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This Breakfast Enchilada Casserole layers scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, tater tots, and lots of cheese between corn tortillas and a creamy green chile sauce. It’s a little spicy, really filling, and you can put it together the night before. It’s great for breakfast, brunch, or even dinner.
More Mexican-Inspired Breakfasts: Breakfast Quesadillas | Chilaquiles Rojos | Spicy Mexican Breakfast Casserole
Before You Get Started
This casserole is easy, but soggy layers and rubbery eggs are the two ways it goes wrong. These three tips prevent both:
- Leave the eggs slightly soft — They bake for another 50 minutes in the casserole. Pull them off the heat while they’re still a little glossy so they stay tender instead of rubbery.
- Use a thick, chunky salsa — Thin salsa pools between the layers and turns the tortillas mushy. If yours is watery, let it drain in a strainer for a few minutes first.
- Overlap the tortilla pieces — Tear them to fit so each layer is fully covered with no gaps. The tortillas are what hold each slice together when you serve it.
RECIPE OVERVIEW
How to Make Breakfast Enchilada Casserole
This started as a breakfast version of my Green Chicken Enchilada Casserole. It uses the same layering method, with eggs, bacon, and sausage in place of the chicken. It sounds like a lot of steps, but each one is really easy, and most of the work happens before anything goes in the oven.
1. Make the Creamy Green Chile Sauce
Stir the green chile enchilada sauce and sour cream together in a bowl until smooth.
The sour cream mellows the heat a little and makes the sauce creamy, so it coats the tortillas instead of soaking straight through them.
2. Cook the Bacon, Sausage, and Tater Tots
Cook the bacon until crisp, then crumble it. Brown the sausage in a skillet, breaking it into small pieces, and drain it well on paper towels so the casserole doesn’t turn greasy. Bake the tater tots according to the package directions.
To save time and keep the stovetop clear, I like to bake the bacon on a sheet pan while the tots are in the oven. My How to Cook Bacon in the Oven post walks through it, or make the tots in the air fryer.
- Swap in chorizo: Pork or turkey chorizo works great in place of the breakfast sausage and adds more spice and smoky flavor. Brown and drain it the same way.
3. Scramble the Eggs with Salsa
Whisk the eggs, milk, and salt together. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, add the eggs, and stir often until they’re mostly set but still a little soft and glossy.
Take them off the heat and stir in the salsa.
The eggs will look slightly underdone at this point. They finish cooking in the oven, and if they’re fully cooked now, they’ll be dry by the time the casserole comes out.
4. Layer the Casserole
Spread a thin layer of the sauce in the bottom of a 13×9-inch baking dish. Top with a layer of tortillas, tearing them to fit and overlapping the pieces so there are no gaps. Add a third of the eggs, a third of the bacon, sausage, and tots, a third of the cheese, and a drizzle of sauce.
Repeat for two more layers. Finish with one last layer of tortillas, the rest of the sauce, the reserved cheese, and the reserved bacon. Corn tortillas hold their shape best here, and if you ever want to try homemade, my Homemade Corn Tortillas Recipe works well.
- Save a few tots for the top: Scatter a handful of whole tater tots over the final layer of cheese. They crisp up during the last few minutes uncovered and add some crunch to every slice.
5. Cover and Bake
Cover the dish with nonstick foil. If you only have regular foil, stick a few toothpicks into the casserole so the foil doesn’t touch the cheese and pull it off when you uncover it.
Bake covered at 350°F for about 40 minutes, then uncover and bake 10 minutes more, until the cheese is melted and the edges are bubbling.
Let it rest for about 10 minutes before cutting. The layers firm up as it cools a bit, and the slices come out clean instead of sliding apart. Top with sliced chives and serve.
Toppings and Sides for Serving
A toppings bar makes this casserole easy to serve to a group. Set out sour cream, sliced avocado, chopped cilantro, extra salsa, and hot sauce, and let everyone top their own slice. Something fresh and fruity on the side balances out all the cheese.
Serve It With:
Hosting a holiday brunch or a slow weekend breakfast? My Brunch Recipes collection has plenty more ideas, from overnight French toast to cinnamon rolls and fresh fruit salads.
Storage Tips
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Freezing
This casserole is made for prepping ahead, which is why it’s a favorite for holiday mornings and houseguests. Everything is cooked before it goes in the dish, so the morning-of step is just baking.
To make ahead: Assemble the casserole, cover it tightly, and refrigerate it for up to 2 days. Take it out of the fridge while the oven preheats, then bake covered, adding 10 to 15 minutes to the covered bake time since it’s starting cold.
To freeze before baking: Wrap the assembled casserole well in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then bake as directed for a make-ahead casserole.
To store leftovers: Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Individual slices can be wrapped and frozen for up to 1 month.
To reheat: Microwave single slices for 1 to 2 minutes until hot in the center. For a larger portion, cover with foil and warm in a 350°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this in a muffin tin?
Yes, and it makes a great grab-and-go version. Warm small corn tortillas in the microwave so they bend without cracking, then press one into each cup of a greased 12-cup muffin tin.
Fill with the egg mixture, meats, chopped tots, cheese, and a spoonful of sauce. Since everything is already cooked, bake at 350°F for about 15 to 20 minutes, just until the cheese melts and the tortilla edges crisp.
For individual portions made with just eggs, my Egg & Sausage Breakfast Muffins are another good option.
Can I use red enchilada sauce instead of green?
Yes. Red enchilada sauce gives the casserole a deeper, earthier flavor and is often a little spicier, while green chile sauce is tangier and milder. Mix it with the sour cream the same way. Either one works with the bacon, sausage, and eggs.
Can I use flour tortillas instead of corn?
You can. Flour tortillas bake up softer, so the casserole ends up closer to a breakfast lasagna. Use 8-inch tortillas and tear them to fit, and you’ll need fewer per layer since they’re bigger. Corn tortillas hold their shape better and give it more of a classic enchilada flavor.
Can I use hash browns instead of tater tots?
Yes, frozen shredded hash browns work well. Cook them in a skillet with a little oil until golden and crisp before layering them in. If they go in raw, they release water and make the layers soggy. Use about 3 cups of cooked hash browns in place of the tots.
More Breakfast Casseroles
- Overnight French Toast Casserole
- Sausage & Egg Casserole
- Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
- Croissant Breakfast Casserole
- Crockpot Breakfast Casserole
- Smoked Sausage & Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
Breakfast Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
- 9 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 15- ounce can green chile enchilada sauce
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 12-16 corn tortillas
- 2 dozen tater tots baked
- 8 ounce breakfast sausage cooked, drained and crumbled
- 6 slices bacon cooked, drained and crumbled, 1-2 tablespoons reserved for topping
- 2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar-jack cheese divided
- 1 tablespoon chives sliced, for garnish
Instructions
- Scramble the eggs: Whisk together the eggs, milk, and salt. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, add the eggs, and cook, stirring often, until mostly set but still slightly soft and glossy. Remove from the heat and stir in the salsa.
- Make the sauce: Stir together the green chile enchilada sauce and sour cream until smooth.
- Start the layers: Spread a scant ½ cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 13×9-inch baking dish. Add a single layer of tortillas, tearing them to fit and overlapping the pieces.
- Build three layers: Top the tortillas with a third of the eggs, a third of the bacon, sausage, and tater tots, 2/3 cup of the cheese, and about ⅓ cup of the sauce. Add another layer of tortillas and repeat twice more.
- Finish the top: Add a final layer of tortillas. Spread the remaining sauce over the top, then sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup cheese and the reserved bacon.
- Cover: Cover the dish with nonstick foil. If using regular foil, insert a few toothpicks into the casserole to keep the foil off the cheese. At this point you can refrigerate it for up to 2 days or freeze it for up to 1 month (see notes).
- Bake: Bake covered in a preheated 350°F oven for about 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes more, until the cheese is melted and the edges are bubbling.
- Rest and serve: Let the casserole cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with chives.
Notes
- Make ahead: Assemble, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Add 10 to 15 minutes to the covered bake time when baking straight from the fridge.
- Freeze: Wrap the unbaked casserole well in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bake as you would a refrigerated casserole.
- Leftovers: Store covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat single slices in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, or cover larger portions with foil and warm at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Pan size: An 11×7-inch dish also works. The layers will be taller, you’ll need fewer tortillas per layer, and it may take an extra 5 to 10 minutes to heat through.
- Swap the sausage: Pork or turkey chorizo works in place of the breakfast sausage. Brown and drain it well.
- Red sauce: Red enchilada sauce works in place of green for a deeper, slightly spicier flavor.
- Flour tortillas: 8-inch flour tortillas can replace the corn tortillas. The casserole will be softer, closer to a breakfast lasagna.
- To serve: Top with fresh salsa, sour cream, avocado, and hot sauce.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
