This sausage potato breakfast casserole is loaded with fluffy eggs, tender potatoes, savory sausage and plenty of gooey cheese. This classic breakfast dish is perfect for a holiday or a crowd, and can even be prepped ahead of time.
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Table of Contents
Why We Love Sausage Potato Breakfast Casserole
- Delicious breakfast– This savory breakfast dish is simply savory, gooey and tasty. Leftovers reheat easily throughout the week.
- Great recipe for a crowd!– This breakfast casserole is easy when you are serving a group of family or friends, and makes a great holiday morning breakfast.
- Prepare it ahead– You can prepare this dish up to 24 hours or leave it overnight before baking. This can save you time later when you need it.
- Family friendly– This recipe is a popular favorite with adults and kids both, and I like serving it with these mini silver dollar pancakes which the kids love.
Love cozy breakfasts? Try the tater tot sausage breakfast casserole, or the baked mini sausage egg muffins for a mini-sized breakfast casserole. If you love sweet breakfasts, try my gooey blueberry french toast breakfast bake.
Ingredients For Your Shopping List
- 8 large eggs
- 1 cup milk- You can use whatever percent milk you happen to have. You can also use half and half for this recipe, but it does make the recipe more rich.
- 1 teaspoon thyme dried
- 1/2 teaspoon salt – Salt and pepper can be adjusted for taste, but these are great measurements to start with for beginner cooks.
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 24 ounces frozen diced hash browns –I use two 12 ounce bags of the Potato O’Brien style potatoes, thaw before you stard. See notes section in the recipe card at the borrom for swapping in other kinds of hashbrowns. See FAQ section in the article for how to swap in fresh potatoes into this recipe.
- 1 pound breakfast sausage– I like to use a breakfast style sausage like Jimmy Dean but any sausage will work. You can use a little less for a casserole that is a little less rich. I’ve used as little as a half of a pound and it was still tasty.
- 2 cups cheddar cheese– You can reduce some if you prefer your dish to be less cheesy.
- 2 stalks green onions – dice the green onions, optional
How To Make Sausage Potato Breakfast Casserole
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Break the eggs into a mixing bowl. Add milk, thyme, salt and pepper to the eggs and mix with a whisk until the eggs are well mixed.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Break up the sausage meat into the skillet with a wooden spatula. and cook until browned. Drain any excess oil from the pan.
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish lightly with cooking oil. Place the drained sausage meat, 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese, and the potatoes in the baking dish. Mix the ingredienst together in the pan and spread evenly over the dish.
- Pour the egg mixture all over the potato and sausage in the pan.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake the casserole for 45-50 minutes.
- Top the casserole with the remaing 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Place casserole back in the oven uncovered until the cheese is melted for about 5-10 minutes. Expect sometimes the cheese on the edges of this casserole gets a little crispier then the rest.
- Allow the casserole to sit for about 10 minutes, then serve! Sprinkle with diced green onions if desired.
Swaps, Subsitutions and FAQ
- Swap the hashbrowns– I used potatoes O’Brien that have been thawed. You can easily swap frozen shredded hashbrowns or frozen diced potatoes. If using other frozen hashbrowns you can add four cups and then a half of cup of mixed diced onion and bell pepper to the casserole too if you prefer.
- Swap the meat– You can swap out up to two cups of other diced meats into this recipe. You MUST cook the meat before adding it to the casserole to ensure it is cooked all the way through. Try bacon, ham or chicken sausage!
- Make it vegetarian– You can leave out the meat if you prefer in this breakfast casserole, making it easily into a vegetarian dish.
- Add more vegetables– You can swap out or add a few more vegetables to this dish. Try spinach or kale (wilt it in a pan then add so the egg doesn’t get watery), diced bell peppers, olives, asparagus sliced into one-inch pieces, broccoli in bite-sized pieces, or even corn. Add the vegetables to the potato mixture before adding the eggs. Start by adding 1/2- 3/4 cup of extra vegetables without effecting the final cook time too much.
- Swap the cheese– We’ve used shredded cheddar cheese in this recipe but you can certainly swap other shredded style cheeses into this recipe. Try Pepper Jack, sharp cheddar, mozzarella or even a blend.
What’s the difference between this breakfast bake recipe and quiche?
Quiche and this baked breakfast casserole are pretty similar overall. Both are packed full of fluffy eggs, savory herbs, and an assortment of meat, cheese and vegetables.
Quiche typically is baked into a pie-sized dish with a crust. Breakfast casserole typically is made in a square or rectangular pan and doesn’t have to have a crust (but can have a crust!)
How do I prep this casserole ahead of time?
You can prep this casserole up to a day ahead of time in the fridge, just leave the cheese off the top. Then pop the casserole in the preheated oven when you’re ready to bake.
Can I substitute fresh potatoes for frozen hashbrowns?
Yes, you can substitute fresh potatoes for frozen hashbrowns in this recipe but only certain types of potatoes work well. Red potatoes and yellow waxy potatoes work ok using from fresh as long as you dice them small.
I have had readers tell me they used russet potatoes or other types of baking potatoes and the potatoes simply didn’t cook enough to be tender. If you don’t have small yellow or red potatoes I recommend parboiling the potatoes in water before dicing them and adding them to the casserole.
How To Add Red Potatoes Or Yellow Potatoes To This Breakfast Casserole
- You will need about 4 1/2 cups total of potatoes or 4 cups of potatoes and a 1/2 cup that’s a mix of finely diced potatoes and bell pepper.
- To use fresh potatoes, dice the potatoes into small bite-sized pieces or shred the potatoes like hashbrowns. Place the potatoes in a bowl of cold water for at least ten minutes.
- Drain the water and dry the potatoes well with paper towels. Then add the dried potatoes to your casserole.
How do I reheat this egg casserole?
Reheating in the microwave by the slice works easiest for this casserole. I’ve found if I reheat it in the oven after it’s already been baked it gets a little dry.
How long does this casserole last?
After cooking you can store in a container with a lid for up to three days in the refrigerator.
Can you freeze leftovers of this casserole?
Yes, this casserole freezes very well! I like to portion out slices when I store it between pieces of freezer paper, then place inside zip-top freezer bags. Freeze extra slices for up to three months for best results.
Other Recipes You Will Love
Pancake Mix Muffins– If you have pancake mix on hand, you can make these delicious and easy muffins. You can even make three flavors in one pan!
Sweet Glazed Blueberry Biscuits– This delicious southern-inspired breakfast makes a delicious blueberry biscuit then tops it with a sweet glaze. These biscuits are a great side dish for this casserole.
Broccoli Cheese Breakfast Quesadillas– The kids love this breakfast, yum!
Sausage Potato Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon thyme dried
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 24 ounces frozen diced hash browns Two 12 ounce bags thawed, see notes section.
- 1 pound breakfast sausage
- 2 cups cheddar cheese divided
- 2 stalks green onions diced, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Break the eggs into a mixing bowl. Add milk, thyme, salt and pepper to the eggs and mix with a whisk until the eggs are well mixed.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Break up the sausage meat into the skillet with a wooden spatula. and cook until browned, usually about 10 minutes. Drain any excess oil from the pan.
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish lightly with cooking oil. Place the drained sausage meat, 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese, and the potatoes in the baking dish. Mix the ingredienst together in the pan and spread evenly over the dish.
- Pour the egg mixture all over the potato and sausage in the pan.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake the casserole for 45-50 minutes.
- Top the casserole with the remaing 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Place casserole back in the oven uncovered until the cheese is melted for about 5-10 minutes.
- Allow the casserole to sit for about 10 minutes, then serve! Sprinkle with diced green onions if desired.
Notes
- I used Potato O’Brien style frozen potatoes in this breakfast casserole but you can use any frozen hashbrowns. You need about 24 ounces or 4 1/2 cups of potatoes.
- Thaw any potatoes or hashbrowns from frozen before using.
Nutrition
Did You Make This?
I would love to see it! Share your thoughts with me in the comments below!
Comments & Reviews
Ashley Risher says
Could you cook this in a crockpot on low, overnight?
Kristy Richardson says
I have not tested the recipe this way. Overnight you may overcook it if it cooks too long.
chef peter sciscente says
good morning am chef pierre from montreal quebec and i make your cassrole recipe but changed some things in it put a mix of vegeables chicken strips left meatloaf strips cheese eggs cream did it insteat of scrabbled eggs baked in the ovean for 85 people sunday brunch served with paotoes on the side bacon mini muffin they allinjoyed there new bruch so thank you for your recipe it was a great hit
Jano Dornisch says
This is my go-to recipe for a breakfast casserole. My husband loves it. I freeze up in individual pieces then pull to defrost the night before he has it for breakfast. He’s eating at 4:00am so it’s quick and delicious for him to pop in the microwave in the morning. I have one in the oven right now. 🙂 Your recipes are all great. Keep it up and thank you.
Kristy Richardson says
Thank you so much for your kind words Jano, I’m so glad this recipe is delicious for your husband and you!
Jess says
Is this a recipe I could make-ahead the night before??
Kristy Richardson says
Yes, you could mix this up the night before and pop the breakfast casserole in the oven in the morning. I wouldn’t mix it up any earlier than about 24 hours though, but overnight for sure you can prep ahead. Hope that helps!
Rose says
Fantastic! My new go-to holiday morning breakfast! Very easy and savory. To those unsure about the thyme, you don’t really taste the thyme itself. It’s the blend of flavors, and it’s perfect. I don’t think it would have quite the savory balance without it. I did add a few slices of American cheese on the top at the end before adding the remaining cheddar, but that was because I wanted my cheese to be more a little more melty than crispy. Both ways are great, though!
Kristy Richardson says
So glad it was delicious for you Rose! Yes thyme does add that bit of extra savoriness, especially since this breakfast casserole has sausage in it. Sausage and thyme go well together. Hope are your holiday breakfasts are amazing with this recipe! -Kristy
Angie says
If using fresh potatoes, do I need to cook them prior to adding them to the dish?
Kristy Richardson says
Hi Angie, You don’t need to precook the potatoes. I do recommend dicing them small though to make sure they are tender. Hope you enjoy! -Kristy
Ruth Eggert says
Sometimes I cube the potatoes ..small cubes.. and let set in water as stated above then microwave 2 minutes…meanwhile I saute the onions and add some peppers and then throw the microwave potatoes into the fry pan and fry a little and add this mix ..(.where it says to add the potatoes in this recipe)…very good recipe…thanks! So many great recipes on your site!
Eliza says
Question – What other spice can you recommend, as I am not too sure about using thyme for the casserole for the group coming.
Kristy Richardson says
Hi Eliza- Try subbing in a teaspoon of a general Italian seasoning blend, it will be equally delicious. Thyme is often a flavor found in sausage already though. 🙂 Hope it’s delicious for you and your group! -Kristy