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    Home » Breakfast

    Simple Breakfast Casserole

    Published: Apr 9, 2022 / Updated: Dec 15, 2022 / 10 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my affiliate disclosure for more details.

    Jump to Recipe

    Make this cheesy breakfast casserole recipe for a tasty weekend brunch or the holidays! It's got very few ingredients and is big on flavor. You can even prepare this casserole ahead of time so that mornings are that much easier!

    Love easy breakfast recipes? Try these Spinach and Mushroom Egg Muffins next.

    a casserole dish with sausage breakfast casserole with a piece removed

    Why you'll love it

    If someone in your family isn't really into breakfast, this hashbrown casserole will definitely change their mind. It has fluffy eggs, bell peppers, tender sausage, and of course loads of cheesy goodness. It's honestly pretty hard to resist. We love it for breakfast meal prep in our home. If you make it on the weekend, you can eat it over the next few days no problem!

    It's just the best to serve for special occasions, during the holidays, and especially on Christmas morning for breakfast since it feeds a crowd. Your family will look forward to it almost as much as opening the presents! Ok, maybe not quite that much, but this breakfast casserole will feed lots of hungry mouths, and it's perfectly simple and delicious.

    Ingredients for it

    • Hash brown potatoes - we're using the shredded kind, but if diced is all you have, that's ok too
    • Sausage - we chose pork sausage for this recipe
    • Onion - sweet (Vidalia) is our go-to for an aromatic base, but yellow works
    • Bell peppers - we used red and green, but any colors are fine
    • Garlic - for savory depth of flavor. Always freshly mince it.
    • Eggs - yup, we're using a dozen! That works out to one egg for each portion, so don't worry if it seems like a lot.
    • Half-and-half - in our opinion, it's way better than milk.
    • Cheddar cheese - for both inside the casserole and the melty topping
    • Spinach - for a pop of freshness. Spinach and eggs go great together.
    ingredients on a marble surface for breakfast casserole

    Pro tip

    • I definitely recommend grating your own cheddar. It melts and tastes so much better than the bagged kind that's coated with anti-clumping preservatives. It's worth it. I use this Microplane cheese grater.

    How to make a breakfast casserole

    This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

    adding hash browns to a baking dish and frying sausage meat in a skillet

    Thaw the hash brown potatoes, and then transfer them to a 9x13 baking dish and spread in an even layer. Preheat the oven to 375F. In a skillet, cook the sausage meat until browned. Transfer it to the baking dish on top of the potatoes.

    sauteing onions and bell peppers and adding to a baking dish

    Sauté the onion, garlic, and bell peppers in the skillet over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes, and then add to the baking dish over top of the sausage meat.

    making egg mixture in a glass bowl with a whisk

    In a large mixing bowl add the eggs, half-and-half, and salt. Whisk until just combined without overworking the mixture. Stir in the spinach and half of the cheddar cheese.

    adding egg mixture to a baking dish and topping with cheese

    Pour the egg mixture into the baking dish, and smooth it all into a uniform layer. Top with the rest of the cheddar, bake, and enjoy.

    How to make it ahead

    • Complete it up until the baking step, cover it and refrigerate overnight, and then bake the next morning. Easy!
    • You'll likely need to add on extra time because it'll be cold coming straight out of the fridge. I'd probably take it out of the fridge 30-45 minutes before baking, and then add an extra 15 minutes or so to the baking time.
    • For freezing, I'd just assemble it, cover tightly, and freeze before the baking step for up to a month.

    Substitutions and variations

    • If you prefer not to have any greens in this breakfast casserole, feel free to skip the spinach. Also, if you're not a fan of garlic in the morning, that can be skipped too, but the overall dish will be a bit less flavorful. It isn't overpowering, though!
    • Want to jazz it up? Try some green chilies for a Tex-Mex twist and a bit of a kick, or use spicy sausage meat. You can also add some hot sauce when serving for a bit of heat.
    • Don't need to serve a lot of people? You can halve the recipe (every ingredient) for an 8x8 baking dish. I'd bake it for a bit less time, checking for doneness 35 minutes into the baking time to ensure that it doesn't overcook.

    Leftovers and storage

    • Leftovers of this hashbrown casserole will keep in the fridge for a few days in a covered container.
    • To freeze leftovers, I'd do individual portions for up to 3 months, and then thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
    • Reheat in the microwave, or you could warm in the oven at 375F. Simply cover the baking dish with foil, and warm for 30 minutes or until it's hot.

    What to serve with breakfast casserole

    • We love serving this breakfast casserole with a platter of fresh fruit or fruit salad.
    • Try it with some Easy Oven Cooked Bacon. You can't ever go wrong with bacon!
    • Biscuits, bagels, or even a Simple Arugula Salad are all great choices for pairing with this casserole at a brunch spread.

    More sausage recipes

    • Creamy Sausage and Peppers Pasta
    • Orecchiette with Sausage and Spinach
    • Easy Baked Penne with Sausage
    • Sausage Stuffed Peppers
    • Zuppa Toscana
    close up of a spatula with a slice of breakfast casserole

    I'd be thrilled to hear from you in the comments below if you have any comments or questions! You can also tag me on Instagram if you made this recipe.

    a casserole dish with sausage breakfast casserole with a piece removed

    Simple Breakfast Casserole

    Make this cheesy breakfast casserole recipe for a tasty weekend brunch or the holidays! It's got very few ingredients and is big on flavor. You can even prepare this casserole ahead of time so that mornings are that much easier!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 55 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 10 mins
    Course Breakfast
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12
    Calories 335 kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
     

    • 20 ounces shredded hash brown potatoes thawed, see note
    • 1 pound pork sausage crumbled, see note
    • 1/2 medium onion chopped
    • 1/2 red bell pepper chopped
    • 1/2 green bell pepper chopped
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • 12 large eggs
    • 1 cup half-and-half
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach chopped (optional)
    • 2 cups grated cheddar divided

    Instructions
     

    • Thaw the hash brown potatoes in a colander (you can let them sit on your counter for an hour or so or thaw them in the fridge overnight).
    • Once the potatoes are thawed, transfer them to a 9x13 casserole dish. Preheat your oven to 375F and move the rack to the top third of the oven.
    • If using sausages (vs. sausage meat), take the meat out of the casings and crumble it into a skillet. Cook, breaking up the meat as it cooks, over medium-high heat until browned (about 8-10 min). Transfer it to the casserole dish and leave the remaining fat in the skillet (but if it's more than 1-2 tablespoons, drain the excess). If the pan is looking dry, add a tablespoon or so of olive oil.
    • Add the onion, bell peppers, and garlic to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes, then transfer to the casserole dish.
    • In a large prep bowl, add the eggs, half-and-half, and salt. Whisk until just combined, then stir in the chopped spinach and half the cheese.
    • Pour the egg mixture into the casserole dish and toss everything together then smooth into an even layer.
    • Top with the rest of the cheese.
    • Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until the edges start to brown and the middle is set (insert a toothpick and if it comes out clean, it's done). Don't cook for too much longer than needed as the egg will dry out.
    • Let it cool for a few minutes prior to cutting and serving. Season individual portions with extra salt & pepper if needed.

    Notes

    • If the hash browns are still slightly frozen, you should be ok, just ensure there's no large frozen clumps. You may the sub shredded hash browns for the diced kind. 
    • Use any kind of uncooked pork sausage. Italian sausage works as does breakfast sausage. I used Johnsonville Mild Italian for this recipe.
    • Depending on portion size and what else it's served with, it serves 8-12. See blog post for freezing and make ahead tips!
    • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
       

    Nutrition

    Calories: 335kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 18gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 239mgSodium: 559mgPotassium: 395mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1201IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 199mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword breakfast casserole, hashbrown casserole
    Author Natasha Bull
    « Cheese Sauce for Broccoli
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    1. Kim says

      December 25, 2022 at 2:27 PM

      5 stars
      New Christmas breakfast! Used tasty taters instead of hash browns only because that’s all I had and it was awesome!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        December 25, 2022 at 4:35 PM

        Fantastic!! 🙂 Thanks for your review!

        Reply
    2. Micaela says

      December 23, 2022 at 5:22 AM

      Hello!
      My family isnt a big fan of sausage, could I sub bacon or ham or both you think? Love the idea of a make ahead casserole! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        December 23, 2022 at 3:06 PM

        I think that should be fine! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Jenny says

      December 17, 2022 at 12:02 PM

      I’m looking forward to making this on Christmas morning! Instead of frozen hash browns can I shred potatoes myself (my local store is out of the frozen hash browns 🤦🏼‍♀️) if so, what type of potato do you recommend?

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        December 17, 2022 at 1:48 PM

        Hi Jenny! I think that will work just fine. I'd probably go with Russets, but Yukon Gold will work too. Hope you enjoy it, and merry Christmas to you!

        Reply
        • Jenny says

          December 28, 2022 at 10:46 AM

          5 stars
          Thank you for the advice! I used fresh shredded russet potatoes. The casserole turned out GREAT and everyone loved it!!

          Reply
          • Natasha says

            December 28, 2022 at 11:28 AM

            I'm thrilled to hear that! 😀

            Reply
    4. Spencer Cundy says

      May 2, 2022 at 2:37 AM

      5 stars
      Made this a few Sundays ago, we do a Sunday Breakfast and our neighbour joins us the next Sunday he does Sunday Breakfast. Week about I did this as i said as per the Recipe It was a big hit from all comers ,who enjoyed it very much.
      Will make it for other Family get togethers .
      Many thanks Spence.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        May 2, 2022 at 9:34 AM

        I love that! I'm so happy it was a hit, Spence. Appreciate you taking the time to write me a review as always. 🙂

        Reply

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    Hi! I'm Natasha. Salt & Lavender is a recipe blog with a focus on delicious comfort food using everyday ingredients. Beat the weekday grind with hundreds of easy-to-follow and hassle-free recipes!  Read more...

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