Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole is the absolute best make-ahead recipe when you’re feeding a crowd. Quickly assemble sausage, eggs, shredded potatoes, and cheese in a casserole dish, then bake in the oven until it’s warm and bubbly. Serve this easy dish for holiday mornings, like Christmas and Easter, or for brunch any weekend morning!
With it’s cheesy goodness, fluffy egg texture, and bites of shredded hash browns and sausage throughout… this breakfast casserole is one for the recipe books!
So much so, that every year our family debates between having a Mexican Breakfast Casserole or this Sausage Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole for Christmas and Easter mornings.
There’s just something so satisfying about sitting around with your loved ones as you slowly begin to smell your breakfast cooking up without you having to do a thing!
Simply prep-ahead the night before, pull it out in the morning, and pop it in the oven.
Before you know it you’ll be sitting down to a hearty and healthy breakfast (or brunch!) LOADED with flavor that both the kiddos and adults will love!
Ingredients
The simple ingredients you need to make this hashbrown breakfast casserole recipe include:
- Sausage. Both mild or hot ground sausage will work in this recipe. You can also choose a breakfast sausage. Opt for one without any MSG.
- Hash browns. You can find these shredded potatoes in the frozen section of your grocery store. Make sure you select an unseasoned variety since we’ll be adding our own seasoning in the recipe.
- Onion. Sweet onion was used. White or yellow can be substituted but they will have a more potent taste.
- Bell pepper. Either finely diced red or green peppers or even a mixture of both add wonderful color and flavor.
- Garlic. Mince fresh cloves of garlic, or swap it out for ½ teaspoon of garlic powder instead.
- Eggs. Large eggs make up a big portion of this casserole. You can use organic if preferred.
- Milk. You only need just a touch. Choose regular milk or an unsweetened plant-based alternative such as cashew or oat milk.
- Cajun seasoning. This has a bit of a kick, so if you don’t like spicy you can simply mix in additional salt, black pepper, and paprika instead. You can also try out Blackened Seasoning or even Taco Seasoning.
- Cheese. Cheddar cheese or Monterey jack are delicious and melt well. You can also leave it out if you are dairy-free, or pick a dairy-free cheese alternative.
How to Make a Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole
The basic steps for making hashbrown breakfast casseroles are simple to follow:
Cook the Sausage
Place the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat for 7-8 minutes until cooked through. Break it apart with a potato masher until the meat turns into fine crumbles.
Remove the sausage from the skillet with a spatula and let it drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Sauté Vegetables
Add the chopped onion and bell pepper to the reserved sausage grease in the skillet. If there is not at least 2 tablespoons of grease left in the pan you can pour in more oil until it reaches this amount.
Cook the vegetables for 3-4 minutes, or until they become tender. Stir in the minced garlic and ¼ teaspoon salt and continue sautéing for an additional minute.
Whisk Eggs
While the vegetables are cooking, whisk together the eggs, milk, seasonings, and remaining salt in a large bowl.
Layer it Up
Spray an 8 x 10-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. If you only have a 9×13-inch pan available, you’ll need to decrease the cook time by about 10 minutes.
Place the hash browns in a single layer across the bottom of the dish and then top with the sausage and vegetables. Pour the egg mixture over everything and then sprinkle with the shredded cheese.
Bake in Oven
Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in a 375°F preheated oven for 50-55 minutes. Remove the foil during the last 20 minutes of cooking so the cheese can fully melt.
Let the casserole rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting in. Serve with freshly chopped cilantro or parsley and enjoy!
Meal Prep and Storage
- To Prep-Ahead: Chop the onions and peppers, cook the sausage and the veggies, and keep in the refrigerator until ready to finish. The entire dish can also be assembled up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated before baking.
- To Store: Place leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
- To Freeze: Seal either the unbaked or baked casserole in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: If the casserole is frozen allow it to defrost in the refrigerator overnight. To cook an unbaked casserole follow the baking directions in the recipe. For baked, place in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes or until heated through. You can also warm leftover individual slices in the microwave.
Dietary Modifications
Here are some adjustments and substitutions you can make to help this recipe fit your dietary requirements:
- Gluten-free: Double check that the potatoes have not been tossed in flour.
- Dairy-free: Use a plant-based milk and select a dairy-free cheese alternative.
FAQs
If you use frozen hash browns they should be defrosted before using in a casserole to avoid too much moisture.
Place the frozen spuds in the refrigerator overnight. Or, you can let them rest at room temperature for an hour. Once thawed, make sure to remove any extra moisture before making a hash brown casserole.
When you shake the dish and the middle no longer jiggles the casserole is done. Additionally, a knife inserted in the middle should come out clean. You can also check with a meat thermometer to make sure the center of the casserole is at least 160°F.
Quiches generally consist of eggs, cream, and other fillings in a pie crust. Breakfast casseroles are a mix of eggs and other ingredients such as potatoes, veggies, and cheese baked in a dish without a crust. The hash brown breakfast casserole is a popular type with mainly potatoes and eggs.
Hash browns are simply shredded potatoes. They are often sautéed, fried in a patty, or mixed with a binder and made into tater tots.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Break it up. Use a potato masher to create fine crumbles of sausage.
- Switch the flavors. Try different spice blends such as taco seasoning or blackened cajun seasoning.
- Make it spicy. Select a hot sausage for a good kick.
- Cover then remove. Place aluminum foil over the casserole while baking so the cheese doesn’t burn.
- Prep ahead. Assemble the casserole the night before so all you have to do in the morning is bake.
What to Serve with a Breakfast Casserole?
For a rounded out and healthy breakfast, you can add several things to the menu.
Baked goods like Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies and Lemon Poppyseed Muffins add a sweet side. Or, pair this casserole with Gluten-Free Pancakes or even Blueberry Pancakes.
This Peanut Butter and Jelly Chia Pudding is a unique treat, as well.
More Make-Ahead Breakfast Recipes
These tasty breakfast dishes can be prepared in advance, making your morning super easy.
Baked Oatmeal with Berries and Savory Waffles are delicious.
For more protein, opt for Mexican Breakfast Casserole, Easy Migas, Breakfast Egg Muffins, or Sheet Pan Breakfast Potato Hash. If you love sweet potatoes, then definitely try Sweet Potato Hash or Sweet Potato Hash Browns.
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Shredded Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole
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Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground sausage mild or hot
- ½ sweet onion finely chopped
- 1 bell pepper red or green, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 tsp. salt divided
- 10 large eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 tsp. Cajun seasoning or blackened seasoning
- 20 oz. hashbrowns shredded
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheese Cheddar or Monterrey Jack
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium heat for 7-8 minutes. Crumble with a potato masher until the meat turns into fine crumbles.1 lb. ground sausage
- Remove sausage from the skillet with a spatula and let drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Add the chopped onion and bell pepper to the reserved sausage grease in the skillet. (If you do not have roughly 2 tablespoons left, add additional oil until you reach this amount.) Saute the vegetables for 3-4 minutes, or until they become tender. Add minced garlic and ¼ teaspoon salt and continue sauteeing for an additional minute.½ sweet onion, 1 bell pepper, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp. salt
- While the vegetables are cooking, whisk together the eggs, milk, seasonings, and remaining salt in a large bowl.10 large eggs, ¼ cup milk, 1 tsp. Cajun seasoning
- Spray an 8 x 10-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.* Place the hashbrowns in a single layer across the bottom of the dish and then top with the sausage and vegetables. Pour the egg mixture over everything and then sprinkle with the shredded cheese.20 oz. hashbrowns, 1 ½ cups shredded cheese
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes. During the last 20 minutes of cooking, remove the aluminum foil.
- Let the casserole rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting in. Serve with freshly chopped cilantro or parsley and enjoy!
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Notes
- If you only have a 9×13-inch pan available, you’ll need to decrease the cook time by about 10 minutes.
- To Store: Place leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
- To Freeze: Seal either the unbaked or baked casserole in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
