If you’re hosting a festive brunch or looking for an easy recipe to serve on Christmas morning, this breakfast casserole recipe is super easy to make ahead and have on hand! It is filling and hearty with lots of cheese and satisfying flavors that your guests will love.
Save time in the morning by assembling the casserole the night before, then bake it in the morning before serving and dig into a medley of your favorite breakfast foods all in one dish! For more delicious breakfast recipes, try my eggs benedict recipe, Dutch baby recipe, and air fryer French toast.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Sausage – ground pork sausage adds a classic breakfast sausage flavor and protein to the breakfast casserole. To lighten up the casserole, you can swap the pork for turkey sausage.
Potatoes – for easy prep, use a bag of frozen shredded hash brown potatoes. You can also use shredded fresh potatoes or sweet potatoes, or even frozen tater tots!
Bell Pepper – red bell pepper adds a slightly sweet pepper taste that compliments the savory flavors. Feel free to use any color bell pepper instead.
Green Onion – chopped green onions adds a mild onion flavor to the casserole and also makes a delicious garnish for serving.
Eggs – large eggs act like the glue that binds all the delicious ingredients together! I like buying pasture-raised eggs for recipes like this because they have the best flavor.
Milk – use whole milk for a thick creamy texture. Alternatively, you can use half-and-half or lower-fat milk if desired.
Cheese – shredded cheddar cheese adds a sharp buttery flavor to this dish. I prefer using sharp cheddar cheese, but you can use regular, a mix of regular and sharp white cheddar, or swap it for pepper jack, feta, or your favorite cheese.
How to Make Breakfast Casserole
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Add the sausage to a large skillet and place over medium-high heat. Cook until browned, breaking the sausage up into smaller pieces with a spoon during cooking. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon, leaving drippings in the skillet.
2. In the same skillet, add the hashbrowns, bell pepper, and green onion and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the hashbrowns are thawed and the bell pepper is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, beat together the egg mixture: eggs, milk, salt, and pepper.
4. Stir in sausage, hashbrown mixture, and 2 cups of shredded cheese until combined.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, spreading out the mix-ins if needed so they are evenly distributed throughout the pan.
6. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top. Bake until the edges are lightly browned and the center is set, or for about 55 minutes. Let it stand for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped green onion, if desired.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Add toppings. Once baked, serve this egg casserole with garnishes like fresh chopped green onion, cilantro, or parsley. It is also delicious served with pico de gallo, salsa, hot sauce, sour cream, or avocado.
- Let it rest before serving. Let the casserole sit at room temperature for at least 5 minutes before serving to allow it to firm up and slice easily.
- Make it meat-free. Simply skip the sausage and swap it for a vegetable like sundried tomatoes or mushrooms with an umami flavor.
- Optional variations. Give it a kick by adding a pinch of red pepper flakes. Add an herbal profile by stirring in 1 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning, parsley, or basil. Additionally, sneak in some extra servings of veggies by adding chopped kale, spinach, zucchini, or extra bell peppers, or try out different proteins by adding in all or part cooked crispy bacon or crumbled ground beef.
Frequently Asked Questions
Leftovers will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. To reheat, let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes then cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil (to keep the top from over-browning) and warm in the oven at 350°F. Heat until warmed through. Or, heat individual servings in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. The cooked egg casserole recipe also stores wells in the freezer for up to 3 months. To properly store the casserole, tightly cover the baking dish in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Or store individual servings in a freezer-safe container. Thaw completely to bring to room temperature before warming in the oven or microwave!
This egg bake recipe makes the perfect brunch spread alongside French toast, pancakes, or fruit salad. Don’t forget the orange juice and coffee! Or make it a savory breakfast for dinner with a side salad and garlic bread or drop biscuits.
Yes, that’s what makes this easy breakfast casserole recipe so convenient – especially if you’re making it for guests! Allow the flavors to soak together as an overnight breakfast casserole before baking it the next morning for extra tasty flavors. To make ahead of time, prepare the recipe as directed up until the baking point. Cover the casserole dish and store it unbaked for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Bake the next morning according to the recipe directions. Because the mixture will not be warm to start, the bake time make increase by about 5 minutes.
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If you’ve tried this Breakfast Casserole recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Breakfast Casserole
Equipment
- 9×13″ baking pan
- mixing bowl
- Large skillet
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground pork sausage (900g)
- 1 (26-ounce/737g) bag frozen shredded hashbrowns
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper (140g)
- ½ cup chopped green onion (47g)
- 12 large eggs
- 1¼ cups whole milk (300mL)
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided (252g)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Add the sausage to a large skillet and place over medium-high heat. Cook until browned, breaking the sausage up into smaller pieces with a spoon during cooking. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon, leaving drippings in skillet.
- In the same skillet, add the hashbrowns, bell pepper, and green onion and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the hashbrowns are thawed and the bell pepper is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Stir in sausage, hashbrown mixture, and 2 cups of shredded cheese. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top.
- Bake until the edges are lightly browned and the center is set, about 55 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped green onion, if desired.
Notes
- Add toppings. Once baked, serve this egg casserole with garnishes like fresh chopped green onion, cilantro, or parsley. It is also delicious served with pico de gallo, salsa, hot sauce, sour cream, or avocado.
- Let it rest before serving. Let the casserole sit at room temperature for at least 5 minutes before serving to allow it to firm up and slice easily.
- Make it meat-free. Simply skip the sausage and swap it for a vegetable like sundried tomatoes or mushrooms with an umami flavor.
- Optional variations. Give it a kick by adding a pinch of red pepper flakes. Add an herbal profile by stirring in 1 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning, parsley, or basil. Additionally, sneak in some extra servings of veggies by adding chopped kale, spinach, zucchini, or extra bell peppers, or try out different proteins by adding in all or part cooked crispy bacon or crumbled ground beef.
