Perfect for feeding a crowd or a hungry family on the weekend, this hashbrown casserole is comforting, cheesy, full of fresh veggies, and can be made ahead! As is, it’s vegetarian, but feel free to add some sausage, bacon or ham for some extra protein punch!
Serving up a special breakfast? Check out my Homemade Maple Sausage, Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns, and Baked Vanilla Chai Donuts!
BREAKFAST HASHBROWN CASSEROLE
Weekend breakfasts got you down? I don’t know about you, but come Saturday morning, I’m exhausted from the week and just don’t have the energy or will to make a big breakfast. But, I also really WANT a big breakfast. You can see the problem going on here.
That’s why I love recipes like this super easy breakfast hashbrown casserole. It comes together in just a few minutes, then just bakes away with hands-off cooking time.
PLUS, you can even make it ahead of time or freeze it!
Dishes like this are PERFECT for holiday mornings, when you’d much rather be spending time with your family that stuck in the kitchen for an hour. You’ve all gone crazy for my Loaded Overnight Breakfast Casserole, and this one is just as good!
HOW TO MAKE A BREAKFAST HASHBROWN CASSEROLE
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
- Whisk together wet ingredients.
- Combine dry ingredients (like hashbrowns, cheese, etc).
- Mix all ingredients together.
- Bake about 45 minutes until set and golden.
Seriously so easy right?
FLAVOR VARIATIONS IN BREAKFAST HASHBROWN CASSEROLE
- Breakfast meats -This version is vegetarian, but you don’t have to keep it that way if you’d rather add some breakfast meats! Bacon, ham, sausage… go for it!
- Cheeses – I like the mix of flavors in the Mexican blend cheese, but switch it up if you’d like! Cheddar, mozzarella, colby… all would be delicious, or try a mix!
- Veggies – I’ve added some of my favorites to this recipe, but there are SO many veggies you could add. Go with whatever you have on hand, or what looks great at the grocery store.
- Toppings – One of my favorite ways to enjoy this breakfast casserole is to add some salsa or sour cream, but a hollandaise sauce is great too! This is one of my favorite (and EASY – I promise) recipes for it.
MAKING HASHBROWN CASSEROLE AHEAD OF TIME
There are two routes you can go with making this dish ahead of time. Refrigerated, and frozen.
REFRIGERATED
- Complete steps 1-4, sprinkle cheese over the top, cover tightly with foil (I like to use both plastic wrap and foil just to be sure), and refrigerate overnight.
- The reason you want to cover the dish tightly is so the casserole doesn’t dry out.
- An assembled and unbaked casserole needs to be baked within 1-2 days of assembling.
- Place baking dish on counter for 15-20 minutes to get closer to room temperature, bake as directed.
FROZEN
- Complete steps 1-4, sprinkle cheese over the top, cover tightly with foil (I like to use both plastic wrap and foil just to be sure), and freeze.
- I highly recommend making this hashbrown casserole in a disposable pan, so your good baking dish isn’t lost to the freezer!
- Casserole can be frozen up to 2 months.
- To thaw, place in refrigerator overnight.
- Place baking dish on counter for 15-20 minutes to get closer to room temperature, bake as directed.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH BREAKFAST HASHBROWN CASSEROLE
- Fruit – I love to lighten this dish up with some fresh seasonal fruits served alongside. Melons, grapes, berries, etc.
- Breakfast meats – All kinds of breakfast meats (like bacon, ham, sausage, etc) work really well alongside a hashbrown casserole.
- Bread – A nicely toasted English muffin is also wonderful alongside this dish. Toast, muffins, or biscuits work as well!
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Ingredients
- 8 large eggs
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream , feel free to use a little more for a creamier texture
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 4 cups shredded frozen hashbrowns (about half of a 32 oz bag) , thawed
- 1 cup diced bell peppers (any color, or a mix)
- 1/2 cup diced white onion
- 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup minced jalapeno (optional)
- 2 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese , divided
- minced parsley or chives for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Butter a 3 quart baking dish and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, heavy cream, salt, and pepper until combined. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine thawed hashbrowns, peppers, onion, tomatoes, jalapenos (if using), and 2 cups of cheese. Spread mixture evenly in the bottom of prepared baking dish.
- Evenly pour the egg mixture into the baking dish, using a wooden spoon to make sure all of the hashbrown mixture is coated.
- Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown and set in the center. If top is browning too much before center is set, cover with foil.
- Top with chives or parsley and enjoy!
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Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Kristi says
This is sooo delicious!! I’ve just retired the scramble I’ve made for years with this. I did add a layer of crumbled bacon between the potato and egg layers. The leftovers are super good, works for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! Thank you for this yummy recipe!
sarah says
can i mix this the night before and cook next morning?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, please see the section of the post titled “making hashbrown casserole ahead of time” for all the details.
Kit says
Can I use fresh potatoes instead of frozen/ thawed?
Amanda says
I’ve only tested this recipe as written. So without testing and retesting it myself, I can’t say for certain if that would work, although I suspect it would work just fine. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out!
Denise Lambert says
This is my new “go-to” breakfast casserole!
Michelle Goth says
I love putting hashbrowns in breakfast casseroles. This one is delicious!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
This hashbrown casserole couldn’t look any more perfect!
Viana @ maplewoodroad.com says
I’ll be digging up my potatoes from the garden in just a few days and will definitely be trying this recipe! Yum!
Sara Welch says
Wow! I know what I will be enjoying for breakfast tomorrow! This looks hands down delicious!
Katerina @ diethood .com says
mmm..this looks incredibly delicious!! YUM!!!
jade manning says
The only way to start the day!!!
Melanie says
Can’t think of a better way to start the day than this comforting casserole!
Steve says
This looks awesome… Even for ‘breakfast for supper’ nights!
The Chunky Chef says
Yes! My favorite dinners usually involve some kind of breakfast food 🙂