Tater Tot Crust Baked Egg Cups

Preheat the oven to 375F. Prepare a muffin tin by spraying non-stick cooking spray liberally into 8 of the 12 muffin tin wells, or by lining with silicone muffin liners (my preferred method). Place 4 frozen tater tots into each of the 8 muffin tin wells, arranging them so they are standing up straight and no tots are overlapping each other. Bake in the preheated oven for 22-25 minutes, or until the tops of the tots are noticeably browned and crisp. Remove from the oven and immediately continue with the next step.

Carefully use a shot glass or a spoon to smash the cooked tots down into the muffin pan wells. Use enough force so that the smashed tots start to come up the sides and form a crust. Next, crack an egg into each muffin tin well, taking care not to let the egg spill over the side of the liner (if using liners). Sprinkle the top of each egg with a little salt and pepper to taste, then sprinkle each one with about 1-2 tablespoons of chopped cooked bacon.

Immediately place the pan back into the oven for bake for another 10-16 minutes until the whites on top are set. If meal prepping, I recommend undercooking the eggs by 1-2 minutes to avoid overcooking when reheated. The exact cook time of this step depends on how well cooked you want your eggs:

For softer cooked eggs, cook for 10-13 minutes.

For harder cooked eggs, cook for 13-16 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes before removing from the pan. Enjoy immediately, or store in an airtight container with lid in the fridge for up to 4 days.