Leftover-Meat Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
This is the pan for that bit of cooked ground beef or leftover meatloaf in the fridge. Crumble the meat, mix it with the tots and cheese, and pour the seasoned eggs over everything. Ham works too, if that is what you have. It makes a full 9×13 pan and works for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Have leftover BBQ Meatloaf? Use it for the cooked-meat option in this casserole: https://www.homegrownkitchentable.com/all-recipes/bbq-meatloaf-(egg-free%2C-batch-friendly)
HKT adaptation of Nichole’s Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole at The Salty Marshmallow, incorporating Natasha’s handwritten leftover meatloaf and ground beef options: https://thesaltymarshmallow.com/tater-tot-ham-cheese-breakfast-casserole/
Ingredients
1 bag (30–32 ounces) frozen tater tots
1 pound (16 ounces) fully cooked, crumbled leftover meatloaf (such as HKT BBQ Meatloaf) or fully cooked and drained ground beef; alternatively, use 16 ounces diced fully cooked ham
1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese
8 large eggs
½ cup milk
1 cup sour cream
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
1–2 teaspoons hot sauce (optional)
Cooking spray or a little oil, for the baking dish
Instructions
Heat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. The meat must already be fully cooked. If starting with raw ground beef, cook it separately to 160°F, drain it well, and measure out 16 ounces of cooked meat before continuing. Crumble leftover meatloaf into small pieces.
Put the frozen tots, cooked meat, 1 cup of the cheddar, and all of the mozzarella or Monterey Jack into the dish. Toss gently and spread into an even layer. Reserve the remaining ½ cup cheddar for the top.
Whisk the eggs, milk, sour cream, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and optional hot sauce in a bowl. Pour evenly over the tots and meat.
Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes. Sprinkle with the reserved ½ cup cheddar, then bake about 5 minutes longer, until the cheese melts, the eggs are set, and the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer. Check the center in more than one place and add time if needed. If the top browns before the middle is ready, cover loosely with foil.
Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting into 12 portions.
Refrigerate portions in shallow containers within 2 hours and reheat to 165°F throughout. Use within 3–4 days; if using leftover meat, keep within that meat’s original 3–4-day refrigerated storage window. Baking it again does not restart that clock. Freeze promptly if you will not use the portions in time.
Recipe adapted from The Salty Marshmallow.