This Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole is tasty, filling and so easy to make. This breakfast casserole uses tater tots, and is loaded with ham, cheese and eggs. I love serving this for large groups and families.
Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole is a favorite weekend brunch
This ham and cheese casserole is the perfect weekend brunch because it is:
- loaded with flavor
- very easy to make
- hearty and filling
- gluten free and made without bread
- perfect to feed a crowd
Ingredients in this Ham and Cheese Casserole
The ingredient list is simple, and you can get everything easily at the grocery store.
The main ingredients are: ham, cheese, tater tots, eggs, and milk.
I also add some vegetables: garlic, onion, and green bell pepper.
Lastly, for seasoning, I use: thyme, black pepper and salt.
I call this a Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole, but looking at the ingredients, it can equally be called a Ham, Egg and Cheese Casserole or a Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole, or even an Easy Loaded Breakfast Casserole
This is a breakfast casserole without bread
Breakfast casseroles come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. But often you may notice that breakfast casseroles contain some sort of bread. Not this recipe!
This breakfast recipe uses tater tots as a filling. And that means that this breakfast casserole is made without any bread. As such, it's gluten-free.
I love a good breakfast casserole so I've got plenty on this site. In case you want to plan for your next brunch, here are some other breakfast casseroles on The Worktop, with other fillings:
- Brioche bread: Overnight Bacon Breakfast Casserole
- Brioche bread: Pumpkin Breakfast Casserole
- Croutons: Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole
- Sourdough bread: Ham and Cheese Savory Bread Pudding
- French Loaf: Apple French Toast Casserole
- No starch: English Breakfast Baked Omelette
How to make this Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole
The full recipe is below with more details, but to give you a quick overview, you can make this ham, egg and cheese casserole in 3 easy steps.
Step 1: In a medium skillet, sauté the onion, peppers and garlic together. This is to soften the vegetables and to remove some of the water content.
Step 2: In a large bowl, beat the eggs, milk and spices together. Mix in the ham and cheese and the sautéd vegetables.
Step 3: Pour everything into a prepared pan and top with some additional ham and cheese. Bake for about 45 minutes, until cooked through.
Tips for making this breakfast casserole
Use regular tater tots
Sometimes I get overwhelmed when I stare at amount of choice in the frozen food aisle! You might see tater tot choices for extra crispy, mini, microwaveable, onion flavored, loaded, and various odd shapes.
For this recipe I just grab the bag for the regular tater tots. I imagine the onion tater tots might be tasty to use too, but I have great success just using regular classic tater tots.
Use a thick cut ham
As many choices you get with tater tots, there might seem even more choices with ham!
I like to use a thick cut plain cooked ham (boiled or baked) for this brunch. Smoked ham is also delicious. However, I do stay away from honey ham, maple ham, or deli thin sliced.
If you are concerned about this ham and cheese casserole recipe being gluten-free, make sure you get a gluten-free ham brand. Here's a handy list that lists gluten free hams.
How to store this ham, egg and cheese casserole
Once baked, I store any leftovers directly in the fridge. You can store it directly in the casserole dish, covered. Or, transfer it into an air tight container.
This is a bit of a splurge, but I love this casserole dish that comes with a lid (the lid also functions as a baking dish). This is the casserole dish that I use in the photos.
It stores in the fridge for several days, which means this breakfast casserole is also good if you want to prepare some weekday breakfasts ahead of time.
To heat up one slice, I simply pop it into the microwave for a bit. If I want to heat up several slices, I'll usually warm the casserole dish directly in the oven again at 350°F / 176°C.
Is this breakfast casserole gluten free?
Yes! This Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole is made without any bread. And so long as you keep an eye on the ingredients that you use, it can easily be made gluten-free.
Because this brunch recipe uses store bought ingredients, please do double check the labeling if you are serving this casserole dish to gluten-free guests.
- Check to use gluten free ham. Sometimes there might be gluten in the ham flavoring or the additives. Here's a handy list that lists gluten free hams.
- Check to make sure the tater tots you use are gluten-free.
Enjoy this Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole with Tater Tots
Any questions while you are making this breakfast? Feel free to leave a comment below and I'll do my best to help.
I really hope you love this breakfast casserole as much as we do. Here's the link to all the big breakfasts on The Worktop for inspiration too.
Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole with Tater Tots
Print Recipe Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 medium green bell pepper - diced
- ½ medium onion - diced
- 1 clove garlic - minced
- 8 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 12 ounces thick cut ham - diced
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese (8 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 4 cups tater tots (about 17 ounces)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 176°C.
- In a medium skillet, heat a bit of oil. Once hot, add in the bell pepper, onion and garlic. Sauté for about 3 minutes, until softened and fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs together. Beat in the milk, salt, thyme and black pepper. Mix in the ham and cheese, reserving a bit of both to sprinkle on the top. Mix in the sautéd vegetables.
- Lightly grease a 9-inch x 13-inch pan with some cooking spray or oil. Add in the tater tots. Gently pour on the egg mixture. Using your hands or a fork, gently arrange it so all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Top with the reserved ham and cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the eggs are cooked through.
Deven says
Excited to try this! Quick question - Do you cook the tater tots prior to adding or use frozen tater tots?
Tina Jui says
Hi Deven, I use frozen tater tots. No need to cook beforehand. Enjoy the casserole!
Betty says
Can this be prepared the day before?