Cracked Out Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole – great make-ahead recipe! Only 6 ingredients!! Bacon, cheddar cheese, tater tots, eggs, milk, Ranch mix. Can refrigerate or freeze for later. Great for breakfast. lunch or dinner. Everyone loves this easy breakfast casserole!!
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Pin This RecipeI was looking through my “crack” recipes and noticed that I was missing a Cracked Out Breakfast Casserole. I had to fix this oversight ASAP! I am on a tater tot kick lately, so I decided to make a Cracked Out Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole. OMG! SO good! SOOOO good!
This is seriously one of the best breakfast casseroles I’ve ever made. Cheddar, bacon, ranch and tater tots – how could it be bad?!?! The best part about this casserole is that it can be made ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen for later. I LOVE make ahead meals!!
This recipe uses two pounds of bacon. If you want to cut down on the calories, feel free to use turkey bacon. This Cracked Out Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is the perfect dish for overnight guests or a party. We’ve made this several times and everyone asks for the recipe!!
Cracked Out Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients:
- 2 lb bacon
- 1 (30-32oz) bag frozen tater tots
- 1 (1-oz ) package ranch dressing mix
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF degrees. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet, cook bacon. Chop the cooked bacon into pieces.
- In a large bowl, toss together tater tots, cooked bacon, and cheeses. Pour into prepared baking dish.
- Whisk together eggs, Ranch mix, and milk. Pour over tater tot mixture.
- **Cover and refrigerate at this point if baking later.**
- Bake for 50 – 60 minutes, or until eggs are set.
Notes:
Steph
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Could you half this recipe to make for fewer servings/people!
yes
Could I make this ahead say about noon (refrigerate it unbaked) and then bake it the following morning?
yes
This is a wonderful recipe! But, I’ve got vegetarians in the family. Will the ratios still work if I make it without the bacon?
sure
Can this be made in muffin tins ?
I’ve never made this in muffin tins, so I can not say how to do that.
This is a family favorite and has become our tradition in Christmas morning! I always use Hormel Real Bacon pieces instead of taking the time to make the bacon. Super easy and tasty recipe!
The ONLY thing I changed was that I used some cubed ham I had that I needed to use up. This was YUMMY! Made a lot, ate 2 meals then froze the rest for some yummy goodness in the not-so-distant future!
If freezing do you bake first then freeze or just freeze uncooked?
I freeze it unbaked
This was delicious! I added some sauteed onions to the bacon drippings after I cooked the 2 lbs of bacon ( which was perfect amount!) . Added the onions to the egg mixture. So good! Nice I had all the ingredients on hand too! Little dots of sriracha on the plate to smear with the casserole if you want. 🙂 A definitely go to for Brunch meal!
Do you mix the tater tots in from frozen ? I want to make the day before and refrigerate.
I mix them in frozen.
I’m making this dish the night before and refrigerating. To reheat can I place it back in the oven to bake and if so for how long?
We make this every year for Christmas morning. My kids look forward to it every time! We use 1lb bacon and 1lb sausage to add more filling protein. The pan goes so fast. If its not gone by xmas morning, its gone by Xmas night lol
Does anyone know how to turn this into a crock pot recipe? Specifically how long and high or low temp?
What if I skip the Ranch seasoning?
Going to make this for a group on a weekend trip, will this hold up if I make and bake it Thursday evening and reheat Sat morning? And if I do that do you have any suggestions on reheat temp and time.
Thanks in advance, Sharon
I’ve made this many times for work and special events. Just marvelous. I do bake and crisp the tater tots before placing them n the pan. My people love it. I have teammates/remote workers driving in 90 miles when I announce that I am bringing this in. I do add more cheese and add sausage. It is a heart attack on a plate, but, you only live once!
Do you use 2 lbs of bacon? Neither the video or finished product look like there are 2 lbs of bacon.
I did. Use as much as you want.
What percentage of milk do you usually use?
I’ve used whole & 2% milk
Do you think I could use another form of “hash browns” shredded for example?
yes
My family loves this recipe! We do it with both sausage and bacon in the same dish. Had to make a double batch for a large family breakfast and everyone wanted seconds!
I never have ranch seasoning, but we always have ranch dressing so I subbed 1/2c of milk with the dressing. Used 1 lb of bacon and it was just right. Had a mix of cheeses so I just threw them all in. And, in a feeble effort to make this a “full meal”, I chopped some spinach and threw it in too. There were no leftovers.
This looks so good. Would it still be appetizing at room temperature? I need to make a dish to be eaten about an hour and a half after arriving. I do have a dish with a thermal wrap that I can use, but I’m not sure how hot it will stay. Thanks in advance.
I think it would be fine at room temperature.
Thanks!
Is there anything I can use instead of Ranch seasoning? Thanks
any seasoning you want
Can the recipe be made the morning of?
Can you make this without the ranch packet? I’m out! 😬😳
yes – it is only for seasoning the dish
Made this Christmas morning, we all LOVED it! That ranch definitely gives it an amazing flavor ❤️
It’s a keeper, thank you for sharing
How long can you store in fridge?
Up to 24 hours.
Can I halve this recipe since it’s just me and my son? Maybe use an 8X8 dish?
Yes – I would use an 8×8 or 9×9-inch pan.
Thoughts on using veggie tots? Or frozen cauliflower instead of tater tots?
I’ve never tried either of those products, so I don’t know how they hold up in casseroles. If you have used those products in other recipes with success, you can certainly give it a whirl.
Do you bake this to freeze for later or do you free uncooked? Just wondering what the process is to freeze for a meal for later? TIA
I freeze it unbaked, thaw and bake as directed
Can I reheat a single serving in a microwave for someone who drives semi truck all week? He has a fridge and a microwave in his truck.
Har anyone tried re- heating in a microwave?? If so, how was it?
I’m sure that is fine.
For 2 people this would be a lot of food. If I cut the recipe in half, and maybe used a 9×9 inch pan, would I need to adjust bake time?
Also, my BF’s favorite cheese is Mozzarella. Can I substitute the Cheddar for this?
You can use any cheese you would like.
Thank you!
Would you be able to switch the bacon for sausage?
I think I would definitely try that! Why not?
I made this for a large groups of friends and it was a great hit!
Will definitely make again.
Thanks for sharing
Has anyone tried making this in a crock pot?
I’m sure it would be just fine in the slow cooker
I was skeptical on adding the ranch dressing mix but have to say it was not overpowering or overly salty. It was really good & made this for dinner for the kids, what a hit! I did use the turkey bacon to cut back on the greasy consistency from regular bacon. I also added 2 more eggs & cut back a 1/4 cup of milk. Came out perfect! Will be making this again!
Stupid question…do u bake the tater tots first? Or throw them in frozen?
I throw them in frozen. They bake in the casserole.
I made this and it was amazing!!!! I added a lb of sausage and used 1 lb of bacon instead of 2lb. Thanks for the recipe! New house favorite!
Great recipe!!! My question is…Does anyone have any issues with the bottom burning on the crust? I use a stub black cast iron bottom pot. Just wondering if the cream enamel cast iron doest do that?
Is it possible to substitute frozen hash browns for the tater tots?
sure!
Can you substitute the dried ranch dressing for something else?
How does the ranch packet taste with this? I love ranch but not sure how it would taste with eggs
It tastes great. Give it a try!
I found that my casserole got a little dry, if not eaten right away. I was wondering if more liquid could be added. Also, do leftovers of the casserole freeze well? Wonderful recipe! Thanks!!
You can certainly experiment with more liquid in the recipe. Please note, that you may need to increase the cooking time. Leftovers are great frozen.
How many servings is this? I’m cooking this for Christmas as our main dish with 9-10 people and am curious if I would need to add an additional half or double it.
I made this for a pot luck breakfast event at my office and it was a hit! I used 2 and a half pounds of bacon, and picked up the spicy Hidden Valley Ranch dressing by mistake. It didn't matter a bit because it was absolutely delicious…this is going to be one of my "go to" breakfast recipes from here on out!
Can you use bottled ranch?
Do you bake most of your food in 350 degrees? Or higher than that? I never bake anything in my life, now I wanna try it myself. Thank you
How many servings does this make?
Delicious!instead of 2lbs of bacon I did 1 lb of bacon and 1 lb of chicken. Delicious! Family loves it!
Has anyone made this with ham instead of bacon?
I’m sure it would be fine with ham.
I’m wondering if I could do this in the crockpot?
I’m sure that you could
I like crispy tater tots, can I cook them first and then make this? Or is that strongly advised against??
I would think that would be just fine. Enjoy
I make this for my wife's hair salon for their celebration breakfast the girls love it everytime I try to make something else they request this dish
I made it for our Church (X6)…they loved it.
Any guess on if the recipe could be altered to use ranch dressing (bottled)? I don't have the powder on hand and need a recipe for tomorrow.
Can this be made in a crock pot and cooked overnight?
All you have to do is hit the "Print Recipe" button and it will print
I'd like to make this for a belated Christmas gathering. However, I'm making another recipe that calls for the oven temp set at 375*. Do you think baking this recipe at a higher temp will affect the outcome greatly or just shorten the bake time?
Made this today for brunch. Everyone loved it. I only used one pound of bacon but followed the rest of the recipe. Big hit!!
My daughter made this for me… I can’t get enough of it…. and I don’t eat eggs … however… this is delicious!! I topple it was pico de Gallo soooo good! I’m making it for dinner tonight!! So excited! Thank you!!
okay, need another idea… my husband hates eggs 🙁
Yeah, you'll need a different recipe. I don't eat eggs either, but I do like these type of casseroles. But a regular scrambled or fried egg is not my thing. He might like it if he tried it.
Do you think you could make this without eggs?
No. You could use egg beaters if you want to cut down on fat & calories.
Can you add veggies and if so would you cook them or add them raw?
You can definitely add any veggies that you enjoy. You can cook them or add them raw. They should cook through with the baking time.
Bake covered?
Uncovered
Bake covered?
Hi! How long can you refrigerate this for?
I usually refrigerate it up to 24 hours
I made this for my coworkers and it was a HIT! Everyone loved it! Even asked me for the recipe which I will share.
My question though is about the ranch, in your recipe it say "1 (1oz) package Ranch dressing mix". Do you really only put ONE oz? or was that supposed to me TEN oz? Either way, I bought a 15 oz package and used about a 1/3. Please advise. Thanks!
It is one small package that is 1-ounce. If you have a large container of dry Ranch mix, you would use 3 Tablespoons of the seasoning.
Thank you for the quick response!
I adjusted the ingredients to hopefully clarify that it is a 1-ounce package. Thanks!
Could you use sausage instead of Bacon?
Would this still turn out if I made it 2-3 days ahead and covered/ refrigerated it? (I'm thinking of making it on a Wednesday and not baking it until Friday morning). Thanks!
Do you think I could substitute breakfast sausage for the bacon?
Here is the link to the sausage version – https://www.plainchicken.com/2016/02/tater-tot-sausage-breakfast-casserole.html
Hi, just wondering if anyone has made this ahead and frozen it? And if so, do you mix it together and freeze, then do first bake the day of… or bake it, freeze it, and then reheat it day of? Thanks!
You can freeze it. I would freeze it uncooked and thaw it before baking as directed. Enjoy!
Thanks!! 🙂
daisy4given – have you tried it yet? I want to make it for an event but need to make it a week early and am concerned how it will turn out if it's frozen before it's cooked. I would appreciate any info. Thanks!
It will be fine frozen, thawed and then baked.
Can you make this in a muffin tin?
I made this for a work breakfast and got rave reviews. I did add onions and just layered everything instead of mixing to save time since I was making several pans. Also cheated and used the store bought chopped up bacon. I am sure it would be more “cracked out” with freshly fried but since I was making several pans I went for the quick answer.
Delicious.
do you drain off the bacon fat? or use it as part of the casserole
I drain it off.
Have you tried this casserole with sausage instead of bacon?
Here is a sausage version: https://www.plainchicken.com/tater-tot-sausage-breakfast-casserole/
Feteccuni Alfredo with a touch of broccoli shawn92379@gmail.com
I learned this from another recipe- chop the bacon up and then cook it. Makes things so much easier!
My family loved this dish.. during the holy month of Ramadan the breakfast should be prepared and eaten before the sun rises..so I prepared this delightful dish the night before ..I put it in The oven (set my alarm for 50 minutes) went back to sleep.. feeding my family was a lot easier that morning.. thank you for sharing your wonderful recipe.. I used beef sausage instead of bacon.. it was great,,
So I've made this 3 times now. Delish! My husband and 3 boys love it and have requested it several times. Ironically, I've never made it for breakfast. It's great for those nights you want breakfast for supper.
Same question as "Unknown" has from 10/15/16 . . . do you defrost and/or cook the tater tots before putting them in casserole dish?
No – I used the tots frozen.
Thank you Stephanie! 🙂
Same question as "Unknown" from 10/15/16 . . . Do you defrost or cook the tater tots?
No!
Do you cover it when baking?
I bake it uncovered
Do you cook the tater tots first before you put them in the casserole dish
No!
Holy moly, I already knew your crack recipes were crazy tasty but this may take the blue ribbon! I HAVE to make this soon.
I would like to premake this for camping. Would you recommend baking the Casserole then wait to cool off and freeze it before going camping? Once at the campsite do I defrost and reheat on the grill?
Do you cook this before freezing?
I don’t.
I premake AND FREEZE this when we go camping. I start defrosting the late night before the morning breakfast. I reheat in a cast iron pan, covered in foil on med heat on a gas camp stove.(with a watchful eye!). Then top with more grated cheese if needed. My campers love this meal!!
It is not a misprint. I used 2 POUNDS of bacon. Feel free to adjust the recipe to your tastes.
Looks like this would be really tasty BUT 2 POUNDS of bacon!?!? Has to be a misprint!
Its not a misprint. I have made this several times for several different people. Ratios are just right!
Holy smokes that looks good!
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