the whole family will eat. The combination of fluffy eggs, smoky ham, cheesy goodness, and golden tater tots creates the ultimate crowd-pleasing breakfast. I love serving it with my Banana Carrot Muffins or TikTok Cinnamon Rolls for something a little salty and something a little sweet.
Key Ingredients
Frozen tater tots - we are big fans of tater tots in our house, and they are so convenient and delicious in this tater tot breakfast casserole! Any brand should work fine.
Diced ham - this is a great use for leftover ham, but you could also buy some boneless ham or deli ham meat, and dice it up for this breakfast casserole.
Cheddar cheese - shredded mild or sharp cheddar cheese adds creaminess and flavor to this breakfast dish. I prefer using a block of cheese and shredding it myself.
Substitutions and Variations
Meat Substitute - if you don't prefer ham, you can use bacon, turkey bacon, breakfast sausage, turkey sausage, Italian sausage, or chorizo instead.
Add veggies. You can add diced red bell pepper, white or yellow onion, chopped spinach, diced broccoli, or some chopped zucchini to this breakfast tater tot casserole. I would saute them first in some olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet before adding them to the baking dish on top of the tater tots.
Switch up the cheese. I typically use cheddar cheese in this recipe, but Colby jack, cheddar jack, and pepper jack cheese would also work.
How to Make Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
Prep. Start by greasing a 9x13" baking dish and grease it with cooking spray.
Add tater tots, ham and cheese. Spread out the frozen tater tots along the bottom of the casserole dish in an even layer. Next, sprinkle the tater tots with the diced ham and shredded cheese.
Make egg mixture. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sour cream, spices, salt, and pepper. Then pour it over the dish and it's ready to go! At this point you can cover it with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate it, or bake it immediately.
Bake. Once you are ready to bake it, preheat your oven and bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes. If you have refrigerated this dish overnight, let it warm a little on the countertop for 30 minutes and add 5-10 minutes to the baking time, as necessary.
Serve. This breakfast casserole can be topped with chopped parsley, green onions, or both! It's also delicious topped with hot sauce or salsa. This would be a great breakfast main dish to serve to a large crowd - especially during the holidays.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, for up to 3-4 days!
Expert Tips
Freezer Meal - This can definitely be prepped in advance and frozen prior to baking. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator up to 2 days in advance. I always find that when I thaw a freezer meal overnight, it is not completely thawed in the morning. I will either set it out on the counter for a couple of hours to thaw completely or add some time to the cooking time. My Brioche French Toast Casserole and Strawberry Lemon Scones are also great freezer meals for breakfast.
Check for doneness - The casserole is ready when the eggs are fully set in the center and the top is lightly golden brown. A knife inserted into the center should come out clean.
Don't thaw the tater tots - Adding the tater tots straight from the freezer helps them hold their shape and creates the best texture in the finished casserole.
Freeze leftovers for an easy breakfast - Cut cooled casserole into individual portions, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave for a quick breakfast on busy mornings.
Storage - Store leftover casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm larger portions in the oven until heated through.
Ham Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can assemble the casserole up to 24 hours in advance. Cover it tightly and refrigerate until you're ready to bake. If baking straight from the refrigerator, you may need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time.
Tater tots provide the best texture and convenience for this recipe, but you could substitute frozen hash browns if desired. Keep in mind that the texture of the finished casserole will be different.
This recipe is a great way to use leftover baked ham from the holidays, but diced ham steak, deli ham, or packaged diced ham will all work well.
Other Breakfast Recipes to Consider
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #greensnchocolate.
Ham Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 32 ounce frozen tater tots
- 2 cups diced ham
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 8 large eggs
- ⅔ cup milk
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- chopped parsley or green onions, for topping
Instructions
- If baking immediately, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Spray a 9x13" baking dish with cooking spray.
- Spread the frozen tater tots on the bottom of the baking dish.
- Top with the diced ham and shredded cheese.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sour cream, salt, pepper, mustard, and garlic powder until well combined.
- Pour the egg mixture over the tater tot/ham/cheese mixture.
- If prepping for ahead of time, cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to bake, up to overnight.
- If baking right away, bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown and the egg casserole is baked through.
- If prepped ahead of time, take the egg casserole out and let sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes prior to baking.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Bake in the preheated oven to 50-60 minutes, until cheese is golden brown and egg casserole is baked through.
- Top with chopped parsley or green onions and serve. Enjoy!
Made this for a family brunch but forgot to leave a rating. This was DIVINE! Family loved it and now I'm back to make it again for a brunch the day after thanksgiving. Easy instructions and very good recipe. I added some chopped red and green peppers and onions (sauteed first) and it was delish! Thank you for the recipe and inspiration!
So glad you enjoyed it!