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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.
I’ve made this a few times and improved on it each time.. super delicious and always a hit with my crowd. I now make this in a larger pan, use 13 eggs, 4 cups of whipping cream, and maple sausages. I layer starting with tater tots, then add my sliced sausage pieces, sprinkle with the three kinds of cheese, then I slowly pour the egg and whipping cream mix over the entire pan and sprinkle top with one pre chopped orange bell pepper. I also keep the foil on the first hour then take off so it can crisp up.
Do you think hash browns would be a good alternative to shredded potatoes? We don’t seem to carry them at our local store.
Or, could I just shred a few fresh potatoes instead?
Hashbrowns or freshly shredded potatoes would work great! Let me know how you like it!
I use Costco’s breakfast hash as my bottom layer and use their Tex Mex shredded cheese and with cooked and crumbled bacon with farmers sausage and of course extra cheese
Usually not a fan of b’fast casseroles, but this one blew me away. The only issue was cooking time; mine was done in 40 minutes, not 90. Let it sit for about twenty covered loosely with foil. Shredded potatoes made an excellent base and the eggs were almost custard-like while the top was perfectly browned and bubbly. I added chopped broccoli; delish! Next time I’ll try chopped spinach. Thanks for the recipe – fabulous!
I tried making the recipe for the first time! Very delicious!
This recipe is delicious and great for an easy brunch option, being able to prepare ahead of time. I used mushroom, spinach, and Gouda.
Outstanding!
My potatoes were not shredded either. I cut my fresh potatoes like french fries. The whole thing was delicious!!
I made it this morning. I think it turned out yummy, but next time I’ll make it in 2 smaller dishes, put ham and onions in one, sausage or bacon in the other. (my son-in-law doesn’t like ham or onions)
I changed it up a bit by using Colby Jack instead of Cheddar (it’s what I had), I used sausage instead of ham and I made 2/3 of the recipe, so 8 eggs instead of 12, etc. I used a bag of Simply Potatoes (shredded & not frozen). I made it in a 9 x 13 dish, but it only needed an hour, not 90 minutes. I covered it with foil the last 15 minutes or so because it was getting brown. I will definitely make it again, it was a hit!
When you reheat it the next day how do you recommend doing that?
I like to bake it in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes or until it is warm. You can also heat it up in the microwave.
Do I have to use half and half?
Half and half is best!
I want to add chopped bacon to this recipe. Does the bacon have to be cooked prior?
Yes, I would cook the bacon ahead of time.
Can you make this with fresh potatoes diced and fried and added to the bottom?
I have not tried it that way. Let me know how it turns out!
Can this sit in the refrigerator for 48 hours before being cooked?
It is best to make it within 24 hours.
I added every veggie to this! Peppers, onions, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms! It was so good
I just made this dish. I added 16 ounces of green pork chili instead of ham. And I used 16 eggs in a larger dish. I let it sit over night. Turned out great! And it was even better warmed up later in the day.
Hi I am wondering if you have to refrigerate for 2 hours?
It is best to refrigerate to soak in, and let the egg mixture flow throughout the pan. It is not mandatory but helps bake quicker and softens the potatoes.
If I wanted to freeze this should I freeze it before or after it’s baked?
This should be frozen after it is baked.