Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole is hands down the BEST recipe for breakfast casserole ever! It is an easy, versatile recipe made with frozen hash browns, eggs, sausage, and cheese. This will become your go-to casserole for entertaining at breakfast, as it is perfect for feeding a crowd, allergy-friendly, and can be made the night before or the morning of!
I recommend serving this Breakfast Casserole with Overnight Cinnamon Rolls for a holiday breakfast everyone will remember–and one that will be effortless for you to pull together in the morning!
My Favorite Breakfast Casserole
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 school students 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.
I decided to treat them to the breakfast that my family enjoys every Christmas Morning. Cinnamon Rolls and Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole.
They raved over the breakfast–which I have to admit felt good to my ego! And because I could prepare everything the night before, I could enjoy a few extra minutes of sleep in the morning.
Why this Breakfast Casserole is Perfect for Entertaining
- It can be made in advance. I prepare this breakfast casserole the night before entertaining and then simply bake in the morning. However, it can also be prepped the morning of or baked and frozen for future use. It really is adaptable to what works best for your schedule.
- Easily made Gluten Free. When entertaining people with gluten-free sensitives or allergies, it can be overwhelming. Be sure to carefully read both your sausage and hash brown label, but you can easily find gluten-free brands.
- Feeds a crowd. This breakfast casserole is hearty and filling and can be doubled easily to feed crowd large or small.
- Incredibly easy to make. It seriously takes minutes to assemble this breakfast casserole. The hardest part is browning up the breakfast sausage. It truly is an effortless, delicious recipe to use when entertaining at breakfast or brunch.
- Inexpensive. There are no fancy ingredients or specialty items in this breakfast bake, making it very affordable.
Ingredients
One of the many reasons I love this recipe for Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole is that the ingredients are EXTREMELY adaptable.
- Hash Browns: I use shredded hash browns and cubed hash browns for this recipe. Even O’Brien style with peppers and onions is a great choice. In fact, readers have shared they have used tater tots or frozen hash brown patties with great success. 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 hash browns from Country Cleaver.
- Sausage: I love this casserole made with homemade breakfast sausage, but any breakfast sausage you like works. In fact, this recipe works great with leftover cubed ham, crumbled up cooked bacon, or keep this meatless and add in vegetables like peppers, onions, or mushrooms.
- Cheese: I love sharp cheddar for this sausage breakfast casserole, but Gruyere, Swiss, Gouda, or Mozzarella works.
- Eggs: This recipe calls for 6 eggs and they will puff up a bit as they bake. However, if you like a thick layer of eggs, increase the number of eggs added.
How to make Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
This hash brown breakfast casserole is almost TOO easy–which let’s be honest, that is EXACTLY what you need when entertaining or holiday breakfasts.
Step One: Layer defrosted hash browns in a greased casserole dish.
Yes, you can brown your hash browns first in a 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. If you are desiring, crispier hash browns, I would recommend browning the hash browns ups in the oven for 10-15 minutes before adding the remaining ingredients. This way, you save yourself the step (and extra dish) of browning in the skillet.
Step Two: Layer the hash browns with browned sausage.
Brown up sausage, breaking into small pieces as it cooks and then drain off any excess grease. Then layer evenly over the potatoes. If you are using ham, bacon, or vegetables, be sure to sprinkle over the potatoes evenly as well.
Step Three: Sprinkle cheese over top of the sausage and hash browns.
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.
The eggs will puff up as they bake, but feel free to use 2-3 more eggs if you like your breakfast casserole with a thick layer of eggs–just keep in mind that you will need to increase bake time. If you add in more sausage than this recipe calls for, you will need to increase the number of eggs used as well.
Step Five: Bake and serve.
Once your breakfast casserole is assembled, you can immediately bake until the eggs are set and the cheese is browned slightly. If you would like to prepare in advance, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the fridge while the oven is preheating, remove the plastic wrap and bake.
Can this Breakfast Casserole be made the night before?
If you are looking for an overnight 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 tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the refrigerator when the oven is preheating and add an extra 10-15 minutes to the total baking time.
Easy-peasy and perfect for when you are entertaining.
In fact, you can even FREEZE this breakfast casserole for later use. Bake in a freezer-safe pan (like a foil disposable pan) and cool completely. 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.
Is this 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 using my homemade breakfast sausage, but organic chicken or turkey sausage are also great options 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. Just be sure to check labels.
Bottom line: If you are serving this breakfast casserole to gluten-free guests be sure to carefully read both your sausage and hash brown label.
More Breakfast Casserole Recipes
- Overnight French Toast Casserole
- Ham and Egg Breakfast Casserole
- Green Chile Egg Casserole
- Instant Pot Breakfast Casserole
Easy Sausage Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
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
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and brown sausage.
- Layer defrosted hash browns in greased 7x11 or 9x9 casserole dish.
- Layer the browned sausage over the hashbrowns.
- Sprinkle cheese over top the sausage and hashbrowns
- Mix together the eggs with seasonings and milk and pour over the layers of hashbrowns, sausage and cheese
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until eggs are set.
Notes
- You can brown your hash browns first if you prefer the texture of crispy hash browns 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.
- I love sharp cheddar for this sausage breakfast casserole, but Gruyere, Swiss, Gouda, or Mozzarella works.
- 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. Prepare as directed, but bake in a 9x13 pan.
- Feel free to add an additional 2 eggs to the custard if you like a really thick layer of eggs--just increase the bake time by 10 minutes.
- Be sure your pan is an 9x9 or 11x7 or you may need to increase bake time by 10 minutes.
My go to breakfast casserole.
I love hearing that!