Breakfast Casserole
The classic breakfast trio of eggs, sausage and hash browns make this easy breakfast casserole such a hit. Whether you’re cooking up breakfast for a big holiday brunch, or craving an easy breakfast-for-dinner situation (always a win), this easy, cheesy sausage breakfast casserole recipe will fit the bill.
My mom always makes this breakfast casserole recipe for holiday brunches because it’s easy to make ahead of time (always nice for a brunch recipe) and kids and grown ups alike go wild for it every year. Using frozen hash browns as the base makes prep super easy, and it can be mostly made the night before. Serve with fresh fruit, roasted potatoes, and plenty of coffee.
Key Ingredients
- Eggs: Nothing fussy here, but do take time to really whip the eggs and cream together so that your casserole is fluffy instead of heavy.
- Frozen hash browns: My mom used to cook and grate the potatoes herself, but switching to frozen hash browns made this recipe so much easier.
- Cheese: Cheddar cheese is my favorite, and I like to grate it myself to that it melts well.
- Sausage: Use links or ground sausage, both work fine. if you like a hint of sweetness, look for one that has a bit of maple in it. See below for even more swaps and variations.
- Heavy cream: You could use half-and-half, but heavy cream results in a much more delicious casserole, with a silkier texture. It’s my favorite.
How To Make This Easy Breakfast Casserole, Step By Step
See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
- Brown the sausage.
- Whisk the eggs and cream, creating a silky, custardy egg mixture to hold your casserole together.
- Stir in the sausage, cheese and scallions.
- Pour the casserole filling into a greased pan.
- Bake! Bake this breakfast casserole covered for 20 minutes, then uncovered for 40 more minutes. Covering it makes the cheese on top melty and gooey, instead of crisp.
Tips For Making It Ahead of Time
This breakfast casserole is a great make ahead breakfast and brunch recipe. There are actually two great ways to make it ahead:
- If you have more time in the morning: Assemble the casserole to the point of baking the night before, cover it and place it in the fridge overnight. The next morning, pull it out and bake it.
- If you need most of it done the night before: Do the first 40 minute bake the night before. Then let the casserole cool, cover it and refrigerate it until morning. All that’s left the next morning is to do the last 15-minute bake.
Possible Variations
- Make it vegetarian: The casserole will still be delicious if you leave the sausage out. You could also use a veggie sausage (there are many vegetarian breakfast sausages available now).
- Make it a little lighter by swapping in chicken sausage and reducing the amount of cheese.
- Make it more veg-foward by adding more sautéed vegetables! I like bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms or try a combo of spinach, sun dried tomatoes, crispy bacon bits.
- Try different cheeses! Substitute pepper Jack cheese or a Mexican cheese blend in place of the cheddar.
- Replace the heavy cream with half-and-half or whole milk. The casserole will be slightly less creamy, but still yummy.
- Serving a smaller crowd? Cut the recipe in half and bake it in a 8x8 baking dish instead. The baking time will be shorter, so keep a close eye on it.
What To Serve On the Side
- Cut fresh fruit, even just a beautiful bowl of strawberries or cherries
- A big, green salad
- Fruit salad
- Homemade scones or muffins
- If you’re serving a big, hungry crowd, and really want to wow them, serve it with French toast.
How To Freeze
In my house, this casserole usually disappears before we have a chance to freeze any leftovers! You’ll need to bake the casserole and let it cool before you freeze it, because of the heavy cream. But it reheats well, even after freezing. The best way to freeze it is to slice the cooled casserole into individual portions, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheating the unwrapped slices in the oven is best, but you can do the microwave in a pinch. Our breakfast burritos are my other favorite freezer-friendly brunch recipe.
More Easy Breakfast Recipes For a Crowd
Hosting brunch sounds like a hassle, but even if you’re not a morning person, these recipes make serving up breakfast for a hungry crowd really, really easy.
Top Of The Morning To You!
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