Sausage Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole – hash browns, sausage, eggs & cheese – can be made ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen until ready to bake! Great for overnight guests and Christmas morning!
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Pin This RecipeThis Sausage Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole is perfect for Christmas morning. It can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until you are ready to pop it in the oven. Christmas morning is hectic enough without having to worry about breakfast. Pop this casserole in the oven when you get up and it will be ready after all the presents are open.
This casserole has all of my favorite breakfast foods. Frozen hash browns, sausage, eggs and cheese. I browed the hash browns prior to putting them in the casserole. I think it helped get the potatoes fully cooked and crispy. Feel free to skip that step if you wish. Also, I used hot breakfast sausage (Tennessee Pride) in this casserole. I think it adds more flavor, but feel free to use all regular breakfast sausage or half regular and half hot.
Sausage Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients:
- 2 lb hot breakfast sausage
- 1 (30-32oz) bag frozen shredded hash browns
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 8 eggs
- 2 cups milk
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet, cook sausage until no longer pink. Drain fat and set aside.
- Add hash browns to skillet and cook until lightly brown. (Add a little oil to the skillet if necessary.) Place hash browns in bottom of lightly greased 9×13-inch pan. Top with sausage and cheese.
- Whisk together eggs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and milk. Pour over hash brown mixture.
- **Cover and refrigerate at this point if baking later.**
- Bake, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes.
Notes:
Steph
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This casserole is scrumptious!! I have made many breakfast casseroles and other tasty dishes for Christmas and this is by far the best!! This a now a tradition for our Christmas breakfast!!
I made this for Christmas morning and served it alongside some breakfast potatoes. It was delicious and a hit! I only have two notes to add to my comment. I used chopped, precooked bacon instead of sausage to speed things up. I also didn’t brown the hash browns first (again, to speed up my prep time). The casserole took almost a half hour longer to cook than what’s stated in the recipe. It might be because I didn’t brown the hash browns first, but a half hour seems excessive. My oven is only a year old so I know the temperature isn’t off. The center refused to set so I ended up bumping the oven temp up to 375 for the last 5-6 minutes and that did the trick. Other than that this was super easy to put together, it came out great and everyone loved it. We had six adults and there was enough left for leftovers. I’m sure my guests will ask for it again next Christmas!
This was the best breakfast casserole I’ve ever had. The only thing I did different was to add some of my own seasonings and I added a can of green chiles. It was a hit at a Christmas brunch I went to.
I will be making this again and again. I don’t have to keep looking for a good recipe, I found it!
How many days will it keep in the fridge before baking?
2 to 3 days
Just made it. Love it!! We doubled the batch, but only had 1 bag of sausages (half of what we needed). Still delicious! In fact, perfect with only half the meat. We intend to cut the casserole into individual servings to be frozen and reheated in the morning before work. We will be making this often!
I’ve done this 3 times now and its been great. I do have a issue getting the hashbrowns to brown but regardless is good once all done. I did add in cavanders Greek seasoning in while browning the sausage and a little in the egg and potatoes. Gave a lovely flavor. This is on my list every two weeks to do. It lasts me the week for my morning breakfast at work. Heats up great.
I’ve been making this exact casserole for 30 years now, it’s a family favorite. Can also make gravy for it, and even biscuits. My family have many different picky eaters, but every single one loves this.
Are there any tips for cooking this at high altitude? I tried making this weeks ago and the eggs were taking forever to cook. I ended up with a hard and burnt top layer lol. I’m going to try again tomorrow and thought I’d ask. Thank you!!
Where i live i cook 30 mins uncovered than cover with foil and cook another 20 mins. Eggs are perfect.
I made this as is and made no adjustments. It had very good flavor however, it took over an hour to bake and by then even after being cover my cheese was totally burnt. Next time, I will bake then add the cheese for the last ten minutes or so.
I got the wrong type of hash browns — Got the cubed not shredded will those work ok?
I’ve only made it with the shredded hash browns, but I assume you could make it with the cubed hash browns as well.
Made the night before popped it in the oven next morning and it was a big hit with everyone.
I made this as one of my dishes for Mother’s Day brunch that I hosted at my house. Everyone loved it! I used breakfast sausage links and just cut them up and I used gruyere cheese and mild cheddar cheese. I have to say the gruyere cheese gave it a very nice taste, a little more flavor. I tested it out beforehand with the cheddar (mild), it was good but we felt like it needed something more so when I made it I used the gruyere. Maybe if the cheddar was mild but I don’t like sharp cheddar. You can use whatever cheese you like. The only issue I had was with the frozen shredded hash browns. I put some oil in the pan and tried to brown them but they seemed never to get a little brown. I tried two different pans, one wolf stainless steel because I figured it would brown a little in that pan but it got all stuck, even with the oil. So then I switched to non-stick but it still didn’t brown at all. And I know it wasn’t suppose to be dark brown just slightly but never did. It was very strange and I was cooking it for awhile and then just gave up and put it in the casserole. I have to say it was excellent regardless and I don’t think it should be crispy and brown because then it’s hard and crunchy so just cooking it a little was fine. I definitely recommend this dish and I will be making it again when I have guests.
Sounds delicious, Stacey!
Can you use shredded refrigerated potatoes vs frozen ? I would still crisp before adding to bake. Thanks!
Next time I will use fresh Hashbrowns, cook them with onion, leave out the garlic & onion powder and just season with salt and pepper. This time I made it per instructions, substituting ham for sausage.
I make this every Christmas that my boyfriend works at the fire station. All the guys love it and the dish always comes back empty and clean!! I follow the directions 100% too
Made this Casserole for the concrete workers who did a job for us. They LOVED it! As a matter of fact, they requested I make it again for them the second week they worked. Said it was the best Breakfast they’d had in a long time. This is a definite keeper and I’ll be making it at Thanksgiving when my kids are here. Thank you so much for sharing!!!
Is this recipe gluten free?
Yes – as long as you use a gluten-free sausage.
Do the hashbrowns not get soggy if you refrigerate over night and bake in the morning?
no
How long does it take to thaw after freezing? Thaw in the fridge or on counter?
Either is fine. It will take longer to thaw in the refrigerator.
Can I half the recipe? How should I adjust the cooking time?
You can cut it in half and use a 9×9-inch pan
Do you have to use shredded hash browns?
Changing the ingredients will change the consistency and cooking time. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
If making recipe for 4 (cutting it in half) – what size dish would I use to cook and for how long? Thank you!
9-inch square pan. You will have to just check it for doneness. I would guess it would be close to the same time.
Can you sub unsweet almond milk for the regular milk?
I’ve never made this without real milk, so I cannot say.
Love this!! Made it for my niece after she had her baby and they gobbled it up! I have one in my freezer right now. It’s become a staple. We make ahead, freeze and then bake when we need it for big meals. Other times we make ahead, bake it and then portion it out for on the go breakfast. We microwave it for about a minute and it’s just great! Thanks so much for creating/sharing this recipe!
Help!! I made the recipe as it says, but it is soupy. What did I do wrong?
You need to cook it longer.
Can you just add everything to the Skillet you brown the hash browns in and bake in that??
I haven’t tried that, so I can not say if the cooking time would be the same. It will all depend on the size of your skillet. Make sure it is oven safe.
Is it better to cook the casserole, freeze it and reheat later or better to prepare the casserole, freeze it with the raw egg, thaw it and cook it? I’m making the casserole 4 days before I serve it.
Either way is fine. I always freeze it unbaked.
My whole family loved this! I made it as the recipe stated, and cooked the hash browns first. Reheats well, too. Making it again for Easter morning. Thanks for such a wonderful recipe! It will become a staple in our house.
Should I thaw hashbrown before browning?
You can. I usually let them sit on the counter while I cook the sausage and then toss them in the pan.
Can I prepare the casserole, not bake it but put directly in the freezer?
Yes
I have made this twice for large family gatherings over the past two years and it has been such a hit. This year it’s been requested I make double for Christmas morning! Thank you!
I just made a few of these, same recipe just portioned into three smaller pans. I took one to my daughters coaches who are having practice during thanksgiving break, talk about dedication! They loved it and we loved it at home too!! Great recipe! Thanks you!!
I made this dairy free and it was wonderful! A huge hit with all! We also used turkey breakfast sausage… so yummy!!!
Made this the other night to have something for busy school mornings!! I modified it a little to my liking, I used turkey sausage, I didn't use quite as many hashbrowns as it called for, and I added spinach and kale. It was HUGE HIT with the whole family, even my 4 year old liked it! I served it with tortillas and salsa… YUM!!! Will absolutely be making this again and again!!
This is so good for breakfast, lunch or dinner and super easy, one of the best breakfast casseroles I have ever had!
Love make ahead breakfast recipes. This sounds perfect. Making it today for New Year's Day breakfast. For those that have cut the recipe in half—how long did it take to cook? I do plan to take it out of frig before putting it in the oven. Wondered if it still took 40 minutes to bake. Thank you. Happy New Year!
Mine still takes 40 minutes
Loved this! I made it for Christmas morning and put it together quickly before the kids were awake! My grocery was all out of shredded-style hash browns so I bought the patties that already have a browned crust. I let them thaw enough to be able to slice and dice. One other change, because I did not have garlic powder, was to toss a teaspoon of minced garlic in with the sausage when it was just about done. I layered hash browns, sausage, cheese twice then poured in the egg mixture. I will reduce the added salt next time, but it was REALLY good!
Made this today for my "Christmas Morning Casserole." I tweaked it a smidge by adding red and green peppers and onions to the hashbrowns. My family LOOOOOOOOOOVED it…even my picky niece who never tries anything new! The whole pan is nearly gone. Luckily, I managed to save a corner for breakfast tomorrow!
This is the best hash brown casserole ever ! It is my go- to for work potlucks , brunches & Christmas morning . In fact, I’m running to the grocery store soon so I can make it for Christmas morning tomorrow . I’ve made it many times & in different situations . In my experience , if you make it the night before & refrigerate, it takes longer to bake in the next day, maybe 20 minutes? I’ve also had to use “fresh” hash browns from the refrigerated section cause the store was out of frozen. I found the cooking time to be the same. I’ve followed the recipe to the T & have also made it without browning the hash first. Personally, I didn’t think the difference in flavor was too significant, especially if you’re short on time . This is a wonderful recipe that can be tweaked to your liking!
I made this for breakfast today! It was so delicious! I cooked the hashbrowns and sausage separately and mixed them together with half the cheese. I only used 1 lb. of sausage and it was plenty. I will add 1/2 tsp onion and garlic powders next time. I brought my eggs and milk to room temperature before cooking this dish, it was absolutely perfect at 40 minutes. I wonder if that's why some people have problems with it being runny. Cold ingredients will take longer to cook. This was delicious and I separated some portions to freeze for when baby comes, thanks for a yummy, easy recipe!
I made this last year for Christmas breakfast. It seemed like too much milk because it turned out really runny. It had great flavor, and Id like to make it again. Any suggestions to make it less runny? More eggs? Less milk? Thanks! Merry Christmas!
I've never had an issue with it being runny. Sounds like you need to cook it a little longer. The egg mixture shouldn't be runny if it is cooked. All ovens cook differently, yours might need a little extra time to cook the casserole.
Can you substitute bacon for the sausage?
I haven’t made this with bacon, But I’m sure it would be fine. Enjoy!
Hi! Can this be made in the crockpot? Any suggestions? I’ve made this for the past 4 years in the oven and have loved it! Just needing something I can make and leave.
I think it would be just fine in the slow cooker
How long do you think in the slow cooker? 4 hr on high? Low?
You can cook it on low or high. I’d guess LOW for 8 hours, HIGH for 4 hours.
Has anyone made this in muffin tins. Wondering how long to cook?
Could I make this and then freeze it? we are going camping wondering if i could make it Tuesday night freeze it then bake it Sunday morning?? If so do i have to take it out the night before or put it in frozen>> if so then how long to bake it for?
You can freeze it. I always thaw it before baking as instructed above
You might want to edit the instructions to say to remove the sausage from the skillet. I added the hash browns to the sausage and then realized later they were supposed to be layered separately. I’m baking it now, hopefully it still turns out!! Thanks for the recipe!!
It will be just fine. Enjoy!
I made this for breakfast today following your recipe. It turned out perfect. Thank you so much for sharing this. It is a keeper.
I made this with 1 pound of sausage and used tater tots instead of hash browns, and it was wonderful. In my pre-heated oven it was perfect in exactly 35 min. I let it sit to rest for about 10 minutes. I will use leftovers to make breakfast burritos.
I made this with only 1 lb. of sausage and used tater tots instead of hash browns, and it was wonderful. In my preheated oven it cooked in exactly 35 min.
Did you cook your tater tots first according to their package?
I am at 55 minutes cooking and the cheese is burnt and crusty. The eggs are still runny! What am I doing wrong?
Jamie – I have no idea. I made this for lunch today and it turned out perfectly. My eggs were not runny at all. I made it exactly as written.
How can I go wrong with this recipe as it has everything I love. So easy to make and was so good. I think I will add green onions and serve it sour cream next time, but as is, it was awesome. Thanks for sharing.
2 lbs of sausage sounds like a lot…has anyone tried it with only 1 lb?
You can try it, but I really think it needs 2 pounds
I used only 1 pound and it was plenty "sausagey." Also used less cheese because I only had about 12 ounces. I made two layers with hash browns, sausage and cheese then poured in the eggs.
If I don't cook the hashbrowns ahead of time should I just add them Frozen or thawed? Mom if a 3 year old and 2 month old so just trying to cut down on prep time lol. Thanks!
I just throw them in frozen and it always cooks through. Enjoy!
Very good. I made this for breakfast this morning only cut the recipe in half and used what i had on hand. I used a 8×8 pan, half a chub of Jimmy Dean Sausage, 1 large potato (Grated) 1 cup of extra sharp cheese, 4 eggs and 1 cup of half and half. Used the same spices but half the amount. Thanks for the recipe, hubby is happy, will make again!
although i love the thought of the potatoes and sausage in the recipe,i am trying to cut down on carbs…so i replaced the shredded potatoes with shredded summer squash! Worked out great. I also cooked this in a cupcake pan so i can grab a quick breakfast…and froze a bunch of them to have at a later date! thanks!
Awesome idea to use cupcake pan! Also great for portion control because this is so good, hard to stick with small portion when scooping out of a large casserole pan….☺
Can you refrigerate the night before and then heat in crock pot? How long? I am taking it to school for teachers!
Could you use bacon instead of sausage?
Can I use fresh hashbrowns from either leftover potatoes or raw?
Karen B – I haven't made this with fresh hash browns. I think the cooking time would be different with fresh. I believe that the frozen hash browns are already partially baked before being frozen.
Wonder how long it can be refrigerated before baking?? It sounds so delicious!!
a day or two would be fine. You can also freeze it and just thaw it out before baking. Enjoy!
Best breakfast I`v tried in 2017. Thank you
This was a huge hit! Great recipe. I actually assembled, cooked & froze it about 3 days prior to serving. Then simply heated it in the oven! Very yummy.
My new fav! Thanks for sharing.
I wanted to make a nice family breakfast, but as many know, I am no kind of morning person. I hate mornings. The only thing I want is a cup of coffee and to be left alone. That's it. However, occasionally, I like to have a nice breakfast with the family, and especially the kids love it when this happens. So I needed something that was quick to fix, and could sit in the fridge overnight, so all I would have to do is pop it in the oven in the morning and let it bake while I have coffee in solitude. So basically I wanted the best of both worlds, and I found it in this lovely casserole. It's simple, delicious, and can be put together the night before, stored in the fridge covered until morning, take it out and let it come to room temperature, about 30 minutes, and then pop it in the oven. Mine cooked for about 50 minutes before it was completely done (probably because it was refrigerated). It came out wonderfully, and everyone loved it.
If you don't have milk, can you just add more cheese and/or eggs???? I am halfing the recipe…. Already made it as instructed, killer YUM alert !!!! thank youo so much, you make me LQQK good with this recipe .. My fam thanks you TQQ 😉 ~ Katherine
What could i changed the eggs for?We don't eat eggs.
Eggbeaters? If you don't eat eggbeaters, you might look for a different breakfast casserole. We have a ham and cheese hash brown Casserole without eggs on the blog.
I made this last night to bake early this morning so the kids would have a good meal before hitting the road. Made as directed here and, wow, 5 stars! The kitchen smelled wonderful & it got rave reviews all around. I like the chorizo and mix of pepper jack & cheddar cheeses idea and will try that next time. Also needs S&P, that's it, love it!
Even though I've made this recipe like at least 7 times at this point and I felt the need to finally comment! This is such a wonderful recipe and easy peezy if you make it one night and bake the next morning for breakfast. I've started making it got all my co-workers birthdays and they love it! My little bit of changes are the following: I use spicy chorizo. Then I sauté green pepper, red pepper, onion, garlic and olive oil. Then I add the potatoes until they have a little crisp. Then I do add seasoned salt to the eggs/milk mix, that is the only thing different I do there. Then level as it says and place in fridge overnight. I truly do feel this makes it better. Made it twice over 1 period of time and just didn't feel it was as good. Then bake in morning and serve with salsa and sour cream. Since you have the spicy chorizo on there it really tastes good with those added condiments really add to the flavor! Love, love, love this recipe and am so glad I found it years ago.
Will this recipe turn out just as good if I cut the original recipe in half
I cut everything in half and used a 7×9 pan. Came out super delish!
I was wondering if this recipe will turn out as good as the original recipe if I cut the recipe in half?
If I cut this dish in half I was wondering if it turn out just as good as the original recipe?
Made this for a breakfast meeting at the office!! Turned out FAB. Added sautéed mushrooms green onion red bell pepper, rosemary and a bit of cilantro. Layered..cooked hashbrowns, sausage, veggies, cheese. Poured eggs over dish.. Ended up adding additional 2 eggs. Cooked 370 for 40 min. Amazing!!! Served with sour cream and salsa (if needed). Thank you for a great recipe!!
Ok I just got done done making this and it was Amazing! I actually made it the lazy way by just throwing everything in a bowl and baking, I could only imagine how much more Amazing it would be if I had made it as directed. Thank you for an awesome recipe!!
This is a great one-skillet meal, too. You cook up the sausage, set it aside, cook the hashbrowns in the same pan, then put the sausage back, stir in the eggs, and just before they set up, add in the cheese. I first learned how to cook this over a campfire in Girl Scouts; we called it "Catastrophe." (We thought the name must have been a joke, like, "What if all of the individual ingredients accidentally got cooked in the same pan? Catastrophe!")
I make this same thing except we call it breakfast pizza. I use a pizza stone to mamake it. Comes out delicious and my kids love it.
Hello, just curious if it would turn out well if I prepare and chill this the night before.
A+ for this recipe! I made this for a work potluck and it turned out SO GOOD!! I added green onions to it for flavor and color. I will defintely make this again. It was so great to put it together the night before and then could quickly throw it in the oven the next morning!
I made this for a large group and everyone loved it. I highly recommend making it the night before and letting the flavors sit in the fridge. It was very flavorful and yummy. Will be making it again soon!
Did you have to cook it longer because it was in the fridge the night before?
Will this reheat well for leftovers?? It's just my husband & I around our house, we would have much than we need for 1 meal.
It reheats well. Enjoy!
Will it still taste good even though you didn't cook the hash browns first?
It will be fine if you don't cook the hash browns first. Enjoy!
Even late Christmas Eve, whisking the eggs with one eye open I forgot the milk! This dish worked when I added the milk before popping it in oven today. 40 minutes later I realized that Christmas was not designed for women. This dish will give me the energy to get through the rest of the day. Thank you kindly!!!
I travel at Christmas and take food frozen. Can I prepare up to putting it in the oven and thaw and bake later?
Absolutely! Enjoy!
Getting ready to make this and take to the lake. My question is should I bake it then freeze and reheat? Or make to the point of baking, then freeze and cook when there?
Either is fine. I freeze it unbaked and thaw and bake as directed when ready.
The size of this was ridiculous. It took up TWO 9×13 pans. Is that normal?
No. It fits in my 9×13-inch pan. Did you sauté the hash browns?
I love recipe, but would love to know the nutritional value of a single serving, I cut mine into 12 portions.
You can put the ingredients into myfitnesspal and set the servings to 12 and this will give you the NV
This recipe is wonderful! Very filling and the recipe makes a large amount of food so you can easily feed a large family or guests with the recipe as written. I made a few changes only because of the ingredients I had on hand. The recipe as written is wonderful. I used 2 pounds of a spicy chicken sausage, I did thaw and crisp up the hashbown potatoes before putting in the baking dish, and I added sautéed onions and peppers because I had some in the fridge that needed to be used. I used an extra sharp white cheddar and only one cup of milk because I ran out. It turned out great! I served with salsa and sour cream and had some fresh fruit on the side. Really delicious! This is a go-to recipe for us when we have guests or family over. Thanks so much!
Seriously! I love to cook and my whole family loved this! Used 4 cheese Mexican blend from Publix and Oreida diced hash brown potatoes. I think that not having shredded potatoes as well as cooking them in the skillet prior helped it not be so "mushy" like my bakes sometimes are. Cooked for 50 minutes to be safe 🙂
Is the sausage in the recipe crumbled or cut up before put in casserole?
Mine was crumbled 🙂
Are you supposed to keep covered when baking? I am at 45 minutes of bake time right now and the eggs are still runny. It says to cover and refrigerate if baking later, but the instructions do not say whether to keep covered for baking or not. Thanks!!
I baked it uncovered.
Thanks for your help! I will try again next weekend! 🙂
Help! I think I messed up! Did you mix the sausage, potatoes, and cheese together?! Mine did not look like the picture (please know I'm a terrible cook). I ended up with a thick layer of potato and then sausage and cheese. Also my egg was runny.
I like the idea of the peppers…again are those mixed in or another layer?!?! Please help!
I layered the potatoes, then sausage and topped with cheese. If you want to add peppers, you can either cook them a bit with the potatoes or layer them with the sausage and cheese. If your eggs were runny, you need to cook it a few minutes longer.
Did you cook the potatoes in the skillet first? That will help the potato layer not be so thick. They will cook down and shrink a bit if you cook them first.
I spiced it up by using chorizo and a combo of pepper jack and cheddar. Also added diced green and red bell pepper for texture. Great Easter brunch!
This is in the oven right now. Smells wonderful! Breakfast for dinner. Thank you for all of your delicious recipes. Merry Christmas!
Yum!!! We are adding this to our Christmas morning breakfast menu.
My go to Brunch recipe…. it’s always a hit!! Thank you for sharing the recipe
I love breakfast casseroles and this one looks like a winner, especially since it can be made up early.