The BEST Breakfast Casserole (2024)

Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole is hands down the BEST breakfast casserole recipe ever! It is an easy recipe made with frozen hash browns, eggs, sausage, and cheese, that everyone loves!

This Breakfast Casserole can feed a crowd, is extremely versatile, can be made allergy-friendly, and it can be prepped the night before or in the morning for an effortless way to entertain for breakfast or brunch. I recommend serving with Overnight Cinnamon Rolls for a holiday breakfast everyone will remember--and one that will be effortless for you to pull together!

Why This is the Best Breakfast Casserole

• It can be made in advance. I prepare this hashbrown breakfast casserole the night before entertaining and then simply bake in the morning. However, it can also be prepped the morning of or baked and frozen for future use. It really is adaptable to what works best for your schedule.
• Allergy-Friendly. This casserole is soy-free and nut-free. And it is easy to find gluten-free breakfast sausage and gluten-free hashbrowns, making this breakfast casserole perfect for those with gluten sensitives or allergies. Just be sure to carefully read both your sausage and hash brown labels.
• Feeds a crowd. This breakfast casserole is hearty and filling and can be doubled easily to feed a crowd large or small.
• Incredibly easy to make. It seriously takes minutes to assemble this breakfast casserole. The hardest part is browning up the breakfast sausage. It truly is an effortless, delicious recipe to use when entertaining at breakfast or brunch.
• Inexpensive. There are no fancy ingredients or specialty items in this breakfast bake, making it very affordable.
• Adaptable: While the hashbrowns, sausage, and cheddar cheese are a classic combo, you can use ham or bacon instead of sausage, add in vegetables, and switch out the cheese for Swiss or Gouda.
• Crowd-Pleaser. Who cares if this is an easy and inexpensive dish if it does not taste good. But the reviews on this breakfast casserole are 5 stars. It is simply delicious.

Ingredients Needed

• Hashbrowns: I suggest using shredded or cubed hashbrowns for this recipe. Even O'Brien style with peppers and onions is a great choice. In fact, I have even used frozen tater tots or hash brown patties with great success. If you would like to start by making your own homemade hash browns which I often do because it is so easy, here is a great step by step recipe for homemade hash browns from Country Cleaver.
• Sausage: I love this casserole made with homemade breakfast sausage, but any breakfast sausage you like works. In fact, this recipe works great with leftover cubed ham, crumbled up cooked bacon, or keep this meatless and add in sauteed vegetables like peppers, onions, or mushrooms.
• Cheese: I love sharp cheddar, as it contrasts with the sausage and eggs well and melts beautifully, but feel free to use any shredded cheese your family likes or has on hand.
• Eggs: This recipe calls for 6 eggs and they will puff up a bit as they bake. However, if you like a thick layer of eggs, increase the number of eggs to 8 instead of 6.

How to make Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole

This hash brown breakfast casserole is almost TOO easy--which let's be honest, that is EXACTLY what you need when entertaining or holiday breakfasts.

Step One: Layer defrosted hash browns in a greased casserole dish.

Yes, you can brown your hash browns first in a skillet--but there is NO need to take this step unless of course, you are craving the texture of crispy hash browns mixed with creamy eggs.

If you are desiring, crispier hash browns, I would recommend browning the hash browns ups in the oven for 10-15 minutes before adding the remaining ingredients. This way, you save yourself the step (and extra dish) of browning in the skillet.

Step Two: Layer the hash browns with browned sausage.

Brown up sausage, breaking into small pieces as it cooks, and then drain off any excess grease. Layer the sausage evenly over the potatoes. If you are using ham, bacon, or vegetables, be sure to sprinkle over the potatoes evenly as well.

Step Three: Sprinkle cheese over top of the sausage and hash browns.

Wondering why I put the cheese on now before I add the egg custard?

This helps the cheese to be in every bite of the casserole, not just one gooey layer on top. But hey, if you are craving gooey, layers of slightly browned cheese like a classic lasagna, put the cheese on top of the egg mixture.

Step Four: Mix together the eggs with seasonings and milk and pour over the layers of hash browns, sausage, and cheese.

The eggs will puff up as they bake, but feel free to use 2-3 more eggs if you like your breakfast casserole with a thick layer of eggs--just keep in mind that you will need to increase bake time by 10 to 15 minutes. If you add in more sausage than this recipe calls for, you will need to increase the number of eggs used as well.

Step Five: Bake and serve.

Once your breakfast casserole is assembled, you can immediately bake until the eggs are set and the cheese is browned slightly.

Preparing in Advance

If you are looking for an overnight breakfast casserole, this recipe is perfect for you!

I have made this casserole many times the night before baking. Just assemble as you would up to pouring the eggs over the hash browns and then cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the refrigerator when the oven is preheating and add an extra 10-15 minutes to the total baking time.

Easy-peasy and perfect for when you are entertaining.

In fact, you can even FREEZE this breakfast casserole for later use. Bake in a freezer-safe pan (like a foil disposable pan) and cool completely. Wrap well in foil and freeze. Defrost in fridge night before planning to eat and then cook for 30 minutes at 350 or until warmed through.

Recipe Tips and Notes

• It is best to use DEFROSTED hashbrowns for this recipe. You can brown your hash browns first before layering in your baking dish if you prefer the texture of crispy hash browns mixed with creamy eggs.
• If you opt to use tater tots instead of hashbrowns, do not defrost before layering in your casserole, but you will need to increase bake time by 5-10 minutes.
• Feel free to use only ½ pound of sausage instead of a full pound if you would like to cut back on the amount of sausage used.
• This breakfast casserole recipe can easily be doubled to feed a crowd. Most bags of frozen hash browns come in 32 ounces and this recipe only calls for 16 ounces. Prepare as directed, but bake in a 9x13 pan.
• Feel free to add an additional 2 eggs to the custard if you like a really thick layer of eggs--just increase the bake time by 10 minutes.
• Be sure your pan is a 9x9 or 11x7 or you may need to increase bake time by 10 minutes.

More Breakfast Casserole Recipes

• Overnight French Toast Casserole
• Ham and Egg Breakfast Casserole
• Green Chile Egg Casserole
• Instant Pot Breakfast Casserole

If you made this Sausage Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole I would love for you to leave a comment and a review below! I love to hear from you!

This post was originally published in February or 2018, but has been updated with new tips and pictures in December 2019---the recipe remains the same.