Looking for a really delicious breakfast idea? This cheesy hash brown sausage breakfast casserole is full of flavor but totally easy to make.
Creating This Sausage Breakfast Casserole Recipe
I’ve had plenty of savory breakfast casseroles, but I’ve rarely had one that I can’t wait to get the recipe for. It seems like it’s often bland or way too eggy.
We have an absolutely delicious recipe for a Southern Breakfast Sausage Cake with, wait for it, a maple butter sauce that has changed me on savory breakfasts forever. It is slam packed full of flavor and something I’m not craving. It’s exclusive to our new cookbook, Our Sweet Basil Kitchen!! It’s on sale for the holidays, so hurry and snag a copy before prices move back up!
Anyway, that recipe set us out to discover more savory breakfasts that would be worth making, and after a little event at our church we both decided to make a good hash brown casserole.
Sausage Breakfast Casserole Ingredients
This sausage hashbrown breakfast casserole starts off with good sausage. This is the most important part as the sausage will breath flavor into the entire dish. We like to use a medium or maple sage sausage, but of course, use whatever you like. You could throw in diced green chiles and peppers too, but we will leave that for another time.
The hash browns are totally frozen, but if you feel ambitious go ahead and shred your own. Now, we do cook them a little but that’s because we noticed that not crisping the potatoes or adding them to the hash brown egg casserole while still frozen led to a soggier casserole.
In addition to these two key ingredients, we also added:
- Diced onion
- Milk
- Shredded cheese
- Eggs
We wanted to keep things simple without compromising on the flavor, and we did just that!
How to Make Sausage Breakfast Casserole
This egg bake with hash browns couldn’t be simpler to make. Here are the basic steps for making this easy breakfast casserole:
- Whisk together the eggs, salt, pepper, and milk.
- Brown the sausage in a skillet, then cook the onion alongside the meat.
- Remove the sausage and onion from the skillet, then add in the hash browns (you want them to crisp up a bit).
- Place the hash browns in the bottom of a greased 8×8-inch baking dish.
- Top with the sausage mixture and half of the shredded cheese.
- Pour egg mixture over that, then top with the rest of the cheese.
- Bake until set and golden brown.
Can You Freeze Sausage Breakfast Casserole?
Yes, you can freeze this easy hash brown casserole either before you bake it or after it has come out of the oven and cooled. A properly frozen sausage breakfast casserole will keep for up to three months.
Can Breakfast Casserole be Made the Night Before?
Yes, you can prep this sausage breakfast casserole the night before, making it the ultimate lazy morning meal. Prep it, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it overnight and then pop it into the oven. Unbaked hash brown breakfast casserole will keep for a few days if covered well in the fridge, but the potatoes do break down a little more each day so just be mindful of that.
Can I Double This Recipe?
Very easily, yes. You’d need to bake this sausage hash brown casserole in a 9×13-inch baking dish, and the cook time may need to be adjusted slightly. You’ll know it’s done baking when it’s set and golden on top!
Tips for Making Sausage Breakfast Casserole
For this sausage egg hash brown casserole, we used a blend of mozzarella and sharp cheddar cheese. We picked mozzarella for the gooey factor and sharp cheddar for the flavor. However, you could use pepper jack, colby jack, or any other combination of cheeses you like. This is a versatile sausage breakfast casserole recipe, so have fun with it!
A few readers have asked about adding extra veggies (like chopped bell peppers) to the sausage mixture. We think that’s a great idea! Just cook the veggies alongside the onions and sausage — no need to change the recipe more than that.
And lastly, if you’re shredding fresh potatoes to make your own hash browns, note that you will still need to cook the potatoes in the skillet first before transferring them to the baking dish. You want those hash browns to be nice and crispy, otherwise they’ll turn to mush in this sausage breakfast casserole.
More Easy Breakfast Recipes:
- Savory Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
- Maple Mustard Croissant Breakfast Sandwiches
- Melt in Your Mouth Sour Cream Pancakes
- Lightened Up Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal
- Melt in Your Mouth Buttermilk Pancakes
- Hash Browns Ham Frittata
Cheesy Hash Brown Sausage Breakfast Casserole
Description
Ingredients
- 4 Large Eggs, whisked
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- Pinch Pepper
- 1 Cup Milk
- 1 Pound Maple Sage Breakfast Sausage, (or any other flavor)
- 1/4 Cup Onion, minced
- 1 Bag Shredded Hash Browns, 15oz
- 1 Cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- 1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Whisk together eggs, salt, pepper, and milk.4 Large Eggs, 1/2 teaspoon Salt, Pinch Pepper, 1 Cup Milk
- Set aside to allow the salt to break down the egg, creating a fluffier baked egg dish.
- Spray an 8x8-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- In a large skillet, cook sausage until almost all of the pink is gone.1 Pound Maple Sage Breakfast Sausage
- Add the onion and finish cooking the meat, stirring occasionally.1/4 Cup Onion
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat and onions to a plate.
- Add hash browns to skillet and cook until lightly brown, flip and cook on the other side, adding a drizzle of oil if needed.1 Bag Shredded Hash Browns
- Place hash browns in bottom of lightly greased square pan. Top with sausage and 1/2 of each cheese.1 Cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, 1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- Pour egg mixture over hash brown mixture and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
- Sprinkle a little fresh cracked pepper over the top and bake for 35-40 minutes or until set and golden.
Notes
Nutrition
Recommended Products
Marilyn
Since a grater is one of the recommended products for this recipe, I’m wondering whether one should shred their cheese or use already-shredded cheese, such as the kind that comes in a bag. Packaged shredded cheese has additional ingredients that could change the texture of the casserole. Do you have a preference?
Sweet Basil
Hi Marilyn! Great question! I always try to grate my own cheese if I have the time because pre-shredded cheese does have preservatives added. That being said, pre-shredded cheese will work fine in this recipe.
Helen
I’m sorry to keep asking all these questions, but that’s what happens when I buy a new cookbook ;-), and now I see you have an earlier one as well! This looks delicious, even though we’re not breakfast people (so will make it for dinner), but would it be OK if I defrost the hash browns before putting them in the skillet? We went to three supermarkets looking for them (one was totally out), and the hash browns at the other two were frozen, I mean solid like a brick. I can’t imagine all that excess water would be good for the dish. TIA for your help!
Sweet Basil
Yes, you can defrost the hash browns, especially if they are frozen in a solid brick (I hate when that happens!) I hope you love this one!
Helen
Well, we did like it — the sausage and egg mix were great, but I had a real problem with the hash browns, like after defrosting that brick of ice and laying the potatoes on a tray with paper towels to absorb all the water, I couldn’t get them to brown. There was virtually no fat left in the skillet from the sausage (which was odd), so I added vegetable oil as suggested in the directions, but apparently not enough. They stuck to the pan and basically refused to brown. Anyway, I might try it again but improve on my hash brown process!
Sweet Basil
Hi Helen! Darn those hash browns! Did it still taste okay in the casserole? As long as they are warmed through, it should still be great in the casserole!
Helen
They tasted fine, just were too soft since they hadn’t really browned. They were good enough for my husband to have the leftovers for lunch today :-). I don’t think I’ve ever used hash browns before, so I’ll just have to figure out the best way of cooking them when I make this again.
Sweet Basil
Thanks again for the feedback Helen! I appreciate it so much!
Chelsea
So I’m following the instructions but it’s not cooking and/or way too greasy and liquid on the inside. At one point I plopped it out of the baking dish into a pan to cook more. Any idea what’s going on?
Sweet Basil
Hmmmmm I’m not sure! Did you use large eggs? I’m so sorry for the frustration!
Brooke
Could you cook this in a 9×13 pan instead?
Sweet Basil
I would double the recipe for a 9×13 pan. It will be super thin if you don’t double it.
Bree
It is Christmas morning and I am really confused about how much cheese to add to my breakfast casserole. It would so much more helpful if you would include weights as well as volume. It is so much easier to weigh than guess how packed the cup should be. Plus, I seem to be getting different information depending on the source. One website says 2 ounces = a cup, while at another, a recipe calls for 1 1/2 Cups of cheddar or about 6 ounces of cheese! That would indicate 4 oz = 1 Cup!! That is double! I know its cheese, and you can guesstimate your preferences, but I would prefer to have a starting point. That said, I am looking forward to trying this sometime today!
Sweet Basil
I’m sorry this is going to be too late, but you can really do however much cheese you want. I just made this about a week ago and doubled what it says in the recipe and it was delicious. For hard cheeses like the ones used in this recipe, 1 cup = 4 ounces.
Shawnae
The Cheesy Sausage Hashbrown Casserole is the bomb dot com!!! Very easy to make with few ingredients. The Maple sausage gave the dish a slightly sweet hue with the savory flavors. Will be making this very delicious dish again, but will experiment with Sage Sausage. Thank you so much for sharing.
Sweet Basil
Sage sausage will be delicious too! Thank you for the feedback and I’m so glad it was a hit!
Jennifer
All of that fits in an 8×8? Just confirming. Can’t wait to make it!!
Sweet Basil
Yes it does! Enjoy!
Lin
Is you make ahead and freeze, do you thaw before reheating? If so, how long?
Sweet Basil
Hi Lin! I would cook it completely and then let it cool completely before freezing. Do not put the cheese on the top though. When taking it out of the freezer to cook it, we cook it covered at 350 degrees F until the middle is not cold (about 30 min), then we uncover it, throw the cheese on top and cook it for another 15 min or so until the cheese is melted and crispy brown.
Fatima
The recipe turned out well as written. It was cooked through and seasoned perfectly. But, the egg to potato ratio was way off. I guess that’s just a personal preference. My guests liked it, but I would definitely tweak it if I was making a small batch for myself as a make-it-ahead breakfast.
Sweet Basil
Thank you for the feedback!
Kati
Would you say it needed more egg or more potato?
Danielle
Hi,
If we use fresh potatoes do we need to precook those too so they aren’t soggy? Or just the frozen ones? If we use frozen ones how long do we cook them? Until they are crispy and cooked through or? Thanks!
Danielle
Sweet Basil
You can use either fresh or frozen. Frozen is just so much less work that that’s what I usually go with. I’m lazy like that! Haha! Both need to be cooked in the pan until lightly golden brown.
Cheryl Kulp
Can I use frozen O’Brien potatoes instead of shredded hash browns? Would I need to change anything? I want to make this the night ahead.
Sweet Basil
Yes absolutely! Just be sure to cook them a little first just like it says in the instructions so it doesn’t turn out soggy! No changes needed! Enjoy!
Sharmie
Hello! I am making a thank you brunch in a couple of days. I’ve been researching breakfast casseroles, and am really impressed with yours. I’d like to add some red and yellow bell pepper to this recipe . . . do you think I need to make any adjustments to your recipe to successfully incorporate the peppers? Thank you for your time!
Sweet Basil
Hi Sharmie! No, I don’t think you will need to make any adjustments. Just add the peppers to the casserole before baking! Enjoy!
Sharmie
Thanks!
Kathleen
Hi!
I would like to serve this for a brunch the day after my son’s wedding – but I can’t make it that morning or the day of the wedding. If I make it ahead and freeze it, do you recommend cooking it completely and then just freezing it and warming it up the morning of the bunch? If so, thoughts on how long and what temp?
Thanks!
Kathy
Sweet Basil
Hi Kathleen! Great questions! Yes, cook it completely and then let it cool completely before freezing. Do not put the cheese on the top though. When taking it out of the freezer to cook it, we cook it covered at 350 degrees F until the middle is not cold (about 30 min), then we uncover it, throw the cheese on top and cook it for another 15 min or so until the cheese is melted and crispy brown.
shawnna
hey girl- this looks amazing!