Easy Breakfast Casserole Recipe | Simple Make Ahead Morning Bake
A flexible make-ahead breakfast casserole with eggs, sausage, hash browns, and cheddar that bakes up golden and savory. Assemble the night before for an easy, crowd-pleasing morning meal.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Butter (1 tablespoon), for greasing the baking dish
- Breakfast sausage (1 pound), cooked and crumbled
- Yellow onion (1 small), finely diced
- Red bell pepper (1), diced small
- Garlic (2 cloves), minced
- Frozen shredded hash browns (4 cups), thawed and patted dry
- Green onions (2), thinly sliced
- Cheddar cheese (2 cups), shredded
- Extra cheddar cheese (1/2 cup), for topping
- Eggs (10 large)
- Milk or half-and-half (1 1/2 cups)
- Kosher salt (1 to 1 1/4 teaspoons), to taste
- Black pepper (1/2 teaspoon)
- Smoked paprika (1/2 teaspoon)
- Dry mustard (1/2 teaspoon)
Instructions
Instructions
- Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter.
- Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it into crumbles, until browned and no pink remains, 6 to 8 minutes; drain excess fat if needed.
- Add the onion and red bell pepper to the skillet and sauté until softened, 3 to 4 minutes, then stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds; remove from heat to cool slightly.
- Whisk the eggs, milk, salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and dry mustard in a large bowl until smooth and well combined.
- Spread the thawed, dry hash browns evenly in the prepared dish and season lightly with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Distribute the sausage-pepper mixture over the hash browns and sprinkle with the green onions.
- Add 2 cups of shredded cheddar evenly over the top.
- Pour the egg mixture evenly over the casserole, tilting the dish to distribute, then sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese over the surface.
- For make-ahead, cover tightly and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours; or bake immediately if preferred.
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C); if chilled, let the casserole sit at room temperature about 15 minutes while the oven preheats.
- Bake uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes, until the center is set and the top is lightly golden; a knife or toothpick inserted near the center should come out without runny egg.
- Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving; garnish with extra green onions or chives if desired.
Notes
Serve with hot sauce, salsa, or sour cream. Refrigerate leftovers up to 4 days or freeze slices up to 2 months; reheat in the microwave 60 to 90 seconds or covered in a 325°F oven until warmed through. Avoid excess moisture in add-ins by sautéing and draining well. If the top browns too quickly, tent with foil during the last 10 minutes. Variations include bacon and cheddar, ham and Swiss, chicken sausage, or veggie-forward options like spinach and mushrooms.