This easy make-ahead hashbrown and sausage egg casserole is perfect for Christmas morning or anytime you have house guests. I have always made this simple 4 ingredient breakfast casserole but my husband asked me to try changing it up by using some shredded hashbrowns. So this delicious cheesy recipe was the perfect alternative. We loved the way it turned out and you are welcome to change it from sausage to bacon or ham or even vegetarian by adding onions and peppers.
Ingredients
- 1 package (30 oz) frozen shredded hashbrowns
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
- salt and pepper
- 1 and 1/2 cups (packed) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 1 and 1/2 cups (packed) cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 lb Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage (or whatever flavor you prefer)
- 8 large eggs
- 1 and 1/3 cups evaporated milk OR cream
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Spray a 9×13 inch pan with nonstick spray, or grease with butter.
- Dump the bag of frozen hashbrowns into the pan. (There is no need to thaw first.)
- Melt a stick of butter in a small bowl, and pour evenly over the potatoes. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and pepper. Use a spoon to gently toss it all together, then spread it out so that it’s even.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and lightly browned on top. You can even nab a forkful to make sure they are done if you like.
- Remove the casserole and reduce the oven temperature to 350.
- Layer the Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese over the top of the potatoes. Add the sausage. Use a spoon to gently toss the cheese and potatoes and sausage together.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk together 8 eggs, evaporated milk OR cream, seasoned salt, kosher salt, pepper, dry mustard, and onion powder. Beat well.
- Pour the egg mixture evenly over the top of the casserole, making sure everything gets wet.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. It is done when bubbly, when the edges start to brown and the center doesn’t wiggle when you shake the pan.
- If the center of the casserole looks very wobbly but the top is starting to brown too much, cover with foil for the last few minutes of baking.
Overnight instructions:
- Follow instructions through step 5 (bake the potatoes at 400.) Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
- Follow the instructions above for layering the cheese and sausage. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 8 eggs, evaporated milk OR cream, seasoned salt, kosher salt, pepper, dry mustard, and onion powder. Beat well.
- Cover the egg mixture and refrigerate overnight.**
- In the morning, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Whisk the egg mixture once more, then pour over the potatoes in the casserole dish.
- Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes. It is done when bubbly, when the edges start to brown and the center doesn’t wiggle when you shake the pan.
- If the center of the casserole looks very wobbly but the top is starting to brown too much, cover with foil for the last few minutes of baking.
Recipe Notes
*You can definitely substitute the sausage with Ham or Bacon if you would like too! And also feel free to add sauteed onions or peppers into the mix too if you wanted to do that.
**If refrigerating a bowl of beaten eggs sounds like a pain to you, you can certainly pour the eggs over the potatoes the night before baking. The potatoes won’t be as crisp, so I think it’s worth it, but it’s totally up to you!
