This hash brown breakfast casserole is full of savory flavor and feeds a crowd! It can be prepped ahead of time for a super simple and satisfying breakfast to feed a crowd or to meal prep for the week!
This easy Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole with sausage is the perfect protein-rich and satisfying breakfast to make for a brunch get-together or to meal prep for a week of healthy, filling breakfasts. Plus, it's completely customizable, making it work for any taste or preferences. And it's great to serve in Christmas morning, especially when it's served with this cinnamon apple bread!
With only frozen hash brown, sausage, eggs, half and half, cheese, and seasonings, you'll have a delicious and savory breakfast casserole that is ready to bake with minimal prep time. Once all the ingredients are assembled, you can either bake it right away or it can set in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours or overnight. It only takes an hour to bake and serves a large crowd which makes this the perfect meal prep dish for busy mornings!
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Why This Recipe Works
1. Meal prep friendly! Assemble this breakfast casserole with hash browns the night before and bake in the morning.
2. Completely customizable for preferences and variations!
3. This recipe makes enough to feed a crowd and is perfect for a family brunch or breakfast or enough to meal prep for 1-2 people for the week.
🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
- Sausage: I use mild pork sausage that is sold in the tube. You can also use maple or sage flavored sausage.
- Eggs: this breakfast casserole uses 8 whole eggs.
- Hash browns: use a bag of pre-shredded frozen hash browns.
- Cheese: I like a combination of mild cheddar cheese and pepper jack. For best results and flavor, grate a block of cheese instead of buying a bag of pre-shredded cheese. This will provide a creamier texture and better melt during the baking process.
- Half and half: adds extra creaminess and volume to the egg mixture.
- Seasoning salt: enhances the flavor of the ingredients.
- Ground mustard: adds a little color and intensifies the flavor while also acting as a natural emulsifier for the creamiest, fluffiest eggs.
- Salt and pepper: flavor enhancers.
Be sure to see the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and directions!
📋 Variations
- Meat - Instead of ground sausage, try using sausage links diced up into small pieces. For another meat option, swap the sausage for bacon or ham. Try using chorizo if you like the meat to be a little spicier. Or, use a spicy hot sausage. You could also use a plant-based breakfast sausage for a vegetarian option or leave the meat out altogether.
- Eggs - If you can't eat eggs, try substituting with 4 cups of a liquid egg substitute like egg beaters, if needed.
- Cheese - Try any of these cheeses or a combination of them for variety: mozzarella, Monterey Jack, sharp cheddar, Gruyère, or feta.
- Vegetables. This breakfast casserole is veggie-free, but you can add diced red, green, or yellow peppers, onions, diced mushrooms, tomatoes, or even some chopped jalapeños for a little extra kick! Dice your veggies up small and add a cup to the egg mixture.
🔪 Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
Step 1: Grease a 9x13 casserole dish with non-stick spray or butter. Add the frozen shredded hash browns to the casserole dish and evenly sprinkle the salt and pepper over top. Set aside.
Step 2: In a frying pan, cook the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink. Do not drain the meat. The fat from the sausage provides added flavor and moisture. Set aside.
Step 3-4: With a cheese grater, grate the pepper jack cheese until you have one cup, and repeat the same with the cheddar cheese. Set the shredded cheeses aside.
Step 5-6: Add the eggs, half and half, ground mustard, and seasoning salt to a large bowl and whisk until well combined.
Step 7-8: Add the grated cheeses and cooked sausage to the egg mixture and gently whisk until the mixture is combined.
Step 9: Pour the egg mixture on top of the shredded hash browns in the casserole dish.
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tip: You can immediately bake the casserole or cover it with aluminum foil and refrigerate it overnight before baking.
Step 10: Bake uncovered at 350°F for 50-55 minutes or until the egg is set and the outer edges are nice and browned. Rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
This breakfast casserole is so easy to make and will quickly become a family favorite! Enjoy this with biscuits, fresh fruit, or homemade cinnamon rolls for a tasty breakfast or brunch!
🙋🏼♀️ Recipe FAQs
In this breakfast casserole, you do not have to thaw your hash browns first. By letting the assembled egg mixture and hash brown layer sit in the refrigerator for 2-12 hours, the hash browns will thaw naturally as they soak up the egg mixture.
No, you do not have to cover this hash brown breakfast casserole recipe before baking. If you notice the top or edges are getting too brown before the egg mixture sets, you can add a layer of foil on top. Otherwise, just bake uncovered.
💭 Expert Tips
- Only use frozen hash browns for this recipe. Using freshly shredded potatoes can make your casserole soggy.
- If you want a thicker casserole, you can add an extra 1-3 eggs, although the baking time may increase by 8-12 minutes.
- You can make this casserole up to 48 hours before baking it.
- Once baked and cooled, you can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To reheat from the refrigerator, place the breakfast casserole in the microwave, covered, for up to 2 minutes in 30-second increments or until heated through.
- For longer storage, freeze individual portions in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil for up to 3 months.
- To reheat from frozen, remove the casserole from the freezer and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Warm in the microwave for up to 2 minutes, 30 seconds at a time, until heated through.
More Recipes You'll Love!
If you tried this hash brown breakfast casserole or any other recipes on my website, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below. I love hearing from you! And, please leave a 🌟 rating while you're there!
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Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
Equipment
- 9x13 baking dish
Ingredients
- 12 ounces shredded hashbrowns, frozen
- 8 eggs
- 1 lb sausage
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 cup mild cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 cup pepper jack cheese, grated
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon seasoning salt
Instructions
- Grease a 9x13 casserole dish with non-stick spray or butter.
- Add the 12 ounces of frozen shredded hashbrowns to the casserole dish. Evenly sprinkle the salt and pepper over the hashbrowns. Set aside.
- Cook the sausage on the stovetop until no longer pink. Do not drain. Set aside.
- With a cheese grater, grate the pepper jack cheese until you obtain 1 cup. Do the same with the mild cheddar cheese. Set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk the 8 eggs, 1 cup of half and half, 1 teaspoon of ground mustard, and ½ teaspoon of seasoning salt together until well combined.
- Add in the grated cheeses and cooked sausage. Whisk until combined.
- Pour the egg mixture on top of the shredded hashbrowns in the casserole dish.
- Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Bake uncovered at 350°F for 1 hour.
- Rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Only use frozen hash browns for this recipe. Using freshly shredded potatoes can make your casserole soggy.
- If you want a thicker casserole, you can add an extra 1-3 eggs, although the baking time may increase by 8-12 minutes.
- You can make this casserole up to 48 hours before baking it.
- Once baked and cooled, you can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To reheat from the refrigerator, place the breakfast casserole in the microwave, covered, for up to 2 minutes in 30-second increments or until heated through.
- For longer storage, freeze individual portions in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil for up to 3 months.
- To reheat from frozen, remove the casserole from the freezer and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Warm in the microwave for up to 2 minutes, 30 seconds at a time, until heated through.
Krysten Wilkes
My family tore this up!!! So delicious, I mean truly packing with flavor! As a hash brown lover this recipe is exactly what I needed in my life. A new household favorite without a doubt!
Amanda Mason
I'm so glad your family loved it! Yes - it's a super flavorful casserole and I've not met anyone who doesn't love it!! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out!
Giangi Townsend
I am not too much of a casserole person, but your hash brown casserole just made me change my mind. Delicious, rich in flavor and so easy to make. Thumbs up from my family and me.
Amanda Mason
I'm so glad everyone loved it!!
Amy Liu Dong
This is such an amazing recipe the combination of ingredients is awesome and the look of the final product is great. I would make this again!
Amanda Mason
Glad you liked it!!!