This sausage potato breakfast casserole is loaded with fluffy eggs, tender potatoes, savory sausage and plenty of gooey cheese. This classic breakfast dish is perfect for a holiday or a crowd, and can even be prepped ahead of time.
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Why We Love Sausage Potato Breakfast Casserole
- Delicious breakfast– This savory breakfast dish is simply savory, gooey and tasty. Leftovers reheat easily throughout the week.
- Great recipe for a crowd!– This easy breakfast casserole is easy when you are serving a group of family or friends, and makes a great holiday breakfast or brunch.
- Prepare it ahead– You can prepare this dish up to 24 hours or leave it overnight before baking. This can save you time later when you need it and make breakfast super easy the next day.
- Family friendly– This recipe is a popular favorite with adults and kids both, and I like serving it with these mini silver dollar pancakes which the kids love, or with the cinnamon roll casserole if I have a bigger crowd.
While I’ve made this recipe multiple times, watching my daughter rediscover using the leftovers was my favorite part. She has really started loving a good breakfast sandwich or breakfast burrito in the morning.
One more she came running into my room, half eaten sandwich in hand just to tell me about it at 7 am. Mom, if you add a leftover slice of breakfast casserole to a toasted English muffin you have in instant breakfast sandwich! Now she asks me to make this recipe just so she can enjoy the leftovers later.
Ingredients For Sausage Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole
- eggs
- milk- You can use whatever percent milk you happen to have. You can also use half and half for this recipe, but it does make the recipe more rich.
- thyme – dried
- salt – Salt and pepper can be adjusted for taste, but these are great measurements to start with for beginner cooks.
- black pepper
- frozen diced hash browns – See notes section in the recipe card at the bottom for swapping in other kinds of hashbrowns. See FAQ section in the article for how to swap in fresh potatoes into this recipe.
- breakfast sausage– I like to use a breakfast style sausage like Jimmy Dean but any sausage will work. You can use a little less for a casserole that is a little less rich. I’ve used as little as a half of a pound and it was still tasty.
- cheddar cheese– You can reduce some if you prefer your dish to be less cheesy.
- green onions – dice the green onions, optional
How To Make Sausage Potato Breakfast Casserole
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish lightly with cooking oil.
- Break the eggs into a mixing bowl. Add milk, thyme, salt and pepper to the eggs and mix with a whisk until the eggs are well mixed.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Break up the sausage meat into the skillet with a wooden spatula. and cook until browned. Drain any excess oil from the pan.
- Place the drained sausage meat, 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese, and the potatoes in the baking dish. Mix the ingredients together in the pan and spread evenly over the dish. Pour the egg mixture all over the potato and sausage in the pan.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake the casserole for 45-50 minutes.
- Top the casserole with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Place the casserole back in the oven uncovered until the cheese is melted for about 5-10 minutes. Then top with diced green onions if desired, serve and enjoy!
Watch carefully for the last 5-10 minutes melting the cheese. The cheese gets a little too crispy if left too long, especially around the edges. This can make the casserole end up a little too dry.
Swaps And Substitution Ideas
This recipe is pretty easy to make simple swaps with items you may already have on and still have a good breakfast casserole. Try some of these ideas.
Swap the hashbrowns– You can easily swap frozen shredded hashbrowns or other frozen diced potatoes, including the O’Brian potatoes with peppers and onions. If using other frozen hashbrowns that come in different sized bags, you can add four cups of frozen potatoes and then a half of cup of mixed diced onion and bell pepper to the casserole too if you prefer.
Swap the meat– You can swap out up to two cups of other diced meats into this recipe. You MUST cook the meat before adding it to the casserole to ensure it is cooked all the way through. Try bacon, ham or chicken sausage!
Make it vegetarian– You can leave out the meat if you prefer in this breakfast casserole, making it easily into a vegetarian dish.
Add more vegetables– You can swap out or add a few more vegetables to this dish. Try spinach or kale (wilt it in a pan over medium heat then add so the egg doesn’t get watery), diced red bell peppers, mushrooms, olives, asparagus sliced into one-inch pieces, broccoli in bite-sized pieces, or even corn. Add the vegetables to the potato mixture before adding the eggs. Start by adding 1/2- 3/4 cup of extra vegetables without effecting the final cook time too much.
Swap the cheese– We’ve used shredded cheddar cheese in this recipe but you can certainly swap other shredded style cheeses into this recipe. Try Pepper Jack, sharp cheddar, mozzarella or even a blend.
What’s The Difference Between This Breakfast Casserole Recipe And Quiche?
Quiche and this baked breakfast casserole are pretty similar overall. Both are packed full of fluffy eggs, savory herbs, and an assortment of meat, cheese and vegetables.
Quiche typically is baked into a pie-sized dish with a crust. Breakfast casserole typically is made in a square or rectangular pan and doesn’t have to have a crust (but can have a crust!)
How Do I Prep This Sausage Breakfast Casserole To Make Breakfast Ahead Of Time?
You can prep this casserole up to a day ahead of time in the fridge, just leave the cheese off the top. Then pop the casserole in the preheated oven when you’re ready to bake.
Can I Substitute Fresh Potatoes For Frozen Hash Browns?
Yes, you can substitute fresh potatoes for frozen hashbrowns in this recipe but only certain types of potatoes work well. Red potatoes and yellow waxy potatoes work ok using from fresh as long as you dice them small.
I have had readers tell me they used russet potatoes or other types of baking potatoes and the potatoes simply didn’t cook enough to be tender. If you don’t have small yellow or red potatoes I recommend parboiling the potatoes in water before dicing them and adding them to the casserole.
How To Add Red Potatoes Or Yellow Potatoes To This Breakfast Casserole
You will need about 4 1/2 cups total of potatoes. You can also use 4 cups of potatoes and a 1/2 cup that’s a mix of finely diced onions and bell pepper.
Dice the potatoes into small bite-sized pieces or shred the potatoes like hashbrowns. Place the potatoes in a bowl of cold water for at least ten minutes.
Drain the water and dry the potatoes well with paper towels. Then add the dried potatoes to your casserole.
How Do I Reheat This Egg Casserole?
Reheating in the microwave by the slice works easiest for this casserole. I’ve found if I reheat it in the oven after it’s already been baked it gets a little dry.
How Long Does This Casserole Last?
After cooking you can store in a container with a lid for up to three days in the refrigerator.
Can You Freeze Leftovers Of This Sausage Egg Casserole?
Yes, this casserole freezes very well! I like to portion out slices when I store it between pieces of freezer paper, then place inside zip-top freezer bags. Freeze extra slices for up to three months for best results.
More Easy Breakfast Recipes You’ll Love
Sausage Potato Breakfast Casserole
This sausage potato breakfast casserole is loaded with fluffy eggs, tender potatoes, savory sausage and plenty of gooey cheese. Make this classic breakfast dish for a holiday, for a crowd, or for a deliciously easy breakfast on the weekend.
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish lightly with cooking oil.
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Break the eggs into a mixing bowl. Add milk, thyme, salt and pepper to the eggs and mix with a whisk until the eggs are well mixed.
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Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Break up the sausage meat into the skillet with a wooden spatula. and cook until browned, usually about 10 minutes. Drain any excess oil from the pan.
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Place the drained sausage meat, 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese, and the potatoes in the baking dish. Mix the ingredients together in the pan and spread evenly over the dish. Pour the egg mixture all over the potato and sausage in the pan.
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Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake the casserole for 45-50 minutes.
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Top the casserole with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Place the casserole back in the oven uncovered until the cheese is melted for about 5-10 minutes. Then top with diced green onions if desired, serve and enjoy!
You can use fresh diced potatoes or shredded potatoes in this casserole but they need to be either yellow potatoes or red potatoes. I have had readers report that baking potatoes like Russet potatoes do not get tender enough if added raw. You can parboil Russet potatoes before adding them to the casserole.
Watch carefully for the last 5-10 minutes melting the cheese. The cheese gets a little too crispy if left too long, especially around the edges. This can make the casserole end up a little too dry.
Calories: 298kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 173mg | Sodium: 523mg | Potassium: 354mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 458IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 189mg | Iron: 2mg
Did You Make This?
I would love to see it! Share your thoughts with me in the comments below!
