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.
Servings: 12
Calories: 264kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound breakfast sausage or 1 cup cooked, diced bacon
- ½ medium onion diced
- 1 sweet bell pepper diced - red, yellow, or orange
- 1 bag frozen, shredded hashbrowns I used the Aldi brand
- 8 ounces shredded cheese I have used sharp cheddar, regular cheddar
- ¼ cup diced green onions or chives
- 6 large eggs whisked/beaten
- ½ cup milk or cream I like the extra flavor of using cream
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon seasoning salt
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Optional
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced for a little lagniappe
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375˚F.
- Spread hashbrowns on a baking sheet and roast them to "thaw" and crisp up while you prepare the sausage and veggies.
- Place a skillet over medium heat. Add ½ tablespoon oil and brown sausage, breaking it up as it cooks. (If using cooked bacon, cook until crispy, then dice into bite-size pieces. Keep a tablespoon or so of bacon grease for flavor.)
- Drain sausage and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Discard any excess fat and liquid from the pan.
- Add 1 ½ tablespoons of oil to the skillet and sauté onions & bell pepper until vegetables just begin to soften. (About 5 minutes.) Season with just a pinch of salt, seasoning salt, and pepper, and stir it all together.
- Transfer the vegetables to a bowl with the sausage or bacon. (See above in the post for alternate directions using bacon.)
- Add the roasted hashbrowns, about ⅔ of the cheese, ⅔ of the green onions, and the remaining salt, pepper, and seasoned salt to the sausage and vegetable mixture and gently toss together until fully combined. (It's okay if the hashbrowns are a little warm - the cheese is going to melt anyway.)
- Pour this back into the skillet or into a greased 13x9 pan.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and milk and pour this mixture over the sausage/vegetable mixture. Press the hashbrowns down into the milk/eggs to help it seep into all the nooks and crannies.
- Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese and a handful of green onions.
- Cover casserole tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for 10 more minutes or until the eggs set.
- Serve immediately with salt and pepper to taste and some extra green onions.
Notes
🔢 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. 🙋♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Can Breakfast Casserole Be Refrigerated Before Cooking?
Wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, you can keep an unbaked breakfast casserole in the refrigerator for 3 - 5 days. However, you can keep it in the freezer, unbaked, for up to 2 months or freeze and vacuum seal individual portions for an easy breakfast. (We love to meal prep this casserole for when guests visit or for easy breakfasts during the workweek.) How Do You Keep Egg Casserole from Drying Out?
Covering this breakfast casserole with aluminum foil in the first part of the bake time helps the casserole to heat through the center while keeping it from drying out on the top. (This also keeps the cheese on top from burning.) Don’t skip this step! How Do I Know When This Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole is Done?
Before removing the casserole from the oven, make sure it is done. You can do this by checking the temperature and making sure it is at 160℉. Or, you can stick a knife into the center and if it comes out clean with no egg on it, it is done. How Do You Reheat Breakfast Casserole in the Oven?
To reheat your leftover casserole, cover it in aluminum foil and reheat it at 375℉ for 25 - 30 minutes the next morning. You can also heat individual portions in the air fryer or microwave for faster reheating. 🥫 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. 📋 Tips
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:
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. 🙋♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Can Breakfast Casserole Be Refrigerated Before Cooking?
Wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, you can keep an unbaked breakfast casserole in the refrigerator for 3 - 5 days. However, you can keep it in the freezer, unbaked, for up to 2 months or freeze and vacuum seal individual portions for an easy breakfast. (We love to meal prep this casserole for when guests visit or for easy breakfasts during the workweek.) How Do You Keep Egg Casserole from Drying Out?
Covering this breakfast casserole with aluminum foil in the first part of the bake time helps the casserole to heat through the center while keeping it from drying out on the top. (This also keeps the cheese on top from burning.) Don’t skip this step! How Do I Know When This Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole is Done?
Before removing the casserole from the oven, make sure it is done. You can do this by checking the temperature and making sure it is at 160℉. Or, you can stick a knife into the center and if it comes out clean with no egg on it, it is done. How Do You Reheat Breakfast Casserole in the Oven?
To reheat your leftover casserole, cover it in aluminum foil and reheat it at 375℉ for 25 - 30 minutes the next morning. You can also heat individual portions in the air fryer or microwave for faster reheating. 🥫 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. 📋 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.
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
Nutrition
Serving: 1ounce | Calories: 264kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 138mg | Sodium: 589mg | Potassium: 184mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 765IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 1mg
