New Year’s Day, Hangover Breakfast Casserole

This New Year’s Day, Hangover Breakfast Casserole, aka….Meaty Tater Tot Breakfast Bake is hearty and delicious.  It’s perfect to feed a crowd, or a hangover!  I love it because you can do the work the day before and just throw it in the oven in the morning, and while it’s baking away you can have a few cups of coffee….or a little hair of the dog, if that’s how you roll! 😆

Start by cooking a pound of bacon and a pound of breakfast sausage.  I cook bacon in the oven on foil covered sheet pans at 350° for about 30 minutes, or until it is the desired crispiness.  It’s less fuss and much less mess that way.  While your bacon is in the oven, fry the breakfast sausage until it is cooked through, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks.   When the sausage is cooked, place it in a strainer to drain off any grease.  Personally, I love the Bob Evan’s hot sausage in this.  It adds a ton of flavor…but feel free to use any sausage you like.

Shred both types of cheese.  I like cheddar and Gruyere…but you can use any kind of cheese as long at it is a good melting cheese.  Crack 8 eggs into a medium bowl and whisk to break up eggs. Add milk, season salt, mustard powder, and granulated garlic and whisk thoroughly.  Then spray 9 x 13 inch casserole dish with cooking spray and line bottom of the pan with frozen tater tots.  I like the extra crispy ones!!

Spread the cooked sausage on top of the tots, then the bacon on top of the sausage.  You could also add ham in addition to, or in place of the sausage and/or bacon.

Combine both kinds of cheese and sprinkle over the sausage and bacon.  Next, pour the egg mixture evenly over the entire dish and cover with foil.

At this point you can refrigerate the casserole overnight and bake it off in the morning.  Or you can cook it right away!

If you are cooking the casserole right away,  bake in a 375° oven, covered for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and turn the oven down to 350° and cook for another 25-35 minutes.   If you made the casserole ahead of time and are cooking the next morning, bake in a 350° oven for 30 minutes with the foil on, and 25-35 minutes with the foil off.  You want to ensure that the eggs are set in the center of the pan.  To test if the eggs are done, insert a knife in the center of the dish and make sure the eggs are set and no longer runny.

Allow the casserole to rest on the counter for about 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.  This just allows everything to cool off a bit and helps the eggs to set up a bit more to allow for neat slices.   If you are feeling fancy, garnish with thinly slice scallions or chopped parsley.

Serve with New Year’s Day Bloody Mary’s, Mimosa’s or other beverage of your choice and toast to the New Year!