Easy Breakfast Casserole has hash browns, ham, cheese, and eggs. This hash brown breakfast casserole can be made overnight. Perfect for a Holiday breakfast!
What makes this hash brown casserole easy?
Seriously, it took me longer to preheat my oven than it did for me to prepare this egg casserole. I used frozen hash browns, shredded cheese, and cubed ham. So, the only real prep work that I had to do was crack open the eggs.
This casserole will feed a crowd. It makes 12 portions.
It would be perfect around the holidays since you only need to spend about 5 minutes in the kitchen putting it together. Then, just let it bake.
How to make Breakfast Casserole:
*Note: The full printable recipe card is at the bottom of this post.
- In a large bowl, add frozen shredded hashbrown potatoes.
- Add chopped ham and shredded cheddar cheese.
- Mix well. Then, pour into a baking dish.
- Add 12 eggs to a large bowl (use the same bowl from the first step).
- Add milk, salt, and pepper. Whisk together.
- Pour the eggs over the hash brown, ham, and cheese.
- Bake.
How to make Overnight Breakfast Casserole
- Assemble the breakfast casserole according to the directions.
- Cover with plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate overnight.
- Remove plastic wrap and bake.
What to serve with this Egg Casserole:
- Crock Pot Apple Cinnamon Roll Casserole from Amanda’s Easy Recipes
- To Go Baked Oatmeal with your Favorite Toppings
- Tropical Green Smoothie
- Banana Peanut Butter Oat Muffins
- Honey Lime Fruit Salad from Cooking Classy
I always put salsa on my eggs. So, I serve salsa with this recipe. Hot sauce and sour cream would be good too.
Watch the step by step video for this Easy Breakfast Casserole Recipe below.
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Easy Breakfast Casserole Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 24 oz. frozen hash browns -about 8 cups
- 16 oz. cubed ham
- 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese -shredded
- 12 large eggs
- 1 cup milk -I used skim
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add the frozen potatoes, ham, and cheese to a large bowl. Toss to combine. Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk, salt, and pepper (I use the same bowl from step 1).
- Pour the egg mixture over the hash brown mixture. Pat everything down with the back of a wooden spoon.
- Bake for one hour, uncovered. The center should be set and the edges should be golden brown.
Can you use jalepeno velvetta cheese?
Wondering if anyone has tried refrigerating this overnight and baking in the morning. Would like to give to my parents on Friday night so they have it to bake/serve Saturday morning for company.
I found a similar recipe that says you can make this casserole ahead of time. I’m going to try it.
I use the crockpot recipe for this and you can put it on right before you go to bed and you wake up to the best smell. I used sausage and bacon. I stir after it cooks awhile if I don’t do it at night since it will get a little crispy on the edges. Then I just add cheese on top again to make it look good again. Cook on low 4-5 hours. It didn’t last an hour and is so convient to take to work.
Has anyone thought about making this in a muffin pan? This way you already have premade indivdual servings and would think this would be easy to freeze and reheat at a later time.
I’ve made them in the muffin pans and they turn out great and are easy to serve.
How long did you bake them in the muffin tins?
is there any way to make this and then serve it again reheated?
Yum! Making this Christmas day. I’m going to half it and make it in an 8×8 pan. Can I use bacon? And how much would I use? Thanks!
Do you really need to use 12 eggs???
Valerie,
Yes. Twelve eggs is correct in this recipe.
You could play around with using less eggs and more milk, or using some egg whites if you wanted. But, that would change the taste and texture.
Very good! I’ll try sausage next time. Only had 1/3 of the casserole left after only 5 people ate!
Thanks Angela! I’m so glad you liked it!
Made this for brunch with neighbors today, they loved it! I was even asked for the recipe! I did have to bake it longer…. actually almost and hour and a half for the middle to set. But it was great! 🙂
Jennifer,
I’m so glad this was a hit at your brunch! Thanks!
Have you tried it with shredded potato vs the frozen hash browns? Just curious if anyone has tried that or think it would work. Thanks:0)
Vicki,
I think shredded potato would work just fine. But, it probably won’t take as long to cook as the frozen hash browns. I would make it the same way. But, start checking for doneness around 45 minutes or so.
Hope this helps.
I used the Simply Potatoes brand of shredded potatoes and it worked just fine. Just a heads up though – I used 2 bags of those which is 40 oz. because each bag has about 3.5 – 4 cups of potatoes in it.
I’ve never purchased frozen hash browns so I’m not sure if the 24 oz. measurement for frozen potatoes in the recipe is correct or not.
Would there be a way to do it dairy free like without the milk?
Christina,
Yes. You could substitute unsweetened non-dairy milk (like soy, almond, or coconut) for the dairy milk.
Then, substitute a dairy-free cheese (like daiya) for the cheddar. Or leave out the cheese entirely. In which case, you will probably want to add a little extra salt to the dish.
Hope this helps.
Could I use frozen diced hadh browns successfully? I couldn’t find the shredded type at the store.
Could this dish be made as a freezer meal? I’m looking for make ahead meals to quickly feed my family when school starts again.
Whoa! I’m looking at breakfast posts/pins to get organized before my kiddos start school too and wanted to know if it could be baked and frozen for quick reheat in the AM … It’s like I already posted LOL *Following* 🙂
Hi Jens 🙂
I haven’t tried it, but I don’t think it would do well going straight from the freezer to the microwave. But, what you could do is freeze individual portions of the prepared casserole (either in Ziploc bags or Tupperware). Transfer what you need from the freezer to the refrigerator the night before. Then, microwave in the morning (in a microwave safe container). Hope this works out for you both!
I would undercook the eggs if you do this. I’ve done breakfast burritos as ready to go freezer meal and found that the eggs turn out dry and rubbery from being over cooked when thawed and reheated. But when I have frozen them with slightly undercooked eggs they turn out perfect when reheated.
Hi,this sounds so delicious. Can you use the non frozen hash browns? Will it still turn out okay?
Ali,
I have only used frozen hash browns in this dish. But, it should work the same. It probably won’t take as long to cook if the hash browns aren’t frozen. So, I would make it the same way, but start checking for doneness at around 45 minutes.
Hope you like it!
Amanda
they worked great! I use the simply potatoes that are shredded. Any of the flavors would work. I tried with bacon and didn’t like it as much as the ham.
Alex I made half the recipe and it worked just fine. All oven temps seem to be different so I started checking my dish after 30 min of baking.
Sheryl,
Thanks for the good info! We don’t always need to feed a crowd of people for breakfast. So, it’s nice to know that this casserole can easily be made on a smaller scale. I’m glad it worked out for you!
Could you half the recipe and put it in an 8×8 pan???
Alex,
It should be perfectly fine if you half the recipe and use a smaller dish.
I agree with Sheryl’s comment. I would start checking it at around 30 minutes to see if it’s done. Hope you like it!
I’m going to cook this for my church easter Sunday. So let was wondering if you could double the recipe? If you can, how much would it use in this tecipe?
If I’m making it for brunch for approx 25 people, u think doubling it would be enough or would i triple the recipe??
Breakfast is one of my favorite meals and this definitely sounds like one we could like.
I love this dish, very easy and quick , I used bacon yum.
Marlene,
Bacon sounds fantastic! I’m so glad you liked it. Thank you!
How much bacon did you use?
I’d love to use bacon for my brunch party — will it need to be cooked beforehand?
Hi there
I’m making this tonight. Do you recommend covering the dish before going into the oven?
Thank you so much!
Hi Abby.
No. I don’t cover it.
I’m sure you could if you wanted to. But, I’ve never had a problem with it overbrowning.
Hope you like it!
Could this be prepared the evening before? Or would the eggs soak up too much?
Amanda,
I always prepare this casserole while my oven is preheating. Since it comes together so quickly, I haven’t tried preparing this dish ahead of time.
I understand your concern. It seems like letting the hash browns soak in the eggs overnight may change the texture of the dish. However, I have noticed several comments for this recipe on Pinterest where people say that they prepared this dish the night before and it turned out fantastic. So, it sounds promising.
If you try it this way, I would love to hear how it turns out.
Hope you enjoy this recipe!
I always make this the night before and put it in the fridge. The texture is great and it is always a hit with family and friends.
Hi Amanda, I am interested in making this recipe and would like to know if I can freeze it and if so do I cook it first. Looking forward to hearing from you. Ned to make 6 for our family reunion.
Hi! I am excited to try this recipe! I assume that you used the hashbrowns while still frozen, but I thought I would check. Thanks!
The Foodie RD
Amber,
Good question. Yes. You do add the hash browns while they are frozen. I see now that the word frozen is not actually anywhere in the recipe card. I will update the recipe card to make that more clear. Thanks for bringing that to my attention. Hope you enjoy this recipe!
Do you cover it before putting it in the oven??????
Hi Dorene,
No. I leave it uncovered.
Could you use a pound of sausage instead of ham?
Elaine,
Sure. You could use sausage instead of ham. But, it wouldn’t be quite as ‘easy’. You would need to cook the sausage and drain off the fat before you add it to the rest of the ingredients. Otherwise the casserole would end up being pretty greasy.
I’m sure this casserole would be absolutely delicious with cooked sausage. If you try it, let me know how it turns out. Thanks!
You can use frozen sausage links I buy the turkey kind because I don’t eat pork.
but they sell already cooked sausage frozen, just cut it and mix in, without having to hassle with uncooked meat.
Kiani,
That’s a great idea! When I think of breakfast sausage, my mind automatically goes to raw pork breakfast sausage. But, you’re right. There are many types of precooked sausage that could easily be added to this dish. Thanks!
I’ve used sausage and bacon. I cooked both ahead of time and drained well on layers of paper towels. I’ve also prepared ahead of time and then froze before cooking. I just put in the refrigerator overnight then cooked the next morning. Great!!
you can use Jimmy Dean’s sausage crumbles – or turkey crumbles – already cooked….in frozen meats or today I bought them and they were located in the cooler meats with the sandwhich meats.
Morningstar Farms makes good sausage ‘ crumbles’ also, that are vegetarian.
I was wondering if you have ever put in Onion or Green pepper to this? Would they cook okay with all of the other ingredients?
I am thinking of doing this for my book club. I always sautée green onions and herbs before doing my scrambled eggs. So, I will use this recipe with the herbs in egg mixture. It will be great!
I added a half pound of sausage to this recipe and it turned out amazing!
I made it with a full pound of sausage and everyone loved it. I browned the sausage, got as much fat drained and patted off with paper towels and then put it in a colander and rinsed and patted it dry again. I went that extra step because the sausage is pretty greasy. This worked great! It’s a little longer prep time but I got the sausage ready the night before and put everything together in the morning.
Can I add fresh spanich and not frozen hasbrowns
have you ever put a veggie in it like broccoli or spinach?
I have used a 10 oz frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained, added with the potatoes) with great results. Try it!
We are a meat loving family so when I made this today I used 1lb of cooked, crumbled bacon AND 1 small ham steak, diced. I also added about half of an onion that I diced. And lastly, I used 1 1/4c milk instead of 1c. It turned out awesome!!
I do.