If you're looking for something to spice up brunch this Christmas morning, this Mexican breakfast casserole is where it's at! Now, I hesitated to even call this Mexican food, because there is absolutely nothing authentic about it. But if you love Southwestern flavors, tacos and breakfast - you will love this tasty casserole recipe.
I've spiced up the classic sausage breakfast casserole with this Mexican version by adding a little bit of spice, onions, bell peppers, salsa and my family's favorite potato product - tater tots! We seriously cannot get enough of this delicious breakfast recipe and the best part is it's gluten free.
If you're looking for more delicious gluten free brunch recipes for a crowd, I recommend my amazing gluten free cinnamon rolls or this easy gluten free french toast casserole.
Ingredient Notes
This Mexican egg casserole recipe uses simple ingredients and it's both gluten free and dairy free.
- Tater Tots - Our favorite brand of gluten free tater tots are Ore-Ida. We prefer the mini tater tots, but full sized will work too. You could even substitute the onion type if you like those. You'll want to let the tater tots thaw for about 30 minutes before you start cooking.
- Taco Seasoning - I always use my homemade taco seasoning. If you want to use store bought, make sure you look for a gluten free brand if needed. Seasoning packets are a common place for hidden gluten.
- Oil - I use olive oil for all of my cooking and baking, but any light flavored cooking oil will work fine.
- Yellow Onion - A little diced yellow onion is going to add a nice savory flavor to the casserole.
- Poblano Peppers - I wanted a little spice in my breakfast without going crazy. If you like things on the hotter side, you could use jalapeno instead.
- Red Bell Pepper - Adding a little red bell pepper gives a bit of a sweet pepper flavor to this dish. It helps to round out all the flavors. Feel free to swap in green bell peppers if you prefer them.
- Garlic - Garlic also just adds to the savory flavors here.
- Breakfast Sausage - Jimmy Dean is my favorite brand of sausage and it's gluten free. You could use a spicier sausage or even something like chorizo if you want.
- Eggs - You need lots of eggs for this recipe because it serves a big crowd. If you can't eat eggs, I have made this successfully using the product Just Eggs in place of real eggs.
- Salsa - Use your favorite brand of salsa. It adds an amazing flavor to the eggs!
- Cornstarch - A little bit of starch helps the eggs to firm up and form a light crust around the edges of the casserole. If you don't like cornstarch, you can use arrowroot powder or tapioca starch instead.
- Non-Dairy Milk - I added a little milk to give some creaminess to the eggs. If you're not dairy free, use whole milk in the same measure.
- Nutritional Yeast - I wanted to add a little more of a cheesy flavor without adding more cheese, so I've used nutritional yeast here. It adds a lovely umami flavor.
- Salt, Black Pepper & Dry Mustard - Just standard breakfast casserole seasonings.
- Vegan Shredded Cheese - I used Violife cheddar cheese, because it seems to melt the best. But you can use your favorite brand. If you're not dairy free, use regular cheddar cheese.
See recipe card for full ingredient list and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Not Dairy Free - use whole milk and regular shredded cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese in the same measure.
- Sausage Switchup - Replace regular breakfast sausage with spicy sausage, Italian sausage or Mexican chorizo for an extra kick of flavor.
- Make it Egg Free or Vegan - Swap the eggs for Just Eggs and replace the sausage with vegan sausage - Beyond brand is my favorite.
- No Cornstarch - Replace corn starch with an equal measure of arrowroot powder or tapioca starch. Or in a pinch you could use gluten free flour, but you'll need twice the measurement called for.
- No Tater Tots - Substitute frozen hash browns in place of the tater tots.
How to make a Mexican breakfast casserole
This is an easy recipe that only requires a few minutes of hands on cooking time. Before beginning, spray a 9x13 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
STEP 1: Line the bottom of your prepared baking dish with tater tots. Then sprinkle 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning over the tots. Place the pan in the oven to bake for 10 minutes.
STEP 2: Add oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the sausage, onion, bell pepper, poblano pepper and garlic to the pan. Cook until the sausage is browned.
STEP 3: While the sausage is cooking, combine the remaining taco seasoning, eggs, milk, salsa, cornstarch, nutritional yeast, salt, black pepper and dry mustard in a large mixing bowl. Whisk well until it's evenly mixed.
STEP 4: Add the shredded cheese to the egg mixture and fold together.
STEP 5: Remove the baking dish from the oven and spread the cooked sausage mixture over the tater tots.
STEP 6: Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the meat layer. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake.
Baking Tip
Covering the pan with aluminum foil for the first half of the bake time lets the cheese melt without burning.
Storage
Store leftover breakfast casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat to 165F degrees before serving.
This easy dish stores well, so it's a great way to meal prep a hot breakfast for busy mornings.
More gluten free breakfast recipes to consider:
If you try this recipe, please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the comments below.
Recipe
Mexican Breakfast Casserole with Tater Tots
Equipment
- 1 9x13 baking pan
Ingredients
- 24 ounces Tater Tots thawed
- 2 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning divded
- 1 Tablespoon Oil
- 1 pound Breakfast Sausage
- 1 Cup Yellow Onion diced
- ⅔ Cup Poblano Pepper diced
- ½ Cup Red Bell Pepper diced
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 8 Eggs
- ½ Cup Non Dairy Milk
- ¼ Cup Salsa
- 3 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Dry Mustard
- 1 Cup Vegan Shredded Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (177 °C). Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Line the bottom of the baking dish with thawed tater tots. Sprinkle the tots with 1 tablespoon of the taco seasoning. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.24 ounces Tater Tots, 2 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning
- Add the oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add in the breakfast sausage, onion, bell pepper, poblano pepper and garlic. Cook until the sausage is browned.1 Tablespoon Oil, 1 pound Breakfast Sausage, 1 Cup Yellow Onion, ⅔ Cup Poblano Pepper, ½ Cup Red Bell Pepper, 2 cloves Garlic
- Remove the pan from the oven and spread the meat and vegetables over the tater tots in an even layer.
- Combine the remaining taco seasoning, eggs, milk, cornstarch, nutritional yeast, salt, black pepper and dry mustard in a large bowl. Whisk well until smooth.8 Eggs, ½ Cup Non Dairy Milk, ¼ Cup Salsa, 3 Tablespoons Cornstarch, 2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast, ½ teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper, ¼ teaspoon Dry Mustard
- Stir in the shredded cheese.1 Cup Vegan Shredded Cheese
- Pour the egg mixture over the meat in the baking dish.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil cover and bake for another 20 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and the edges are browned.
- Remove from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Tiffany is the recipe developer, stylist and food photographer behind Well Fed Baker. As a lifelong baker who had to go gluten free and dairy free in 2016, Tiffany strives to share allergen friendly recipes that never feel like they are free from anything.
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