Get FREE weekly meal plans!

· 110 Comments

Easy Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole

Breakfast· Budget Cooking· Gluten-Free· Holiday Cuisine· Kid Friendly· Real Food

Share
Tweet
Pin
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Easy Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole: An easy breakfast casserole is made with frozen hash browns, eggs, sausage and cheese. This will become your go-to casserole for entertaining at breakfast–perfect for a feeding a crowd, allergy-friendly, and can be made the night before or the morning of. 

baked sausage and egg casserole in white baking dish with sliced oranges and plates to the side

A few weeks ago I hosted middle school boys for two nights at my house.

Our church was having an event and they needed host families to house middle schoolers for the weekend. Our duties included giving them a place to sleep (which let me tell you these boys DID not sleep!), snacks, and breakfast two mornings.

Other than my house smelling like teenage boys, I enjoyed the moments these boys were with us over the weekend.

They raved over my Skinny Cinnamon Rolls and my Hash Brown Breakfast casserole–which I have to admit felt good to my ego!

Easy Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

egg cheese overnight breakfast casserole with sausage baked in white dish

When planning the breakfast menu for the boys, I debated between Overnight Ham and Egg Breakfast Casserole, Overnight French Toast Casserole and Breakfast Enchiladas. 

Because I was already serving cinnamon rolls, I decided that french toast casserole was not a smart option and I also wanted to be sure I had a gluten-free breakfast casserole in case any of the boys had any gluten sensitivities.

That is when I opted for this Easy Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole.

This breakfast casserole is the perfect dish for entertaining because:

  • it can be made in advance
  • it is adaptable to gluten allergies
  • feeds a crowd
  • incredibly easy to make
  • very inexpensive

While the boys raved about Cinnamon rolls, they also devoured the egg and sausage hashbrown casserole and many of them didn’t just get seconds but some of the boys helped themselves to 3 or 4 servings.

How to make a breakfast casserole with sausage and hashbrowns

This hash brown breakfast casserole is almost TOO easy.

Step One: Layer defrosted hash browns in greased casserole dish.

white baking dish with hashbrowns spread out in layer next to a mixing bowl of eggs

Yes, you can brown your hash browns first, in the skillet–but there is NO need to take this step unless of course you are craving the texture of crispy hash browns mixed with creamy eggs.

Step Two: Layer the hash browns with browned sausage. 

Step Three: Sprinkle cheese over top the sausage and hash browns. 

turkey sausage and shredded cheese overtop shredded hashbrown potatoes

Wondering why I put the cheese on now, before I add the egg custard?

This helps the cheese to be in every bite of the casserole, not just one gooey layer on top. But hey, if you are craving gooey, layers of slightly browned cheese like a classic lasagna, put the cheese on top of the egg mixture.

Step Four: Mix together the eggs with seasonings and milk and pour over the layers of hash browns, sausage and cheese.

breakfast casserole in white dish ready to be baked 

Step Five: Bake and serve.

Can this Sausage Egg Breakfast Casserole be made the the night before?

If you are looking for an overnight hash brown breakfast casserole, this recipe is perfect for you!

I have made this casserole many times the night before baking. Just assemble as you would up to pouring the eggs over the hash browns and then cover and refrigerate overnight. Add an extra 10-15 minutes to the total baking time in the morning.

Easy-peasy and perfect for when you are entertaining.

Is this Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole gluten-free?

This sausage hash brown casserole can easily be made gluten-free. There are just a few things you need to watch out for.

  • Be sure to use gluten free sausage. I love organic chicken or turkey sausage because there are very few fillers used and easier to find a brand that is gluten-free and MSG free.
  • Be sure your hash browns are gluten-free. When I posted this recipe Ore-Ida shredded hash browns were certified gluten-free but my local store brand contained gluten.

Bottom line: If you are serving this breakfast dish to gluten-free guests be sure to carefully read both your sausage and hash brown label.

Can this Cheese and Egg Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole be made without sausage?

I use turkey or chicken sausage, but any breakfast sausage will work. If you don’t like sausage, omit meat althogether or use diced leftover ham or crisped up bacon.

Notes on Sausage Breakfast Casserole made with Hash Browns

  • If you would like to start by making your own homemade hash browns which I often do because it is so easy, here is a great step by step recipe for homemade hashbrowns from Country Cleaver.
  • I use shredded hash browns and cubed hash browns for this recipe. Even O’Brian style with peppers and onions is a great choice.
  • I love sharp cheddar for this sausage breakfast casserole, but Gruyere, Swiss, Gouda, or Mozzarella works.
  • If you would like to FREEZE this breakfast casserole for later use, bake and cool before freezing in a freezer safe pan (like a foil disposable pan). Wrap well in foil and freeze. Defrost in fridge night before planning to eat and then cook for 30 minutes at 350 or until warmed through.
  • This recipe can easily be doubled to feed a crowd. Most bags of frozen hash browns come in 32 ounces and this recipe only calls for 16 ounces.

If you like this Easy Overnight Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole you may like:

How to make Sausage Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

egg cheese overnight breakfast casserole with sausage baked in white dish
4.88 from 33 votes
Print

Easy Sausage Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

An easy and adaptable breakfast casserole perfect for feeding a large crowd.

Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Keyword Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole, Sausage Breakfast Casserole
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 200 kcal

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces frozen hashbrowns defrosted (this is usually half a bag)
  • 1 pound breakfast sausage browned
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
  • 6 eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk or cream
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and brown sausage. 

  2. Layer defrosted hash browns in greased 7x11 or 9x9 casserole dish.

  3. Layer the browned sausage over the hashbrowns.

  4. Sprinkle cheese over top the sausage and hashbrowns
  5. Mix together the eggs with seasonings and milk and pour over the layers of hashbrowns, sausage and cheese

  6. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until eggs are set. 

Recipe Notes

  • You can brown your hashbrowns first if you prefer the texture of crispy hashbrowns mixed with creamy eggs.
  • To make this casserole the night before serving: assemble as you would up to step five and then cover and refrigerate overnight. Add an extra 10-15 minutes to the total baking time in the morning.
Nutrition Facts
Easy Sausage Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
Amount Per Serving
Calories 200 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 17%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 130mg 43%
Sodium 578mg 24%
Potassium 271mg 8%
Total Carbohydrates 7g 2%
Protein 15g 30%
Vitamin A 7.1%
Vitamin C 4.8%
Calcium 17.2%
Iron 7.4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

More From A Mind "Full" Mom

Slow Cooker Chili
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
Slow Cooker Mongolian Chicken
Share
Tweet
Pin

Comments


  1. I saw this recipe just in time to make for my family who is arriving tomorrow to stay for a week. I can’t wait to make it and I know it will be fabulous. Breakfast casseroles are wonderful to serve when we have company.

    Reply

    • Isn’t it fun to have all these flavors together? And yes, I LOVE to freeze this to pull out for busy mornings or entertaining.

      Reply


  3. I love how simple this recipe is, it’s a kid favorite, no extra green stuff (veggies lol) they loved it!
    Thank you!

    Reply

  4. Looks very tasty! I want to try this out, however do you suppose I can I half the recipe and get good results? Smaller pan? Same amount of time baking?

    Reply

    • It absolutely can be. Just be sure to grace muffin cups really well or use silicone liners. I would check after 25 minutes cook time as well.

      Reply

    • Lost the receipt so Google it. Have Thanksgiving lunch at work and had made this before and was so loved that was asked to bring again for lunch. . I said, it’s for breakfast and and boss said just put down lunch casserole. It was so good prople will eat it for lunch.

      Reply

  7. This looks like the perfect casserole for a group. I plan to make this for a group trip coming up. That said I want to prep as much before hand as possible. Does it taste just as good if I freeze it and bake a week or so later? Also if my freezer is a little packed :/ can I prep, cook and store it in the fridge for a few days and bake it again to reheat?

    Thanks so much!

    Reply

    • Hi Chelsea! This will be a perfect breakfast for a trip, and I always want to prep ahead too.
      For this recipe, I would either BAKE a week ahead and then freeze or make up to 3 days ahead, bake and reheat by baking again at 300 until warmed through.
      With eggs it is best to bake the casserole and then reheat verses freezing with egg mixture.
      Enjoy your trip and this casserole 🙂

      Reply

    • Would it still be as tasty if I added all egg whites and only two whole eggs the night before and cooked the casserole the next day?

      Reply

  13. When assembling the night before, do I pour the egg mixture on top as usual or wait and do that step right before baking the morning of? Thank you!

    Reply


  14. Hi Kristen,
    This looks super yummy. My question is: Can I shred my own potatoes into hash browns or does it need to be frozen in a bag potatoes?

    Reply

    • Hi Katie–by all means, shred your own potatoes. I would soak in cold salt water for 20 minutes after shredding and then drain and pat dry. This will help pull out some starch so your casserole will still be delicious.

      Reply

    • Leann, I wish I could control that, but I can’t. I welcome feedback both positive and negative because not only does it help YOU as the reader, but it helps me improve and help see what tips I need to add to my post to answer potential questions. BUT I can say, my picky family gives this 5 stars 🙂

      Reply


  17. I just made this and it was yummy! I used two cups of hash browns, two cups of cheese and six eggs. I did reduce the amount of sausage to about 1/3 of a pound and did not add salt as we are trying to reduce our meat and sodium consumption and it was perfect. I think the hash browns were seasoned and of course, the sausage (natural pork) was seasoned already. Served with diced fresh tomatoes which were a great complement to the casserole. Thank you for a simple and easy recipe that will be on my weekend rotation!

    Reply


  18. Namcy’s question is a good one…your instructions above state specifically do only through step 4 the night before and add 5 and 6 in the morning. But in two comment replies you counter that. So if I have just now added steps 5 and 6 this morning, after only doing through 4 last night, is that bad somehow?

    Reply

    • Hi Anna, I am sorry for the confusion! You will be PERFECTLY fine to make this doing steps 5 and 6 in the morning. I am going to address this clearer in the post. My directions stated to do up to step 4 but it was step 4 in the post, not step 4 in the recipe card–so YES, very confusing. Fixing now 🙂

      Reply


  21. Have made this using O’Brien potatoes and crumbled sausage for work brunch. Was so popular they asked for it for impromptu brunch we are having tomorrow. This time I didn’t have sausage so using some leftover diced ham and crumbled bacon. Usually make it completely the night before, refrigerate it and then reheat it in electric skillet once I get to the office in the morning.
    Never any leftovers.

    Reply

    • I love that your co-workers enjoy this recipe so much! So nice of you to make on such short notice for them as well. Thanks Doris for taking the time to share your review of this Breakfast Casserole 🙂 And have a great brunch today!

      Reply


  22. This looks really yummy. I want to make this for a lactose intolerant friend. Leaving the cheese out is sad but will work. Do you have a recommendation for which non-dairy milk option to use? Almond milk? Coconut milk? Soy milk?
    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Hi Dan! I think everyone has a different opinion about what a casserole is. I even watched chefs debate it once. I think it all depends on where you grew up–sorta like stuffing vs dressing 😉 Regardless we love this dish and I LOVE to make it with homemade has myself. Have a great day!

      Reply


  24. I need to fix breakfast for a group of people so tried this for myself first. I divided it in half and baked in a 6″ dish. It was very good and made four nice servings. I cannot imagine how you figure the full recipe would feed 12.

    Reply


  25. Going to give this one a try tomorrow morning with the kids. I’m always up an hour or two ahead of them, and they love waking up to the smell of hot breakfast on a cold day. Only question- how many quart casserole dish would you say I’ll need for this? I don’t have a 9×9 or 7×11, but I have others. Just wanted to make sure I used a big enough dish, but not one that will make this super thin. Can’t wait to see how it turns out.

    Reply


  26. I’ve made this in the past and it’s a huge hit. Making it again for Thanksgiving morning for the fam but decided to try tots this time instead of hashbrowns (mainly because I have too many bags of tots in the freezer) .. will be anticipating a slight increase to the baking time but kids are super excited for breakfast.

    Reply

    • Hi Renee! Thanks for sharing your success with this recipe–and I have made this with Tater Tots once before and it was a HUGE hit. It took slightly longer, but only by 5 minutes in my oven! Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!!!

      Reply


  27. Anyone feel like there is not enough egg mixture? I started making this for brunch tomorrow and seemed very sparse.
    Thank you

    Reply

    • Hi Maria! If you used a larger pan (like a 9×13), it may not be enough egg mixture. However, the eggs will puff up and baked around the hashbrowns and sausage perfectly if using an 8×8 or 9×9 pan. If you like a really eggy casserole, feel free to mix an additional 2 eggs with 2 tablespoons milk and pour over eggs already in casserole dish. Enjoy and happy Thanksgiving!

      Reply


  28. Hi! I’m going to make this Christmas morning. Can I substitute chicken or turkey sausage and if so any kind you’d suggest? Also I’d love to sneak a few veggies in. Any that would work? Excited to try this!

    Reply

    • Hi Tina! I almost always use an organic chicken breakfast sausage from whole foods (I can usually find both chicken and turkey). But Jennie-O has ground turkey breakfast sausage sold by the pound. I have also used ground chicken/turkey and mix it with my own seasonings 1.5 tsp ground sage, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder to one pound meat and let sit overnight before using. I should post that recipe some time!
      As for veggies, diced peppers, minced onions, are ideal. But mushrooms, a bit of chopped spinach, blanched asparagus, and shredded zucchini (that has been drained well of liquid) would all work as well.
      Merry Christmas! And enjoy breakfast!

      Reply

  29. I am going to bake this tomorrow for our Sunday School Christmas Brunch. Very excited. I think I will use has browns that has peppers and onions and add a little spinach. I will also prepare ahead of time so all I have to do is pop in the oven in the morning before church.
    Thank you so much for this recipe.

    Reply


  30. Followed recipe exactly but added some garlic salt, green onions and salsa on top when serving. Absolutely delicious. This is my new go to breakfast casserole! It was gobbled up! Thank you!!

    Reply


  32. I made this exactly as the recipe states except I added mushrooms. It was very good, but way too salty. I used hot Italian sausage and sharp cheddar cheese-what makes it so salty? I can’t imagine one teaspoon of salt was it?

    Reply

    • Hi Doranne, I am sorry this was too salty for you. My guess is it was the Italian Sausage, as that typically has more salt than breakfast sausage. Your hash browns may have been salted as well too–I use unsalted. Those may have been the reason.

      Reply


  36. What do you think of pre-baking the hash browns in the dish to crisp them or should i just do it in the skillet as you suggest?

    Reply


  38. I loved this. It similar to what my mom made grown up but with the hash browns instead of torn bread. I added some ground mustard, like my mom’s, and an extra few eggs. Will be a regular!

    Reply


  39. Fantastic! Both my 4 year old, and 38 year old boys loved this! I doubled it (we like leftovers), baked in a 9×13 pan and ended up doubling the cook time to get the center to firm up. I actually used all egg whites (2 cups from a carton), pepper bacon instead of sausage, added chopped green onions and olives, then topped with fresh avocados. I really love how inexpensive this is as well as delicious. It’s officially going in the dinner rotation!

    Reply


  40. I made this for my family for New Year’s day. Yummy and filling. Kinda bland. I might try tossing some chopped onion in the hash browns next time. Otherwise easy, inexpensive and filling. A+

    Reply

    • Hi KelleyAnn! If you want more flavor, I would highly suggest adding grated onions to the hash browns–or even onion and garlic powder to the eggs. This is just a base recipe that feeds picky people!!

      Reply

  41. Good recipe 🙂 I switch up the meat every once and a while, add finely diced onions and some extra spices but it is always good.
    we serve it with salsa, ketchup, or syrup or just plain.
    I do always find that I have to cook it for at least 45 mins though- that is even with a convection bake oven that tends to cook faster than normal. It is something I keep in mind whenever I make the recipe.

    Reply

    • I am so glad you enjoy this Kate and that you make it to suit your preferences and what you have on hand. And thanks for sharing your experience with cook time. In my oven 30-35 minutes is perfect–but every oven can be so different.

      Reply

  42. I had to use an 8 X 8 pan. 35 minutes didn’t work so I put it back in for 8 more.
    I wanted to use it as an instant pot recipe but didn’t have the right size pan to go in.

    Reply


  43. Lovely base recipe! It’s so flexible! I’m making this for the 3rd time tonight, with variations. We like to add chopped onion and are using spam this time (I know, I know, not everyone’s cup of tea! 😉 ) for the meat. I roughly doubled the recipe to split between 2 dishes so we’ll have one for now and one to freeze. Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply

    • Hi Leslie! Yes, this casserole can be made ahead. If you would like to freeze this breakfast casserole for later use, bake and cool before freezing in a freezer safe pan (like a foil disposable pan). Wrap well in foil and freeze. Defrost in fridge night before planning to eat and then cook for 30 minutes at 350 or until warmed through. Enjoy!!!

      Reply


  45. We make this recipe often. It’s great for holidays, church mornings, and guests. We double or triple the recipe and it’s a great hit around our house. I love how easily I can swap out dairy ingredients for dairy free for my daughter who has dairy allergies. I still make it according to the instructions for the rest of the house. Thank you so much for sharing your yummy recipe!

    Reply

  46. If I want to brown-crisp the hash browns, can I still put this together the night before and will the Hash browns still be crisp?

    Reply

    • Hi Terrie! If you brown up the hash browns, it would be best to not add the egg mixture until right before baking to keep the hash browns crisp. You can brown the hash browns, place in casserole dish, then mix up your eggs. Have everything ready to go in the fridge, then layer and bake in the morning. Enjoy!

      Reply


  47. I just made this dish, and it turned out great! It’s absolutely delicious. I plan to put this recipe to use often! Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

FEATURED ON

Left Menu Icon