Erin’s Recipe Rundown
Texture: Creamy, crunchy savory goodness topped with melty cheese.
Taste: Sausage + veggies + egg = full of flavor.
Ease: Easy and a great make-ahead breakfast option!
Top Tips: Prep it the night before, refrigerate, then just pop it in the oven the next day for an easy breakfast on busy mornings!
Would I make these again? Definitely! I love make-ahead breakfast options and this one is perfect for Christmas morning or when I have company in town. It’s naturally gluten-free and easy to make dairy-free!
xoxo erin
This post was originally published in December 2018. It was updated with new photos and instructions in November 2024.
This sausage hashbrown breakfast casserole is a total crowd-pleaser! It’s full of flavorful sausage and veggies making it one of my favorite recipes for a holiday breakfast.
It’s so convenient to assemble everything the night before, keep it in the fridge, then bake it the next morning. Nobody wants to be cooking up sausage or creating dirty dishes on Christmas morning!
Featured Comment
From Maryanne: “Amazing recipe! Make it for every family function and random weekends. Always a hit.”
Table of Contents
- Erin’s Recipe Rundown
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How to Make Gluten-Free Breakfast Casserole
- Make it Dairy-Free
- Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instructions
- Can this sausage hashbrown breakfast casserole be made dairy-free?
- Do the frozen hashbrowns need to be thawed before adding them to the mixture?
- Can I use other breakfast meats besides sausage?
- More Favorite Breakfast Recipes
- Sausage Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make this sausage hashbrown breakfast casserole. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements
- Hashbrowns: I like to use frozen shredded hash browns. You could also make this with frozen tater tots.
- Bell Peppers: You can use any color you like, except green bell peppers. I like to use red bell pepper so it contrasts with the green spinach in this breakfast bake!
- Cheese: You can make this with cheddar, Monterey jack, pepper jack, or dairy-free cheese. I usually make this with VioLife dairy-free cheese.
- Breakfast sausage: Use raw, uncooked ground sausage. I usually use Jimmy Dean Natural pork sausage. You could also use turkey sausage or Italian sausage!
How to Make Gluten-Free Breakfast Casserole
Here’s an overview of how to make this casserole. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
- In a large skillet: Cook the sausage and vegetables over medium heat. The onions and peppers in this casserole won’t cook anymore once they are mixed into the the casserole so I like to get them nice and soft while I brown the sausage mixture.
- Add the spinach: Let it wilt for just a few minutes. I also love the pretty colors in this casserole with the the red pepper and spinach!
- In a separate bowl: Combine the remaining ingredients. Many breakfast casseroles use soaked bread for texture, but I keep this breakfast casserole gluten-free by adding frozen hashbrowns. They make it hearty and give it a great consistency.
- Add in sausage mixture: Mix everything together well and be sure to add a good teaspoon of salt and pepper so that this casserole is flavorful once it’s cooked.
- In a greased 9×13 pan: Pour the mixture in the pan, then top with the remaining cheese. You can either bake it right away or pop it in the fridge to bake the next day. Both options work well!
- Bake: With the oven on 350°F, bake uncovered until eggs are set (about 25-30 minutes). Let it cool a little bit before serving, then enjoy!
Make it Dairy-Free
This breakfast casserole is also really easy to make dairy-free. I actually almost always make it dairy-free when I prepare this for my family.
I use coconut milk in place of regular milk and vegan cheese in place of sharp cheddar to make this dairy-free. It tastes just as delicious and you’d never know it’s dairy-free with all the sausage and onions/peppers!
Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instructions
To Make-Ahead: After pouring the mixture into the prepared pan, cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate the casserole overnight. The next morning, simply remove the plastic wrap and bake as instructed! Serve it with gluten-free donuts, gluten-free cinnamon rolls or gluten-free cranberry bread for a special breakfast!
To Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To Freeze: If you plan on freezing the baked casserole, I suggest baking it in a disposable aluminum pan! Let the casserole cool completely, wrap it in plastic wrap then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw it for about 24 hours (covered) in the refrigerator, remove the covering, then reheat in a 350°F oven for 25–30 minutes.
Can this sausage hashbrown breakfast casserole be made dairy-free?
Definitely! And it’s delicious dairy-free too! You can use vegan cheese (I like Violife brand) in place of the cheddar. Use dairy-free milk (I use canned coconut milk) in place of the whole milk, just make sure it’s unsweetened!
Do the frozen hashbrowns need to be thawed before adding them to the mixture?
Nope! The hashbrowns can be added to the casserole mixture straight from the freezer, but thawed will work too.
Can I use other breakfast meats besides sausage?
Absolutely! Cooked and crumbled bacon or diced ham are great options too. For a non-pork option, turkey sausage works well!
More Favorite Breakfast Recipes
Sausage Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole
Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork breakfast sausage
- 3/4 cup red pepper diced
- 3/4 cup onion diced
- 10 oz (2 cups) frozen hashbrowns
- 1-2 cups spinach finely chopped
- 10 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup whole milk or unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar or dairy-free cheese, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, onion and red pepper. Break up sausage into small pieces and cook until the vegetables have softened and the sausage is no longer pink. Drain any excess grease.
- Add the spinach and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
- In a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients. Add the sausage mixture and mix until totally combined. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese. At this point you can either bake the casserole or refrigerate the casserole and bake the next day.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, uncovered until the eggs are set. Let cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!
I’m going to try this. Can you tell me if you used a canned coconut milk or the kind that comes in a carton. There seems to be a difference in thickness. Thanks!
I use canned coconut milk! I like it because it doesn’t have any sweetener and minimal thickeners unlike the boxed or refrigerated kind.
Did not see a response-do you think this is reasonable?
I’m not the author, but I’d try leaving out the added salt and substituting a salt free seasoning blend! Good luck 🙂
Do you thaw the hash browns before you use them
You can do it either way! Frozen or thawed will both work.
Hi Erin!
Can this casserole be frozen and if so would I freeze before or after it’s baked?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Mindy
Yes! You can freeze individual slices of it and reheat in the microwave. I hope this helps!
Love to make this for church breakfast. The only thing left in the dish is the spoon! So good.
So glad it turned out for you!
I made this recipe as a quick morning breakfast and it is delicious. However I don’t think I will be making it in the future. The sodium level per serving (1114 mg) is through the roof! And at 447 calories per serving it just too much.
Yummy! I’m not a very big breakfast person but now that i’m not the only one in my household, i need to start making easy things for breakfast. I’ll definitely be try this one!
Do you use shredded hash browns or diced hash browns?
I use frozen shredded hashbrowns!
Are they cooked or raw?
I always need to mess with a good thing. It’s in my nature to do so. I added some canned chopped green chili peppers. I didn’t have any green or red peppers. They would have been a nice addition. I used a product which was pork sausage with bacon added, and made it in individual muffin cups. AWESOME!! Thanks!
I’m so excited to make this! I’m trying to cut down on meat so I plan to increase the veggies and maybe add some mushrooms or something to fill it outa
Hey Erin, do you think this recipe would work if you froze it a couple days ahead? It’s just me and my boyfriend so I would like to freeze half of it before baking for another day.
I made this recipe this morning for my family and every person LOVED it! We did hold the onions but it was still delicious and flavorful! I loved how quick and easy it was to make. I will definitely be making this again!
This is the best hash brown casserole! I love to make it for big holidays like Christmas and Easter especially. It is always a HUGE crowd pleaser!
Erin, this is REALLY good! We’re just finishing it now and my family of six love it (kids included!) I made it as is with one addition. I added one clove of garlic to the veggie/sausage mixture, but it’s only because my garlic loving family would kick me out of the family if I didn’t. Based on the taste, I’m positive that your recipe is fantastic even without that addition. It’s SO flavorful. This is going in our regular rotation, and I plan to try to use your hash brown idea to modify some of my old bread based casseroles that I haven’t been able to eat in years. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes. They are amazing.
Thanks so much Amy! So glad it turned out for you! 🙂
Hi Erin:
I love your recipe for The best Banana Bread and it was so moist and good even though it was gluten free. I am gluten intolerant but sometimes with my colitis, I think gluten free really helps the condition. I like your breakfast casserole. What are the best sausages to use in that? Joan
I’m so glad you like the recipes! I would recommend using a sausage that doesn’t have MSG. I like the Jimmy Dean natural kind – or we have a few local brands at my grocery store. I hope that helps!