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This is truly the BEST Breakfast Casserole! It has a thick and creamy egg base loaded with shredded potatoes, chunks of ham, and flavorful cheese blends that bake up in no time. Make this to enjoy Christmas morning or brunch any time of year.
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make: This is so easy to throw together. It only takes about 5 minutes to get everything together. The hard part is waiting for it to be done cooking!
- Make Ahead: Make this ahead of time, and when ready to bake, simply take it out of the refrigerator and bake.
- Change up the Meat: If you love more meat or prefer a different protein, go ahead and switch the ham up with bacon or sausage instead!
Family Tradition
Breakfast casserole is pure comfort food! The gooey cheese, smoky ham, and cozy smells take me right back to lazy mornings with my family. It’s perfect as is, but you can easily swap the meat, cheese, or potatoes, or toss in some veggies. If you love this one, try my Amish Breakfast Casserole too. It’s similar, but made with crispy bacon instead of ham for a slightly different (and equally delicious) twist.
Ingredients Needed
***Do I Need to Thaw the Frozen Hash Browns? There is no need to thaw the potatoes because they will thaw as they sit in the refrigerator. However, they would cook up perfectly if they were to cook from frozen!
How to Make a Breakfast Casserole
This breakfast casserole recipe is the BEST because of how simple it comes together and is in the oven in just minutes. This tried-and-true breakfast casserole tastes amazing, and I know your whole family will love it!
- Prepare Frozen Hash Browns: Spray a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Add the frozen shredded hash browns to the bottom of the prepared pan. Season with salt and pepper.
- Whisk Eggs/ Add Remaining Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the half and half and seasoned salt, then whisk to combine. Stir in the shredded cheese and chopped ham.
- Pour Into Pan and Refrigerate: Pour over the top of the frozen hash browns, then cover with foil and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
- Bake: Bake uncovered at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 60-75 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Make-Ahead Instructions
Simply follow the instructions up until you are ready to bake. Cover it with aluminum foil or a lid, and place it in your fridge. When you’re ready to bake, simply remove it and Bake uncovered at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 60-75 minutes. This can sit in the fridge for up to 2 days before baking. If you’re looking for another easy make-ahead breakfast, try my breakfast enchiladas!
Mix It Up!
Try some of these fun variations in this breakfast casserole and find what you enjoy best!
- Can I add vegetables? Add in some veggies like bell peppers, spinach or kale, tomato (fresh or canned), broccoli, mushrooms, or onions.
- Do I have to use ham? You can use bacon, variations of sausage, shredded chicken, ground beef, or leftover turkey.
- Do I have to use Half & Half? If you’re not a fan of half and half, you can use whipping cream for a thicker, richer breakfast, or you can simply use milk.
- Can I use any kind of cheese? Switch up which cheese you use. Try Swiss cheese, Colby Jack, or mozzarella, which all work well and melt perfectly when baked.
- How can I make this spicy? Adding red pepper flakes, green chilies, or green onions is a fun way to add a little heat.
- Can I use different potatoes? Diced or flavorful frozen potatoes will work great in place of shredded potatoes.
Tips for Making Breakfast Casserole
Here are some tips for making this breakfast casserole even better and easier on you. These tips will help you better understand how to bake this breakfast for you to enjoy with your family.
- How Do I Know When the Casserole Is Done? Once the outside edges become golden brown and the egg mixture in the middle is firm. You can check by slightly shaking the pan to see if it jiggles. Use a toothpick or knife to check if it is completely cooked through the middle. You can also use a thermometer to see if the breakfast casserole has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Short on Time? Allowing your casserole to refrigerate ahead of time creates the best results, and I highly recommend it! But if you’re short on time, you can assemble the casserole and bake it right away without refrigerating.
Storing Breakfast Casserole
There are so many options and plans for this breakfast casserole to make your holiday mornings even easier and better.
- In the Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
- To Reheat: To reheat the breakfast casserole, microwave individual servings until warmed through.
- In the Freezer: Yes, this is perfect for freezing. Make and bake your breakfast casserole. Once it has completely cooled down, place it in an airtight container or ziplock bag. Lay flat in your freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw from frozen in the refrigerator overnight. Warm individual servings in the microwave until warmed through.
More Breakfast Casserole Ideas
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The Best Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 24 ounces frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 12 large eggs
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 ½ cups shredded pepper jack cheese
- 2 cups chopped ham sausage, bacon, or preferred meat
Instructions
- Spray a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Add 24 ounces frozen shredded hash brown potatoes to the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 12 large eggs. Add 2 cups half and half and 1 teaspoon seasoned salt, then whisk to combine. Stir in 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, 1 ½ cups shredded pepper jack cheese, and 2 cups chopped ham.
- Pour the egg mixture over the frozen hash browns. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Bake uncovered at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 60-75 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with green onions, if desired!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I used hash brown patties instead of shredded
I have not tried the patties with this recipe. It will work but it won’t have the smooth layers like the hashbrowns.
I was easily able to do a half recipe which was perfect for the two of us. I used an 8 x 8 pan and the cooking time was around 1 1/4 hours. Yummy and easy!!
Great make ahead casserole. I love making this, but did not cover with foil, as the recipe states cook, uncovered , for 90 minutes. Gets way too dark on top. Going to cover it for the first hour, and then uncover to brown. I do add an extra half cup of half and half, because at times it seemed a little dry. Overall, such a great and easy casserole.
Can you cut the recipe in half and put in a smaller dish? Wondering on bake time then too…
Yes, you can use an 8×8 or 9×9. The timing will have to be about the same or longer because it is thicker in a smaller pan.
I cut the recipe in half do you suggest less baking time?
I would continue to use the same amount of baking time, watching it closely towards the end if using a 9×9 or 8×8 baking dish. The egg still needs to be cooked through if you are using a smaller baking dish. If the casserole is thin and you are using a 9×13 baking dish then yes, cup the baking time in half.
Hi Alyssa, in the UK we dont have frozen shredded (grated) potatoes, can i grate (shred) and freeze fresh potatoes to get the same result?
Yes, that sounds great! That will be delicious with the fresh/frozen potatoes!
So if using fresh potatoes I would need to shred and freeze them? We don’t have frozen shredded potatoes where I live in Canada either!
Yes, that will be best! Those will taste delicious with freshly/frozen shredded potatoes.
I used fresh cut potatoes and did not freeze them and it turned out great, so in my experience no need for the potatoes to have to be frozen.
My potatoes were not shredded either. I cut my fresh potatoes like french fries. The whole thing was delicious!!
Can you make this in a slow cooker?
I have not tried that yet! Let me know if you do and how it turned out!
Can you make this ahead and freeze
Yes, this is a great freezer breakfast!
This recipe is a keeper. Did not alter any ingredients. Prepared the day before and refrigerated 24 hours. We were hosting a group of my husbands friends from out of town for their annual 3 day golf get together. They absolutely loved this casserole for breakfast. Will definitely make this my go to recipe. Baked it for 1 hour and 15 minutes in a 9×13 glass dish. I have a professional stove so the baking was even.
I made this recently for a teen sleepover. It was a big hit (served with cinnamon rolls and fresh fruit). I only baked it for one hour and I think 90 min would have over cooked it. I’m making it again this morning (1/2 recipe). Swiss cheese, bacon, and asparagus this time.
This Breakfast Casserole interested me, until I viewed the Nutritional Info. It would have been nice to make this on Mothers Day, since it sounds super delicious, BUT the fat & cholesterol are waaay too high per serving. I’m well aware that this is not a blog which posts only healthy recipes, so I’m presently working on ways to lighten-up this dish, in order to make it a bit healthier.
Do the potatoes have to be frozen, or can I freshly shred them, and put them in the casserole right away?
Fresh potatoes sometimes turn out mushy and do not cook the best compared to the frozen potatoes. You are welcome to try it! Let me know how it turns out.
90 minutes was too long in my oven. I’m going to add onions, peppers and more ham for more flavor the next time I make it and try 60 minutes in the oven.
This is great! We have 8 chickens and sometimes too many eggs, so this recipe uses a lot of them up. I use it all the time. Thank you!
Outstanding recipe. Its just for the wife and me, so I cur the recipe in half. I replaced the ham with sausage and the half and half with coffee creamer and cut the cooking time in half and it came out great. My wife’s not a fan of spices, so the recipe suits her just fine.
Our new favorite. Oh my goodness, this was so easy and so delicious. I didnt have seasoning salt, so sprinkled tsp. of kosher salt over the potatoes along with some fresh ground pepper. I didnt add any further salt, and it was perfect. Used a pound of mild breakfast sausage. I like this so much better than the casseroles that use bread. Cooked perfectly in the 90 minutes, and looked so pretty topped with the green onions. We had it for supper tonight with fresh fruit and the wonderful coffee cake also found on this website. Cant wait to reheat it for breakfast tomorrow.