Sausage and Tots Easy Breakfast Casserole
A layered breakfast casserole that is very easy to prepare in camp and bake in your 12-inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Equipment
- Cutting Board for the Meat
- Cutting Board for the Onions
- Cheese Shredder
- Wooden Spatula
- Wooden Wok Shovel or a Spoon (optional)
- Paper Towels
- Bowl - to Scramble the Eggs with the Milk and Pepper
- Meat Chopper (optional) (optional)
- Fork to scramble the eggs - to scramble the eggs
- Scissors - if you prefer to cut the onions and bacon without a cutting board and knife
Ingredients
- 4 Slices Bacon
- 1 Pound Breakfast Sausage
- 1-2 Bunches of Green Onions - chopped with the green chives separated from the white bulb bottoms
- 2½ Cups Grated Cheddar Cheese - divide out ½ -1 cup for the last steps.
- 2 Cups Milk - any fat percentage
- 4 Large Eggs
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- Salt to Taste
- 2 lbs. Tater Tots - Frozen
Instructions
- In a bowl, crack the four eggs, add the milk and pepper, and scramble very well.
- Open the Sausage and create a large flat patty-like shape, almost like a large disk of sausage.
- Cut the bacon perpendicular and into small strips.
- Cut the green onions. Keep the “green” chive parts and the “white” bulb parts separate.
- Set 24-30 or more charcoal briquettes to fire in the charcoal chimney.
- Once the briquettes are ready, place the 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven over 24-30 or more charcoal briquettes to heat up very hot.
- Add the bacon to the hot Dutch oven and cook until crispy. When the bacon is done, scoop the small pieces out, and set them aside.
- Add the large, patty-like shape of breakfast sausage to the hot pot. Brown and caramelize the sausage on one side and then the other BEFORE breaking it up. Once the sausage has browned nicely, break up the sausage and cook thoroughly.
- Remove the excess oil from the pot and leave about 2-3 tablespoons of fat in the pot for sautéing the onions. If you need more oil, add some butter or oil to the pot and let it heat.
- Add the bulb parts (white parts) of the green onions to the pot and mix with the sausage. Sauté until the onions are soft and ready.
- Spread the sausage and onions out evenly over the bottom of the Dutch oven and layer 1-2 cups of cheese to the top of the sausage.
- Pour in the egg mixture and evenly over the cheese-covered sausage. Pour slow and in a circular motion. DO NOT stir the pot.
- Add the tater tots to the top of everything. Use your hand and add a few at a time. Just layer them on the top.
- Return the lid to the pot and place 16-18 hot charcoal briquettes evenly on the lid. Then, set the Dutch oven over a circle of 8-10 hot charcoal briquettes under the Dutch oven and set the Dutch oven over these 8-10 briquettes.
- Turn the pot in 10-15 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, use a fork to sample a tater tot for a doneness-taste-test. You may need to bake for another 15 minutes.
- When the tots are fully warmed and the egg is fully cooked, remove the lid and place the remaining cheese on the top (1/2 – 1 Cup), sprinkle the cut green onion chives over the top, and evenly spread out the bacon bits. Put the lid back on the pot.
- Place all the hot briquettes you have on the top of the lid of the Dutch oven to broil the ingredients (remove all heat from the bottom of the Dutch oven). Let the cheese melt and toast for about 5-10 minutes. Check after 5 minutes to make sure you don’t burn it.
Notes
The Sausage: You don’t have to use a whole pound of sausage. And, you don’t have to use breakfast sausage; Italian sausage works good too. AND, you could use ground beef. AND! You could mix the different sausages and meats.
The Tater Tots: I have to be honest, I am not a big fan of using processed foods in my recipes. But, at the same time, I am a big fan of “easy.” Sometimes, “easy” ain’t so good. But, sometimes “easy” is VERY GOOD! This is one of those kinds of “easy.”
Frozen or thawed? The tots can be frozen when you put them in…but…it’ll take longer. Likewise, we really don’t want them to be completely thawed and at room temperature. Here’s the consideration: We have brough them to camp in our cooler or ice chest and they will have thawed some by the time we get there or by the time we are ready to use them. And, we pulled them out and opened the bag before we lit the fire. They will thaw a bit more. Yes, they will still be cold and hard. It’s okay. They will cook in that pot…no worries.
Another option would be to use about 2 pounds of baked potatoes that have been cooled and shredded up with a cheese shredder. If you go this route, you will need to consider the salt content. The dish may need a bit of salt added over those shredded potatoes when you add them to the top of the dish as the tater tot substitute.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!