Best Breakfast Casserole

Many say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. With this casserole, it’s also the most delicious!

We are big fans of breakfast and we are big fans of casseroles, so, we were determined to come up with the best of both worlds. You could use homemade hash browns, but, we find that thawed frozen hash browns do the trick, and make preparing the dish so much easier. Perfect for serving a hungry gathering, especially during the holiday season!

How To Make The Best Breakfast Casserole

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The Ingredients You Will Need

The ingredients in this casserole can be tweaked to suit your family’s tastes. Feel free to change up the veggies! Spice it up with jalapeños, if desired. For our version, here’s what you’ll need to have on hand:

Cooking Spray – Our softened butter, for greasing a 9×13″ baking dish.
Pork breakfast sausage – We like ‘hot’ breakfast sausage, but regular is delicious (and has no spice to it).
Onion – Chopped.
Bell pepper – Seeded and chopped. Our preference is red, but you go with your favorite. Green, yellow, red, or a combination. Or, just leave it out!
Green chilis – Canned. These can be found in the Hispanic section of most well-stocked supermarkets.
Eggs – You’ll need 12 of them. This feeds a hungry household!
Half and half – Whole milk can be substituted for the half and half.
Seasonings – Salt, pepper, garlic powder.
Frozen hash browns – Thawed. This can be easily done by defrosting in your microwave.
Shredded cheese – Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Colby are all great options, or a combination of them!
Scallions – Thinly sliced, for garnish. Optional

EXPERT TIP: Simply add the peppers and onion into the skillet along with the uncooked sausage and then cook until the sausage is no longer pink. The sausage will render some grease during the cooking process which perfectly sautés the vegetables. If there is excess grease, tilt the skillet to the side and spoon it out.

Tips for Making the Best Breakfast Casserole

Cook the Sausage with the Veggies – Brown the breakfast sausage with your favorite vegetables before adding it to the casserole. This infuses the vegetables with the sausage flavor and allows you to spoon out excess rendered grease before adding to the egg and cream mixture.

Use Frozen Hash Browns – Opt for frozen hash browns for convenience and texture. They provide a crispy base when baked and save you the hassle of grating fresh potatoes. Just make sure to thaw them slightly and toss them with salt and pepper before adding to the dish.

Layer Ingredients – For an even distribution of flavors, layer the ingredients in the casserole dish. Start with a layer of hash browns, followed by the egg and sausage mixture, and then the cheese on the top. This ensures that every bite is flavorful and well-balanced.

Let it Rest – Allow the assembled casserole to rest for at least 15-30 minutes before baking. This resting period helps the flavors meld together and allows the hash browns to absorb some of the egg mixture, resulting in a more cohesive and delicious dish.

EXPERT TIP: You’ll need to let the cooked sausage and vegetables mixture cool somewhat before adding to the eggs and cream mixture. If you add them while they are still very hot, it will start to cook the eggs, which will lead to uneven baking.

How To Serve

As mentioned, this is a large casserole and can easily feed 8 to 10 people, depending on how hungry they are and what else you are serving.

Leftovers are delicious and heat up nicely. However, if you prefer, you can cut the recipe in half for a smaller serving.

We love to serve this during the holidays for a nice brunch and include maple pepper bacon and homemade monkey bread.

EXPERT TIP: Take care when pouring the egg and sausage mixture over the hash browns. Use a wooden spatula or spoon to help distribute the mixture evenly over the potatoes. Top with the cheese and then press the cheese into the egg mixture gently with clean hands.

Other Breakfast Recipes That Are Perfect for the Holidays

Here is a collection of breakfast recipes, some savory and some sweet. They are wonderful any time of the year, but, they really bring extra cheer when served during the holiday season!

• Caramel Banana Baked French Toast
• Pumpkin Waffles with Whipped Cinnamon Honey Butter
• Maple Pepper Bacon
• Orange Sweet Rolls
• Banana Nut Bread
• Grandma’s Cinnamon Rolls
• Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread
• Apple Fritters
• Southern Biscuits and Gravy
• Best-Ever Skillet Breakfast
• Grandma’s Homemade Kolaches

These are all so good and always a hit with loved ones. But, in the meantime, isn’t this casserole calling your name?

There is just something so comforting about a casserole. And when it’s a breakfast casserole, it’s even better.

Assemble this incredible dish the night before, and all that’s needed is to stick it in the oven the next morning.

The casserole is so delicious, we have no problem heating leftovers up and having them for lunch and/or dinner. It’s really that good!

Ready to make the best breakfast dish in town? Go for it!

And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!

Best Breakfast Casserole

Everyone loves a good casserole and when you serve on for breakfast, it's even better! Be sure to allow the hash browns to thaw first. This can be expedited by defrosting them in your microwave. Letting the casserole rest for 15 to 20 minutes is important. This allows the liquid to be absorbed by the potatoes. If you cut into it too soon, there may be a little extra liquid at the bottom of the dish.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast / Brunch

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Resting time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 487kcal

Author: Kris Longwell

Video

Equipment

• ▢
  1 9"x13" baking dish

Ingredients

• ▢ cooking spray
• ▢ 1 lb breakfast sausage regular or hot (spicy)
• ▢ 1 medium onion chopped
• ▢ 1 red bell pepper seeded and chopped
• ▢ 12 large eggs
• ▢ 2 cups half and half
• ▢ 1 4 oz can green chilis chopped
• ▢ 2 teaspoon Kosher salt divided
• ▢ 1 teaspoon black pepper divided
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 30 oz frozen hash browns thawed
• ▢ 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
• ▢ 3 scallions sliced, white and green parts, for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Spray a 9x13" baking dish with cooking spray until coated.
  cooking spray
• Crumble the sausage into a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until the sausage is no longer pink and the vegetables are soft. Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes.
  1 lb breakfast sausage, 1 medium onion, 1 red bell pepper
• Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk until lightly beaten. Stir in the half and half, green chilis, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and the garlic powder. Gently stir in the cooled sausage mixture.
  12 large eggs, 2 cups half and half, 1 4 oz can green chilis, 2 teaspoon Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• In another large bowl, toss the thawed hash browns with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Press the seasoned hash brown into the bottom of the prepared dish.
  30 oz frozen hash browns
• Pour the egg and sausage mixture over the tops of the hash browns. Use a large spatula to evenly spread the mixture over the hash browns. Top with the shredded cheese.
  2 cups cheddar cheese
• Bake for 45 minutes, until the eggs are set and the top is lightly browned.
• Remove from the oven and allow the casserole to rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with scallions. Slice and serve at once.
  3 scallions

Notes

See the video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance. If you liked the video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. 

The hash browns are easier to toss with the salt and pepper when they are thawed. You can easily defrost them in you microwave. 

The casserole can be assembled entirely the evening before. Cover the dish and place in the refrigerator. Remove from the fridge an hour before baking. And be sure to remove the foil. 

You may experience a small amount of liquid in the bottom of the dish when you remove slices. This is moisture from the hash browns. Allowing the casserole to rest for 15 to 20 minutes will help reduce this if not completely eliminate any extra liquid. Use a paper towel to absorb the excess liquid (there shouldn't be much). 

Leftovers will keep in the fridge (with foil over the dish or in a container with a lid) for up to 5 days. Reheat in a 325°F oven (covered with foil) for 20 minutes, or until heated through. Or, heat in the microwave on HIGH for 1-minute increments. 

Nutrition

Calories: 487kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 369mg | Sodium: 898mg | Potassium: 418mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1457IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 321mg | Iron: 2mg

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