A Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole is perfect when you need to feed a crowd first thing in the morning.
This breakfast casserole recipe is a full meal with eggs, sausage, peppers, and hashbrowns all topped with cheese and baked until perfect golden brown.
Best of all, prepare ahead of time and in the morning, just pop it into the oven. Serve with a fresh fruit salad, and keep the coffee coming (or mimosas)!
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Ingredients in Breakfast Casserole
Hashbrowns – I use shredded hashbrowns, but any style of hash browns work well in this recipe, or even leftover home fries or roasted potatoes!
Sausage – I prefer pork sausage (like Jimmy Dean’s breakfast sausage). Swap it out for turkey sausage, ham, or crispy bacon (or even leftover ground beef from last night’s tacos)!
Veggies – I add bell peppers to this casserole but add whatever veggies you have on hand. Mushrooms (cook them first so they don’t get watery), asparagus, or even steamed broccoli are great.
Cheese – Shredded sharp cheddar cheese is our favorite, but pepper jack cheese or other bold flavorful cheeses work well. Save a little for the top to get a nice golden layer of cheese.
This hash brown casserole recipe is very forgiving; you can change the add-ins according to your preferences or what you have on hand. Try leftover meats, veggies, and cheeses of all kinds. Just chop or shred and toss them into the mix.
How to Make Breakfast Casserole
Frozen hash browns make this breakfast casserole super easy to whip up.
- Spread thawed shredded hash browns in the bottom of a baking dish per the recipe below. Mix in cheese, sausage, and pepper/onions.
- Whisk eggs, milk, and seasonings in a large bowl.
- Pour over the hashbrown mixture.
Bake Now or Make Ahead
The great thing about this hash brown breakfast casserole recipe is that it can be baked right away or prepared ahead and baked before brunch. It’s perfect for holidays like Christmas morning or even Easter.
Cook it now or refrigerate overnight Once prepared, bake right away or you can cover, refrigerate overnight, and bake this breakfast casserole fresh in the morning.
To Bake Now Pour the egg mixture over top and bake. Unlike strata or french toast, you do not need to wait as there is no bread to soak up the mixture. So just make and bake.
To Bake Later Cover the mixture tightly and refrigerate for up to 48 hours (or 3 days if using pasteurized egg product). Remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking (while preheating the oven).
This bakes at 350°F for 55-65 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. If you’ve let it sit overnight, it may need a few extra minutes if it’s still quite chilled from the fridge.
To prepare in the Crock Pot, I recommend our slow cooker breakfast casserole.
Just like egg muffins, leftover breakfast casserole is perfect for busy weekday mornings. Keep leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or the oven.
Yes, you sure can! This will last in the freezer for up to four months. Wrap individual pieces and store in freezer bags. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave or the oven.
More Easy Make-Ahead Breakfast Casseroles
If you’re tired of the same old breakfast or want a meal to prep ahead, you’ll love these breakfast casserole recipes. They’re perfect for reheating throughout the week or for a special holiday breakfast and best of all, they’re all prepped ahead of time.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 20 ounces shredded hash browns thawed
- 1 pound ground pork sausage cooked, crumbled, and drained
- ¼ cup finely diced onion
- ½ red bell pepper diced
- ½ green bell pepper diced
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 8 eggs
- 12 ounces evaporated milk 1 can, or 1 ⅓ cups milk
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning or your favorite herbs and spices, optional
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (if baking immediately). Grease a 9×13 inch pan or a 3qt baking dish or spray with cooking spray.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Brown the sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, until no pink remains. Drain fat.
- In the prepared dish, add the hashbrowns, cooked sausage, onions, bell peppers, and 1 ½ cups of cheese. Gently mix the ingredients together and spread evenly in the pan.
- In a large bowl, add the eggs, evaporated milk, salt & pepper, and Italian seasoning to a large bowl. Whisk until well combined.
- Pour the egg mixture over the hashbrown mixture and sprinkle the remaining cheese over top.
- Cover the dish with foil and refrigerate overnight if desired, or bake immediately.
- Bake uncovered for 55-65 minutes or until cooked through.
Video
Notes
- The casserole can be assembled and baked immediately or covered and refrigerated for up to two days before baking. If using pasteurized egg product, it can be prepared three days in advance.
- Sausage can be swapped for 1lb of bacon, cooked crisp. You can use any type of shredded cheese you have on hand.
- If the casserole is refrigerated overnight, remove it from the fridge 30 minutes before baking. It may require an extra 10-15 minutes of cooking time.
- Evaporated milk can be substituted with 1 1/3 cups of light cream, milk, or non-dairy milk of your choice.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Breakfast, Casserole
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Great recipe! I tweaked it as all cooks do. I did ½ a red pepper and 3 inner leafy stalks of celery. Added Aleppo pepper. I was out of evaporated milk so used 1c whole milk and ⅓c heavy whipping cream. Everyone ate it up including my 16 month old. Thanks so much!
Can this be done in a slow cooker?
Hello Sheila. Yes this casserole can be cooked in the crockpot. Here a couple suggestions. Remember to brown the sausage first. Layer the ingredients. Add the top layer of cheese near the end of the cooking time. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Let it rest for a few minutes before serving, as this will allow it to set. I hope this helps. We also have this crockpot breakfast casserole recipe that you may love and will work great in the crockpot!
Very bland. Better with hot sauce.
Hot sauce sounds like a great way to spice it up!
This is a delicious breakfast casserole. The addition of the peppers give this and added flavor that special zest to perfection!
omg we all loved this recipe so delicious!!!!
This is so good and easy to make.
I had a breakfast party last year and used this recipe. I made four different varieties: sausage, bacon, vegetable with mushrooms and spinach and a dairy free. They all came out terrific. Thanks for sharing.
This is so good and easy to make.
I had breakfast party last year and used this recipe. I made four different varieties: sausage, bacon, vegetable with mushrooms and spinach and a dairy free. They all came out terrific. Thanks for sharing.
Love this recipe
great base recipe. I added drained rotel and seasoned the sausage with taco seasoning for a southwest twist
Once you bake, then freeze, what is the best way to reheat for next day?
I would let it thaw in the fridge overnight then let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes before reheating at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Enjoy!
Made it as called for. I thought it was very bland. Daughter thought potatoes should be crispier.
You can always partially precooked the hashbrowns and then pour everything on top and then resume baking.
This looks incredible and I hope to make it for my family get together on the 4th! A couple of questions: Do you think this would work with ground chorizo (precooked and drained)? Also, I have someone with an allergy to bell peppers…what would be a good substitute for the bell peppers or should I just leave them out? I was thinking of Roma tomatoes but worried it could be a bit mushy?
Chorizo would be great in this recipe. You can leave them out or subsutute another veggie – if you seed the tomatoes and maybe add a bit less, it should work just fine. You could also try mushrooms (fry them first so they don’t get watery).
This is the absolute best breakfast casserole I have made to date! My red bell pepper was questionable, so I used a whole green bell pepper, and I also used a whole (small) sweet onion. I used hot sausage. It was delicious! Thank you, as always, Holly, for another great recipe!
So happy to hear that, enjoy!
Really loved this recipe!!!
Do you freeze it before or after cooking it?
I prefer to freeze this casserole dish after baking. But other readers have frozen it before baking with great results.
I have made this casserole several times. Everyone that has tried it LOVES it!! very flexible!!
How do you know when it’s cooked through?
There are a few ways to make sure it is cooked through. You can check the internal temperature at the center of the dish is 160°F. You can also insert a knife or toothpick into the center of the casserole, if it comes out without wet egg mixture on it then it’s ready. It should also be golden brown on top, and the edges should be slightly pulled away from the sides of the baking dish. The eggs should be set and not jiggly. I hope this helps!
I’ve made this casserole so many times… it’s always a hit! I had an idea and wondered if you think it would be possible. Can the same recipe be made and cooked in muffin tins rather than a casserole dish? If so, what cook time/temperature would you recommend?
Thanks again for all of your amazing meal ideas!
Ooo, I love that idea, Julie! I haven’t tried but I think that it should work. I would love to hear how it turns out for you.
I was just thinking of baking this on a cookie sheet, cutting the cooked casserole into 12 squares/rectangles, and adding it to croissants and extra cheese for make ahead breakfast sandwiches! I’m guessing 325* for 20 or so minutes..
This was SO GOOD! I didn’t change anything and we gobbled it up. Oddly enough, I served it as a dinner dish and would certainly do that again. Thanks Holly!
Love this casserole. So good. Make it for supper and then leftovers for lunch next day.
Thank you.