Cheesy bacon-ranch comfort you can prep in 15 minutes and bake in ~45
Golden tater tots, fluffy eggs, crisp bacon, and sharp cheddar—finished with cool ranch and green onion for a brunched-up, crowd-pleasing breakfast casserole.
Why you’ll love it
- Tater Tot Breakfast: Classic tots stay crisp on top, tender underneath.
- Best Breakfast Casserole: Clean slices, balanced salt, and melty cheese pull.
- Tater Tot Bacon Breakfast Casserole: Plenty of real bacon for smoky crunch.
- Tater Tot Breakfast Hash (vibe, no skillet): All the flavors in an easy 9×13 bake.
- Make-ahead friendly: Assemble the night before or bake and reheat—still delicious.
Ingredients (notes only)
Base
- Frozen tater tots (do not thaw), large eggs, whole milk or half-and-half (custard).
Flavor & mix-ins - Cooked bacon (crumbled), shredded sharp cheddar, ranch seasoning (homemade or packet), garlic powder, black pepper.
Finishers - Green onions (or chives), sour cream or ranch drizzle, hot sauce (optional).
Optional add-ons - Breakfast sausage or diced ham (fully cooked), diced jalapeño, bell pepper.
- For a “cracked out” chicken twist, add 1–2 cups diced cooked chicken.
Step-by-step
- Heat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Layer tots: Arrange tater tots in a snug single layer.
- Crisp start (optional but great): Bake tots 10 minutes to jump-start crisping.
- Cook bacon: While tots bake, cook bacon until crisp; crumble and drain.
- Make custard: Whisk eggs, milk/half-and-half, ranch seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper.
- Assemble: Sprinkle tots with half the cheddar and most of the bacon. Pour custard evenly over. Top with remaining cheddar and bacon.
- Bake: 28–35 minutes until the center reaches 160–165°F and the top is golden.
- Finish & serve: Rest 10 minutes for clean slices. Garnish with green onion; add ranch or sour cream and hot sauce to taste.
Pro tips
- Crisp factor: Pre-bake tots 10 minutes and keep the casserole toward the top third of the oven.
- Salt balance: Ranch + bacon + cheddar are salty—taste bacon and cheese first; add extra salt only if needed.
- Clean slices: Let it rest 10 minutes; slice with a serrated knife.
- Cut the richness: A spoon of Greek yogurt or a squeeze of hot sauce brightens every bite.
- Make it lighter: Use turkey bacon and 2% milk; keep cheese to 1½ cups and add extra green onion.
Variations (mapped to your interests)
- Hard-Boiled Egg and Bacon Breakfast Casserole: Scatter 6 chopped hard-boiled eggs over the tots before cheese; reduce liquid eggs by 2.
- Taylor Tot Breakfast Casserole (keyword variant): Same base; add 1 cup diced bell pepper + ½ cup diced onion under the tots for a veggie lift.
- Tater Tot Breakfast Hash: Add 1 cup cooked breakfast sausage crumbles; finish with a drizzle of ranch and hot sauce.
- “Cracked Out” Chicken Bacon Ranch: Fold in 1–2 cups diced cooked chicken with the bacon; keep bake time the same.
- Jalapeño Popper: Add 4 oz softened cream cheese in tiny dollops + sliced jalapeño.
How to serve
- Add Best Breakfast Sides: fruit salad, crispy bacon strips, breakfast sausage links, or a simple arugula salad with lemon. A pot of coffee and hot sauce on the table = perfect.
Make ahead & storage
- Overnight: Assemble through Step 6. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Bake at 350°F for 35–45 minutes from cold, then broil 1–2 minutes if you want extra color.
- Fridge: 3–4 days, covered. Reheat slices at 325°F until hot (to 165°F).
- Freeze: Bake, cool, slice, and wrap; freeze up to 2 months. Reheat covered at 325°F.
FAQs
Can I bake from frozen tots without the pre-bake?
Yes; you’ll lose a bit of crisp. Add 5–7 minutes to the bake time.
Can I use shredded hash browns instead of tots?
Yes—press thawed, dried shreds into the pan; pre-bake 8–10 minutes for structure.
Why is my center a little jiggly?
Bake until the middle reads 160–165°F; carryover will finish the set after a 10-minute rest.
Can I make it pork-free?
Use turkey bacon or cooked chicken sausage; season generously.
How do I keep leftovers from drying out?
Cover when reheating and add a spoon of milk or ranch over each slice.
Simple Nutrition (estimate per serving, 1/10 pan)
~420 Calories • Protein 19g • Carbs 30g • Fat 26g • Fiber 2g • Sodium ~920mg • Sugar 3g
Cracked Out Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
Tater tots meet bacon, cheddar, and ranch in a fluffy egg bake that slices cleanly and feeds a crowd. Easy to prep, great for make-ahead, and endlessly customizable.
Ingredients
- 30-32 oz frozen tater tots
- 10 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk or half-and-half
- 8 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled (about 1 cup)
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar, divided
- 1 tbsp ranch seasoning (homemade or packet), to taste
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2-3 green onions, thinly sliced (plus more for topping)
- Optional: 1–2 cups diced cooked chicken or breakfast sausage; diced jalapeño or bell pepper
Equipment
- 9×13-inch baking pan
- Digital thermometer
- serrated knife
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Arrange tater tots in a snug single layer. Optional: Pre-bake 10 minutes for extra crisp.
- Sprinkle with 1 cup cheddar and most of the bacon.
- Whisk eggs, milk, ranch seasoning, garlic powder, and pepper. Pour evenly over.
- Top with remaining 1 cup cheddar and bacon.
- Bake 28–35 minutes, until the center reads 160–165°F and the top is golden.
- Rest 10 minutes. Garnish with green onions; serve with ranch or sour cream and hot sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 420kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 19gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 11gSodium: 920mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3g
Notes
Overnight method: Assemble, cover, and chill up to 24 hours; bake at 350°F 35–45 minutes from cold. Hard-boiled egg option: Add 6 chopped hard-boiled eggs over tots; reduce beaten eggs to 8. Gluten-free: Most tots are GF but always check labels; ranch packets vary.
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