Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

I'm still trying to put on weight.  That's my excuse, and I'm sticking with it.

How have I not known about this dish?  As much as I love all breakfast foods, I had to find out about it from a Marie Callender's ad.  It looks like something a college kid invented to ward off a hangover. And I wanted it badly.

Various forms of frozen potato casserole seem to be a Southern thing.  At some point, I'm going to use the other half of the bag of taters to make totchos (tater tot nachos).

This is going to take you at least an hour to make, since everything is cooked prior to assembly except the eggs.  On the other hand, you can do all those parts in advance, or use leftovers.  I chose to do it all at once, and it was a bit of a project until the finished bowls went in the oven.

I also chose to make these in individual oven-safe soup crocks instead of an 8x8 dish.  It was all about presentation.  The only problem was that you can't see the potatoes on the bottom this way.  A glass casserole may end up being the better choice.

You can choose to top the finished project with slices of avocado or a sauce such as country gravy, ranch dressing, or sour cream.  For those so inclined, salsa or hot sauce would be welcome.  The first serving, I forgot to put anything on it and didn't miss the garnish.  After that, a dollop of plain yogurt made it extra creamy.

16 oz (half a 32 oz bag) frozen potato nuggets
4 slices thick-cut bacon (about 1/4 lb)
8 oz breakfast sausage
1/2 C diced onion
1 roma tomato, diced
3 eggs
*1 C milk
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1 C shredded colby/cheddar mix
garnishes

1.  Cook potatoes to package directions, likely 24 minutes at 400º.  I went crispy, since they were going to get soaked in egg.

2.  While those are in the oven, cook bacon in a skillet.  I guess you can put it in the oven, but you're getting a skillet dirty in the next step, so it isn't worth it to dirty another baking sheet.  Again, I went crispy so it would be easier to chop up small bits.  Do that when the slices are cool enough to handle.

3.  Cook sausage into crumbles with the onion.  Drain off the fat.  Put bacon bits and sausage in a bowl with the diced tomato.  Grease or pan-spray an 8"x8" baking dish and turn the oven down to 350º once the potatoes are done.

4.  Beat together milk, eggs, and seasonings.  I didn't add any salt and was fine because every other ingredient is salty.  The potatoes are usually seasoned in the package.  Just read the ingredients.

5.  Spread the potatoes on the bottom of the pan.  Cover with the meat mixture.  Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top.  Pour the egg mixture evenly over the casserole, and give it a minute to sink into the nooks and crannies.  Bake until the egg sets, about 20 minutes.  Let rest 10 minutes, then garnish and serve.

Difficulty rating  :)