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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! The gooey cheese, smoky ham, and cozy smells take me right back to lazy mornings with my family. It’s perfect as is, but feel free to switch up the cheese, meat, or potatoes—or throw in some veggies!
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 until you are ready to bake. Cover it with aluminum foil or a lid, and place it in your fridge. When you are ready to bake it, simply take it out and bake it according to the instructions. This can sit in the fridge for up to 2 days before baking.
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.
I tried this recipe last year when I had several overnight guests.
The ‘one pan’ meal made breakfast easy
It was amazing and made me look good.
I always look to Alyssa for great inspiration and her ideas never fail me.
What is the purpose of the refrigerating for 2 hours?
I was looking for a really good breakfast casserole dish and pulled this one up. We had 8 people for breakfast and every one of the guest raved about the casserole. Thank you so much for sharing, it was awesome.
What about the 90 minute cooking time? What that ok?
Can I use just raw, shredded, but not frozen potatoes ?
Yes you can! You may just need to take off a bit of cooking time.
Could you use bacon instead of ham? If so, would you suggest slightly under cooking it first, so that it will not burn in the casserole?
Yes! That sounds great!
Can you freeze it before cooking to use at a later date?
Yes you can! It will stay good in the freezer for a month.
Why does this say refrigerate for two hours if it can be booked frozen? Can I just make it and bake it immediately
Barely edible. All the cheese got super dark on the top of the casserole. Also since there is no meat and barely any cheese in the bottom majority of the dish, there is no flavor. Rare miss with this one.
Can the Best Breakfast Casserole be halved? This would make too much for my small family.
Would I use and 8″ or 9″ square pan and bake for how long? Also should it be covered while baking?
You are terrific!
This foods are very tasty
Heading for a girls weekend and I want to try this but being in charge of the first morning breakfast – I am worried about the length of time to cook – has anyone tried a higher temp with less time? Looking for any suggestions!
You can definitely try it out! The top may just brown more quickly, so keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn.
Hi, Could milk be used instead of half and half?
Yes! Your casserole will just have a slightly different texture. Since half and half has a high fat content, it gives it more richness.
Any idea how much fiber is in this recipe? Thank you!
I’m not sure how much fiber is in this recipe!
shredded potatoes, assume you cook potatoes first then shred and freeze or do you advise its better to use ready made frozen hash browns and shred them….?
Hi! I just use a bag of already frozen and shredded hashbrowns for this recipe to make it easy!
This served 4 more than the recipe said. Lots of leftovers of this yummy fish