You’ll love this Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole that only requires 15 minutes of prep! With no meat included, this hearty casserole is a delicious and easy dish that features roasted peppers, spinach, and melty cheese.
It’s perfect for a holiday brunch or a special weekend breakfast. You can even serve it as a fun meatless weeknight dinner that’ll be on the table in under an hour!
Jump to:
- 💚 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- 🧂 Ingredients Needed
- 🔪 Instructions
- ❔ FAQs
- 💭 Expert Tips and Tricks
- 💡 Substitutions and Variations
- 🔊 What readers are saying...
- 🥫 Storage and Reheating
- ⏲️ Make Ahead Instructions
- 🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
- ✔️ More Casserole Recipes You'll Love
- 📋 Recipe Card
- 💬 Reviews and Comments
💚 Why You'll Love This Recipe
There are a lot of tater tot casseroles out there, but this one isn’t necessarily a side dish. With the fresh spinach, roasted red peppers, savory cheddar, and eggs, it’s got everything you need to be the foundation of your meal. This is also a great recipe if you are looking for a tater tot casserole without meat.
With the eggs and cheese, you have plenty of protein. In fact, this is a perfect recipe if you do a meatless Monday or for Fridays during Lent!
And, here's the BONUS: Your kids are going to completely miss the fact that you’re serving them nutrient dense veggies and protein packed eggs when they bite into this cheesy potato deliciousness. You’ll be getting requests for this regularly!
And with the bright red of the peppers and the vibrant green of fresh spinach, this is perfect for Christmas morning brunch, too.
But this tater tot egg casserole is also just the thing for a busy weeknight when you want simple and delicious on the table with a minimal of fuss. Pair it with a Fruit and Vegetable Salad for a full and balanced meal! Or whip up a batch of these Oatmeal Pancakes for an amazingly tasty gluten-free accompaniment.
Interested in a cute handheld breakfast item? Check out these Better Than Starbucks Egg Bites! So adorable and delicious!
🧂 Ingredients Needed
- roasted red peppers - provide a nice bold flavor and gorgeous red color.
- baby spinach - add more nutritional value and contrast beautifully with the peppers.
- salt and black pepper - for a solid base of flavor that enhances the other ingredients.
- eggs - form the main part of the casserole and bake up perfectly in the oven.
- shredded cheddar cheese - gives your casserole a cheesy twist.
- tater tots - forming a delicious base for this casserole, you can use frozen tater tots for super easy prep!
🔪 Instructions
- Cut the red peppers into smaller pieces.
- Microwave the spinach in a microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute, then use a fork to separate the leaves.
- Crack your eggs into a medium or large bowl and whisk well.
- Mix the spinach and peppers in with the whisked egg, as well as the salt, pepper, and cheese.
- Line the bottom of a casserole dish with a single layer of tater tots.
- Pour the egg mixture over the tater tots. Top with additional shredded cheese if desired, then bake at 350 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes.
❔ FAQs
Nope! Not only do you NOT have to cook them, you don't even have to thaw them! Use them right of the bag, still frozen.
Absolutely, feel free to add your choice of protein! Ground beef, ground turkey, and ground chicken would all work great in this casserole. Cook them just until done before adding to the egg mixture.
This can happen if there's too much liquid, either from the veggies or meat, if you're adding it. Be sure to drain any excess liquids before baking to prevent a runny casserole.
💭 Expert Tips and Tricks
- Be sure to spread the egg mixture evenly over the tater tots to ensure equal distribution of ingredients.
- To get an extra cheesy and crispy top, sprinkle the top of the casserole with extra cheese once fully baked and stick it under the broiler for a minute or two until golden brown. Just be sure to watch it closely so it doesn't burn.
- Feel free to add additional seasonings to your liking. Garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, and red pepper flakes are some great options, but experiment and see what flavors you like!
📌 This is the BEST tater tot casserole recipe without meat! Tasty and hearty, it's perfect as a special side dish, a main breakfast-for-dinner course, or as a holiday breakfast or brunch.
💡 Substitutions and Variations
- Try different cheeses! Go ahead and substitute colby, or Swiss, or may I even suggest a nice spicy pepper jack? I even found a habenero-infused shredded cheddar recently that would be AWESOME in this recipe.
- Not a fan of roasted red pepper? Substitute 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms. You will want to cook them slightly first to give them a softer texture in the finished casserole. A quick and easy way to do this is to microwave them for about 2 minutes, drain, and then add to the egg mixture.
- Is spinach not your thing? Asparagus would be a great substitute for the spinach. Similar to the mushrooms, chop 8 ounces of asparagus into bite-sized pieces, microwave them for about 2 minutes to soften, drain, and add to the egg mixture. You could also add canned green beans.
- Looking to use this as a tater tot casserole side dish? This can definitely be a side dish! Serve alongside an entree of grilled kielbasa or other sausage, or even a beef roast or steak!
🔊 What readers are saying...
"I LOVE this recipe, especially having the veggies on top instead of the potatoes. I made changes to reduce dairy by substituting ¾ cup Parmesan cheese and used egg white instead of whole eggs. I added turkey bacon, sauteed onions, cumin, paprika, cayenne and fresh cilantro. Sooooo good that I made it 2x in 1 week!!"
- Debra
🥫 Storage and Reheating
Keep your delicious casserole leftovers stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You could also cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
You could heat up leftovers in the microwave. Sprinkle a few drops of water on top to keep it moist and help the cheese get super gooey again.
But, if you have the time, the best way to reheat this no-meat tater tot casserole recipe is in the oven. Just cover it lightly so it doesn’t get too browned on top and reheat it until the center is warm.
⏲️ Make Ahead Instructions
You absolutely can prep your tater tot egg casserole ahead of time. Go ahead and make it up the night before, cover it tightly, and keep it in the fridge until morning.
When you wake up, slide it into the oven and turn on the heat. But here’s the trick: put into a cold oven so you don’t shatter the glass of your casserole dish. It will slowly heat as the oven warms. If you do this, you may need to slightly adjust cooking times; just check the center for doneness.
🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
Consider serving it up with Quick Parmesan Garlic Bread and maybe a small side salad to make this easy tater tot breakfast casserole into a cheesy, delicious, simple cheesy tater tot casserole with veggies, just right for dinner.
It's also great with this Berry Delicious Fruit Salad as a side, just to add a little contrasting sweetness to the meal!
✔️ More Casserole Recipes You'll Love
- Corn Dog Casserole - This nostalgic recipe tastes just like fairground corn dogs but has a bit of a healthier approach.
- Crock Pot French Toast Casserole - Looking for another yummy breakfast casserole to pair with this easy tater tot casserole recipe? Try this sweet and comforting french toast!
- Vegan Baked Hummus Casserole - Healthy and full of flavor, this unique casserole combines hummus with veggies for a nutritional and delicious meal.
- Southern Sweet Potato Casserole - This decadent casserole from Add a Pinch is perfect as a holiday side dish or even a dessert!
The Best Tater Tot Casserole without Meat
Love this recipe? Awesome! Snap a photo and tag me on Instagram. You can find me at DizzyBusyandHungry or #dizzybusyandhungry!
⭐ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below! ⭐
📋 Recipe Card
Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup roasted red peppers (from a jar)
- 4 ounces baby spinach
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 8 eggs
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar
- 16 ounces tater tots (frozen)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Chop the roasted red peppers into bite-sized pieces.⅔ cup roasted red peppers
- Place the spinach in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute. Once wilted, pick at the spinach with a fork to separate the leaves.4 ounces baby spinach
- Place the eggs in a medium bowl and whisk.8 eggs
- Add in the roasted red pepper pieces and the salt and pepper and mix. Then fold in the spinach and shredded cheddar.¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar
- Spray an 11x7 baking dish with nonstick spray. Line the dish with frozen tater tots.16 ounces tater tots
- Pour the egg mixture over the tater tots, spreading out the veggies and cheese to evenly distribute them over the tater tots.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the egg mixture is set.
Notes
- There is no need to cook or even thaw the tater tots. Use them right out of the bag, still frozen!
- If you like, you can prep this casserole ahead of time. Make it up the night before, cover it with plastic wrap, and keep it in the fridge until morning.
- When you are ready to bake it, slide it into the oven and turn on the heat. It will slowly heat as the oven warms and avoid shattering your baking dish. (You may need to slightly adjust cooking times; just check the center for doneness.)
- To reheat leftovers in the microwave, sprinkle a few drops of water on top to keep it moist and help the cheese get super gooey again.
- To reheat leftovers in the oven (recommended), just cover them lightly so they doesn’t get too browned on top and reheat them at 350 degrees F until the center is warm.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
Thanks so much for reading! I also invite you to follow me on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, or INSTAGRAM to keep up with what's going on in my kitchen.
And you might want to check out my Dizzy Busy and Hungry store on Amazon for a whole bunch of great kitchen products I love!
Happy cooking!
Usha Gopalakrishnan
I made this casserole and my family is a fan! I cannot believe how easy it is and the taste is amazing! The recipe is so versatile and I love the fact that I can substitute it with other vegetables! I will definitely be making this at least once a week!
- Usha. G
Kristin King
Thanks, Usha! So glad you enjoyed this. And thanks for stopping by!
Julie
I was looking for recipes to serve some guests that were staying with us. They thought I was a regular chef making this casserole. I loved how easy it was to put together!