Cheesy Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and this Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole has all the makings of a perfect breakfast! Packed with sausage or bacon, bell peppers, hash browns, and topped with shredded cheese, this casserole has a little bit of everything.

Casseroles are some of my favorite things to make for breakfast because they are quick, easy, and are made all in one dish. They also are great to reheat for breakfast the next morning or a quick and easy leftover dinner. If you have a bigger family, it’s a great way to feed everyone in one swoop. 

This hashbrown breakfast casserole is hands down the best casserole I have ever had. The great thing about it is that it’s so versatile, can be made allergy-friendly, and can be prepped the night before to make mornings smooth and effortless. 

I am interchangeably using hashbrown and hashbrown because hashbrown is just easier to write and read than hash brown 😉

🥘 Ingredients Needed

• Olive oil – I like to use extra virgin olive oil. You can also use refined coconut oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil.
• Breakfast Sausage – You can also use bacon or both sausage and bacon.
• Onion – I like to use a sweet yellow onion.
• Bell pepper – Use red, yellow, or orange and dice it up. 
• Frozen Shredded hash browns – I like to use the Aldi brand for an easy and inexpensive option. 
• Shredded cheese – You can use sharp or regular cheddar – or even pepperjack!
• Diced green onions or chives
• Eggs
• Milk or Cream – I like to use cream as it gives it extra flavor. 
• Pepper – I love using coarsley ground black pepper.
• Salt – I like to use a mix of kosher salt and seasoning salt.

Jalapeño – This is optional but will need to be seeded and diced.

🍽 Equipment Needed

• Skillet
• Baking Sheet
• Measuring Cups/Spoons

🥣 How to Make It

Prep this recipe the night before to easily throw it in the oven in the morning for a hot breakfast the whole family will love! It’s so easy to make:

• First, preheat your oven to 375℉.
• Then, spread your hashbrowns on a baking sheet and roast them in the oven to thaw and crisp up while you cook your sausage and veggies. (Pictures 1 – 2) You might need to stir them once or twice to break up any clumps while they cook.
  
• Add ½ tablespoon of oil to your skillet and place it over medium heat. Brown your sausage, breaking it up as it cooks. If you are using baking, cook until crispy, then dice the bacon into bite sized pieces.
• Next, drain the sausage or bacon and transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Make sure there is no liquid in the skillet if you use sausage, but if you use bacon, you can leave a little bacon grease in the skillet for flavor.

• Add another 1 ½ tablespoons of oil to your skillet. Then, saute the onions and bell pepper for about 5 minutes or until softened. Season with salt, seasoning salt, and pepper. (Pictures 3 – 5)
• From here, there are two options and both work great:
  • 1) Place the veggies in the bowl with the sausage and add the roasted hash browns, ⅔ of the cheese, ⅔ of the green onions, and remaining salt, pepper, and seasoning salt. Gently toss until everything is fully combined. Pour your hash brown, sausage, and veggie mixture into a greased 13 x 9 inch pan or cast iron skillet. Whisk the eggs and milk or cream in a mixing bowl, then pour the egg mixture over the hash brown mixture, pressing the eggs into the hash browns. 
  • 2) (Pictured) Combine the hash browns/veggies in the skillet then mix the ⅔ of the cheese, ⅔ of the green onions, ⅔ of the bacon, and remaining salt, pepper, and seasoning salt in a bowl with the eggs/cream. Gently fold this egg mixture into the hash brown/veggie mix.
    
    Both options are easy and work great!

• Top the casserole with the remaining cheese and a handful of green onions. (Picture 15)

• Cover your casserole tightly with tin foil and bake it for 35 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes or until eggs are done. 

• Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Here’s what the finished product looks like with sausage. It kind of falls apart a little when you scoop it out, but it is so good when you get a big forkful of egg, potato, and cheese:

Here’s the bacon version scooped out. So good:

🙋‍♀️ Frequently Asked Questions

🍱 Recipe Yield

If you are using a 13 x 9-inch baking dish or a 12 inch cast iron pan, you can get about 12 – 15 servings. A technical “serving” is typically 1 ounce, so you may eat more than 1 serving per helping – we usually have close to two per meal. This has served four people breakfast two days in a row, then there was enough for two the following day.

This delicious hash brown breakfast casserole is perfect all on its own. It has protein, healthy carbs, dairy, and veggies. However, you can also serve it with a variety of breakfast sides such as:

• Fresh Fruit
• Buttermilk Muffins
• Yogurt
• Sweet Potato Pancakes
• Cinnamon Knots

🥫 Storage/Shelf Life/Reheating

To store this delicious hash brown breakfast casserole, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. Then, place it in the refrigerator. You can store it in the refrigerator after it’s been cooked for 3 – 5 days.

You can easily reheat individual portions of this hash brown casserole in the microwave, or you can wrap it in aluminum foil and reheat it in the oven. Bake at 375℉ for 25 – 30 minutes.

✏️ Helpful Tips

• It’s okay to mix the hashbrowns into the sausage and veggies when they are still a little warm. The cheese is going to melt anyway.
• You can make this recipe with bacon instead. Simply chop and cook bacon and add it to the veggies and hashbrowns like you did the sausage. 
• Always bake the hashbrowns first! You may be tempted to throw them in frozen, but baking them first makes the edges nice and crispy. 
• Use lots of cheese. I like to add even more cheese than the recipe calls. Add more if you like it cheesy. 
• You can use whole milk, 2%, or heavy cream for this recipe. They all work, but I find cream adds a little extra decadence.

Other Tasty Breakfast Recipes

• Cinnamon Knots With Sweet Pecan Praline Crunch
• Ham, Gruyere, and Potato Frittata
• Cranberry, Orange, and Pecan Muffins
• Ham, Cheese, and Green Onion Scones