Christmas Breakfast Casserole

By
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
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Updated on 10/16/22
christmas breakfast casserole

 Leah Maroney

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 75 mins
Total: 90 mins
Servings: 12 servings

Christmas morning is always hectic. Everyone is excited to open presents and sometimes breakfast is forgotten until it's lunchtime! This hearty make-ahead casserole is the perfect solution. Mix it up the night before and pop it in the oven right when you get up. It bakes while the stockings and presents are opened and is ready to devour after the entire family has worked up an appetite. This recipe is also perfect for brunch.

Ham, bacon, and tater tots are the star of this casserole, but it is also dotted with red and green bell peppers that give it that Christmasy vibe. You can easily sub the tater tots with shredded hash browns and feel free to use cooked breakfast sausage instead of the ham and bacon. Or, be a little wild and try all three!

This recipe makes a nice large batch that is perfect for a large Christmas crowd, but if you have a smaller group, feel free to refrigerate it and eat it as a side for lunch or dinner! It goes with just about anything.

This recipe calls for ham, ideally you can use your leftover Christmas Eve ham. Just dice it up and throw it in! However, you can also use your run of the mill deli ham if you're cooking up something different for Christmas Eve.

Ingredients

  • 1 (32-ounce) bag frozen tater tots

  • 1 pound diced ham

  • 1/2 cup bacon bits

  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

  • 8 large eggs

  • 1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of mushroom condensed soup

  • 1 cup milk

  • 1/3 cup sour cream

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

  • 2 teaspoons hot sauce

  • 1 red bell pepper, diced

  • 1 green bell pepper, diced

Steps to Make It

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.

  2. Spread the tater tots, bacon, ham, and 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese into the casserole dish. Toss gently with your hands or a large spoon so that all of the bacon, cheese, and ham is evenly dispersed among the tater tots.

  3. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream of mushroom soup, milk, sour cream, pepper, salt, onion powder, and hot sauce.

  4. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the top of the tater tot mixture. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the eggs are almost completely set.

  5. Remove the aluminum foil. Top the casserole with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese and evenly distribute the red and green bell peppers.

  6. Turn the heat of the oven up to 425 F and cook for 20 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted, the eggs are completely set, and the edges have browned.

  7. Serve with a nice slice of toast and some fruit for a beautiful and complete breakfast!

Tip

  • When making it the night before, follow instructions up to the baking part. Just simply cover it up with foil and place in refrigerator. Pull it out the next morning and bake as instructed.

Glass Bakeware Warning

For premade casseroles or leftovers that are in a glass baking dish and have been refrigerated, do not place directly into a hot oven as the glass can shatter. Instead, place any cold glass bakeware into a cold oven to warm up while it preheats. Or, allow the bakeware to rest outside of the fridge for 30 minutes to reach room temperature while the oven preheats.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
351 Calories
18g Fat
29g Carbs
19g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 351
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 23%
Saturated Fat 5g 26%
Cholesterol 160mg 53%
Sodium 1256mg 55%
Total Carbohydrate 29g 10%
Dietary Fiber 3g 9%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 19g
Vitamin C 27mg 134%
Calcium 141mg 11%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 540mg 11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)