Best Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole Recipe

This easy hashbrown breakfast casserole recipe combines all your breakfast favorites in one delicious dish. It can feed a crowd and can be made in advance!

Save this hashbrown breakfast casserole recipe for when you have guests over or when you just want a make-ahead brunch.

It features your favorite breakfast foods like sausage, eggs, hashbrowns, cheese, and bell peppers. 

This breakfast hashbrown casserole is perfect for entertaining because it comes together effortlessly. You can even prepare it before sleeping and bake it in the morning! (No more boring scrambled eggs to start the day.)

And don’t feel limited with the ingredients in your hash brown breakfast casserole.

Customize it with your favorite breakfast items and make your mornings interesting. 

What is Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole?

This hashbrown breakfast casserole recipe is essentially a complete meal baked in a single dish. This particular casserole features breakfast classics like eggs, hash browns, ground sausage, bell peppers, and cheese.

No need to prepare multiple dishes to enjoy your all-time favorite savory breakfast items!

If you also can’t decide between a cheesy egg custard and a hearty frittata, look no further than whipping up this super easy hash brown breakfast casserole.

I’m sure you’ll also have fun making this breakfast casserole, and this is coming from a non-morning person! ?

After making the meaty casserole filling, just top it with the cheesy egg mixture and bake. 

It’s so simple that you can make it at night, so it’s ready to go the next morning!

Why You’ll Love This Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole Recipe

• Easy But Filling: Treat yourself and your loved ones to a hearty and delicious breakfast, even on lazy weekends and busy weekdays! For this hashbrown breakfast casserole recipe, you simply cook the meat, combine the filling and egg topping ingredients, and then sit back and let the oven do the rest. 
• Fit For a Crowd: This hash brown breakfast casserole is perfect for feeding a crowd! You can even make it in advance to save prep time and effort, so go ahead and host your dream brunch!
• Adaptable: Go with classic favorites or try interesting combinations when making this breakfast hashbrown casserole recipe. This is also a great dish to sneak some veggies into your breakfast. 

What Does Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole Taste Like?

This hashbrown breakfast casserole tastes savory and cheesy.

The rich, fluffy eggs might remind you of something between a frittata and a quiche. After baking, the casserole will even get a bit crispy around the edges. Yum!

Melted cheddar cheese, crumbly sausage, crunchy peppers, and savory onions all wrapped in eggs that are made extra creamy by evaporated milk. If this casserole is my breakfast, it’s definitely the most important meal of the day!

However, I want to emphasize one thing: don’t forget to thaw your frozen shredded hashbrowns!

Otherwise, the casserole can become mushy, which, trust me, is not a good way to start the day, haha. 

Ingredients For Breakfast Hashbrown Casserole

• Ground sausage – You can use any sausage you like. For my meat lovers, I’ve listed more delicious options below. 
• Shredded hashbrowns – Frozen hash browns help us shortcut our way to a delicious breakfast casserole without needing to prepare the potatoes!
• Onion – You can also top your hashbrown breakfast casserole with crunchy fried onions! ?
• Red bell pepper– Bell peppers are, dare I say, the best veggies to add to hashbrown breakfast casserole. They add color and sweetness that tie the rich and savory dish together. 
• Green bell pepper– Just like when making a good frittata, I highly recommend using different colors of bell pepper for your breakfast casserole.
• Cheddar cheese – Shred the cheese yourself! Pre-shredded cheese won’t melt as smoothly. 
• Eggs – Binds everything together. However, make sure to follow the ingredient ratio, as using too many eggs can make the hash brown breakfast casserole tough. 
• Evaporated milk – The secret for rich and creamy eggs in your hash brown breakfast casserole. 
• Kosher salt – No need to go overboard with the salt for this hashbrown breakfast casserole recipe!
• Ground black pepper – I like to season my hashbrown casserole with just salt and pepper, but feel free to add something spicier, like cayenne pepper, to give it a nice kick. 
• Italian seasoning – You can pretty much use any seasonings, herbs, and spices you want for your breakfast casserole!
• Cooking spray – For greasing the baking dish.

Tools Needed To Prepare This Breakfast Hashbrown Casserole Recipe

• Skillet for cooking the ground sausage
• Spatula for breaking up the meat in the skillet when cooking it
• Baking dish for baking the breakfast hashbrown casserole

Ingredient Additions & Substitutions For Breakfast Casserole

Sausage substitute

You can swap the sausage with bacon (cooked and drained, of course) for this hashbrown breakfast casserole recipe.

This casserole will also be extra tasty with the addition of breakfast meats like diced ham.

Evaporated milk substitute 

Can I make this hash brown breakfast casserole with regular milk? Sure!

You’ll need about 1 and 1/3 cups of milk for this recipe. 

Add-ins

Make the best breakfast casserole and tweak this dish to your liking! I like my dishes hot, so this cheesy hashbrown casserole with jalapenos is a dream. ?

You can also make the casserole heartier with mushrooms or combine different types of cheese.

Just imagine this dish with half cheddar cheese and half gouda. Oh my!

How to Make Hash Brown Casserole

• 1 lb ground sausage
• 20 oz shredded hashbrowns, thawed
• 1/4 cup white onion, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• 8 large eggs
• 1 12-oz can evaporated milk
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• Cooking spray

Tools you need:

• Skillet
• Spatula
• Baking dish

Instructions:

STEP 1: Grease the baking dish with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350°F.

STEP 2: Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the ground sausage and drain the grease.

STEP 3: Combine the sausage, hashbrowns, onion, bell peppers, and about 1 1/2 cups of the freshly shredded cheese.

STEP 4: Spread the hashbrown breakfast casserole mixture in the prepared dish evenly.

STEP 5: In another bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, spices, and seasonings until combined.

STEP 6: Pour the egg mixture over the casserole. Top with the remaining shredded cheese.

STEP 7: Bake the hash brown breakfast casserole for 55 to 65 minutes or until the center is set.

What to Eat with Hashbrown Casserole?

Serve your hashbrowns breakfast casserole with salsa verde or mushroom gravy to take it to the next level.

To start your day right, why not enjoy this casserole with crispy bacon strips, waffles, or French toast sticks?

If you’re looking for something sweet to accompany your savory breakfast bake, you might like our custard yogurt toast.

Our Crockpot French toast casserole is another delicious breakfast treat if you want something that blurs the line between breakfast and dessert. ?

And finally, this is your sign to host a brunch party!

For a hearty meal, pair this crowd-pleasing hash brown casserole with stuffed tomatoes, Instant Pot garlic steak bites, or Instant Pot chicken bites!

Tips About Making This Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole Recipe

• Kickstart your morning with an interesting dish, like something with a contrast of textures! You can brown the hash browns in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, so they’ll be nice and crispy compared to the creamy, cheesy eggs in this hashbrowns breakfast casserole recipe!
• For a thicker hash brown breakfast casserole, make this recipe in a 7 × 11 dish.
• How do you know if your breakfast hashbrown casserole is done baking? Just be on the lookout when the edges are brown and the center of the dish is no longer jiggly.

How To Store Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

You can make this hashbrown breakfast casserole recipe right away or prepare it up to 2 days in advance.

• Fridge: Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and keep the breakfast hashbrown casserole in the fridge for baking the next morning. For leftovers, AKA already baked hash brown casserole, just transfer them to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 2 days.
• Freezer: I suggest baking the hash brown breakfast casserole before freezing it. After it cools down, wrap the dish with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. It might also be more practical to portion the hash brown egg bake in freezer-safe containers. 
• Cooking and Reheating: For make-ahead and leftover casserole, make sure to take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before baking or reheating. For the latter, simply reheat the leftover breakfast casserole in the oven for 20 minutes at 350°F.

Do I Have to Thaw Frozen Hash Browns for Casserole?

Please do! It’s best to thaw your frozen hash browns for at least an hour before using them in this hashbrown breakfast casserole recipe. 

Just pop them in the fridge overnight if you plan on making the breakfast casserole the next day.

And in case you forgot to thaw frozen hash browns, don’t worry!

How do you defrost hash browns for casserole?

You can microwave them for about 3 minutes at 50% power, turning the shredded hash hashbrowns halfway through. Next, put them in the colander to drain the excess liquid, pat the thawed hashbrowns dry with paper towels, and they’re good to go.

Why Is My Hash Brown Casserole Mushy?

If your hash brown casserole ends up soggy, the culprits are likely the frozen hashbrowns. It’s important to thaw and drain frozen hash browns before using them in the casserole, as the excess liquid can make the dish watery. 

The breakfast casserole won’t cook evenly, so even though it looks done outside, the inside is still frozen, or worse, it’ll be mushy in the center. Yikes!

How Do You Thicken a Hash Brown Casserole?

If you like your hashbrown breakfast casserole extra thick, almost like a light custard, you can tweak the egg mixture and use cornstarch and half and half instead of just milk and spices.

For 8 large eggs, combine them with 2 1/2 cups of half and half and 1/4 cup of cornstarch. And of course, don’t forget the seasonings!

FAQ About Hashbrown Casserole

Conclusion

Preheating the oven might just become your favorite morning ritual.

This hashbrown breakfast casserole recipe will help you overcome the morning slump!

You only need simple ingredients that are likely in your pantry to whip up this casserole dish. It’s a low-effort meal that features your favorite breakfast recipes!

Imagine something between a rich, cheesy egg custard and meaty frittata. You wouldn’t want to sleep on this casserole with hashbrowns. ?

You can also make it in advance so it’s ready to be enjoyed even on the busiest mornings.

And because it’s a generous portion, this hash brown breakfast casserole will feed a crowd. Brunch party, anyone?

If you adore casseroles, we have some delicious recipes you should try ASAP. (My personal favorite? Sushi bake!):

• Crockpot Green Bean Casserole
• Cracker Barrel Squash Casserole
• Crockpot Shepherd’s Pie
• Sushi Bake
• Paula Deen Sweet Potato Casserole