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The Best Breakfast Casserole is a thick and creamy egg base with shredded potatoes, chunks of ham, and flavorful cheese blends that bake up in no time. Make this to enjoy Christmas morning or brunch.
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.
- Family Favorite: Your family will love this easy breakfast casserole this holiday season. I have our traditional Sticky buns on the menu for Christmas along with this amazing casserole.
What you need to make a Breakfast Dish
This breakfast is perfect any time of the year but great for Christmas! All the simple ingredients come together quickly. Try it out for yourself! You will agree that it is amazing! Exact measurements are at the bottom of the post.
- Shredded potatoes: You can use frozen ones, and they do not need to be thawed.
- Salt and pepper: To taste!
- Eggs: Used to bind everything together.
- Half and half: Adds creamy texture and thickness.
- Season salt: The secret ingredient that adds all of the right flavors.
- Cheddar & Pepper Jack Cheese: Gives the melty cheesy top and complements the ham.
- Ham: Gives a hearty, meaty flavor and texture.
How to Make a Breakfast Casserole
This breakfast casserole is the BEST for so many reasons. One of which, is how simple this breakfast casserole recipe comes together and is in the oven in minutes. This tried and true breakfast casserole is so simple, and everyone loves the flavor.
- Prepare pan and add ingredients: Grease a 9×13 inch pan. Add the frozen and shredded potatoes to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Whisk eggs: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together.
- Add remaining ingredients: Then add half and half, season salt, cheddar cheese, pepper jack, and chopped ham.
- Pour into pan and refrigerate: Pour over the top of the frozen potatoes, then cover with foil and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
- Bake your breakfast casserole: Bake covered in foil at 350 degrees for 90 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
What to Serve with a Delicious Breakfast Casserole
This casserole can stand alone, but if you are looking for a more complete meal, add some tasty side. Here are some ideas of what will go well with this breakfast casserole during the holiday season.
- Fruit: Christmas Fruit Salad or The Best Winter Fruit Salad
- Bread: Buttermilk Biscuits
- Potatoes: Skillet Potatoes with Peppers or Baked Parmesan Hash browns Recipe
- Meat: Bacon, sausage or ham from my Classic Honey Glazed Ham recipe.
- French Toast: Secret Ingredient French Toast Recipe or Creme Brûlée French Toast
- Pancakes: The Best Buttermilk Pancakes or Best Ever German Oven Pancake
- Muffins: Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins or Fruit Explosion Muffins
Mix It Up!
Try some of these fun variations in this breakfast casserole and find what you enjoy best!
- Vegetables: Add in some veggies like bell peppers, spinach or kale, tomato (fresh or canned), broccoli, mushrooms, or onions are great.
- Meat: You can use bacon, variations of sausage, shredded chicken, ground beef, or leftover turkey.
- Cream: I’m not a fan of half and half; you can use whipping cream for a thicker, richer breakfast or simply use milk you have on hand.
- Cheese: Switch up which cheese you use. Try swiss cheese, Colby jack, or mozzarella which all work well and melt perfectly when baked.
- Spicy: By adding red pepper flakes, green chilies, or green onions, is a fun way to add a little heat.
- Potatoes: Diced or flavorful frozen potatoes will work great in place of shredded potatoes.
Tips for Making the Perfect Breakfast Casserole
Here are some tips for making this breakfast casserole even better and easier on you. This recipe is fun to make with different variations, make ahead, or even make it the morning of. There are so many great things that make this casserole the BEST! These tips will help you better understand how to bake this breakfast for you to enjoy with your family.
- Covering or Not Covering: This is an option. I recommend not covering the baking dish, so the topping can get that nice crisp edge. If you prefer to cook it covered be sure to uncover the last 10 to 15 minutes.
- Keep your potatoes frozen: There is no need to thaw the potatoes, because they will cook frozen.
- How to know when breakfast is done: Once the outside edges become golden brown and the egg mixture in the middle is firm (check by rocking the pan). Use a toothpick or knife to check if it is completely cooked through. You can also use a thermometer to see if the breakfast casserole has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Drain grease: If you use any other meat in the breakfast casserole, drain the meat before adding it to the dish.
- Gluten-free: Make this gluten-free by following this breakfast recipe. Check your labels on other ingredients to make sure.
Storing Breakfast Casserole
There are so many options and plans for this breakfast casserole to make your holiday mornings even easier and better.
- Reheat: To reheat the breakfast casserole, add it to the microwave or cover it in the oven. Check it occasionally until it has been warmed through.
- Make Ahead: Simply follow the instructions until you are ready to bake. Cover it with aluminum foil or a lid and place it in your refrigerator. When you are ready to bake, simply take it out of the refrigerator and bake it according to the instructions. This can sit in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Can you freeze a casserole? 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. When ready to warm up, place on a baking sheet and bake until warmed through about 50 min.
More Breakfast Casserole Ideas
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The Best Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 24 ounces frozen shredded potatoes
- salt and pepper
- 12 eggs
- 2 cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon season salt
- 1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese grated
- 1 1/2 cup pepper jack cheese grated
- 2 cup chopped ham Or your preferred meat, sausage would also be great
Instructions
- Grease a 9×13 inch pan. Add the frozen and shredded potatoes to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together. Then add half and half, season salt, cheddar cheese, pepper jack, and chopped ham.
- Pour over the top of the frozen potatoes. Cover with foil and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
- Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 90 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
No sure how it tastes yet but still cooking after 1 hr and 45 mins middle is complete liquid still followed recipe to the T and now flipped on broil and trying to scramble in the Pyrex.
that’s crazy because i pulled mine out ten minutes early and it was so overdone is was just moments from being completely inedible.
I don’t have any hash browns or potatoes, can I just omit them and how would that affect the cook time?
The hash brows are necessary and act as a base to hold the entire casserole together. I wouldn’t skip that ingredient.
How many carbs? There is an add covering this info.
2g carbohydrates
Will this work with heavy cream?
I haven’t tried that before but I think it would be delicious!
Loved this recipe. Will be making for my mom soon!
Will this work to bake in large muffin pan?
That should work! What a good idea to make individual servings!
Is this 24oz by weight or volume of shredded potatoes?
This recipe uses about 5 cups of shredded hashbrowns.
Do you think this would turn out with a dairy free milk like almond? My daughter can’t have dairy.
I think that would work fine! Let me know how it turns out!
Hey there, did you try this with almond milk? I’m worried it may be too thin.
I used Almond Milk and it was perfect
Can It be prepared and freeze before it is cooked.
This is so yummy! Always a big hit when we have guests- i want to try adding onions next time. Do you think they’ll hold up when cooking?
When we make this, we get the frozen potatoes with peppers and onions. Delish!
Question…
Is it precooked ham or sausage? Thanks so much for the help! Pumped to make this recipe.
Yes, make sure your meat is cooked before adding it to the casserole.
I don’t have frozen potatoes, can I use fresh shredded potatoes?
Yes, that will work fine!
Excited to try this recipe😊 What if you don’t put meat in it, how long would you cook it for?
The cook time will remain the same!
Does it have to be refrigerated before baking?
It looks yummy, can’t wait to try it.
It doesn’t need to be refrigerated before baking but make sure to store any leftovers in your fridge in an airtight container!
If it doesn’t need to be refrigerated for at least 2 hours, why is that in the recipe instructions? I’ve found when I follow this recipe and refrigerate overnight, it takes much longer to bake. I would prefer to mix everything and bake immediately.
Hi, this recipe does need to be refrigerated for at least 2 hours before baking!
I’m just wondering if this recipe can be cut in half using an 8 X 8 pan? Thanks so much!
Sure! That will work!
Do you decrease the cook time when you halve the recipe?
I would decrease it by a few minutes and keep an eye on it. Are you planning on baking it in an 8×8 dish?
This recipe is terrific 🤍. I found the 1-1/2 hour cooking time to be perfect when covered with foil….it allows the egg mixture to percolate, creating tiny bubbles and allowing the mixture to rise to a more soufflé consistency. Thank yo Alyssa!