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!
Would this work with shredded real potatoes? Instead of using frozen. Would you have to fry the homemade shredded hashbrowns? Or just shred the potatoes and mix in?
I always use frozen hashbrowns. If you use fresh shredded potatoes I would cook them a little before adding them to the casserole.
Silly question – do you add the frozen hash browns to the sausage along with the veggies & cook or to the mixture of eggs, milk, cheese etc. or does it make any difference in the end?
Thank You!
Good question! I add them in along with the sausage mixture. I hope this helps!
New go-to breakfast casserole. This was a hit! I made 2 versions. One was exactly following the recipe & the meat eaters raved about it. The second one I made with almond milk & plant based cheddar cheese (Follow Your Heart cheddar”. I used the Beyond Meat breakfast sausage patties and crumbled them up as they cooked. I also added a bit more spinach. I made them both the night before so I added more time on to the bake since they started out chilled. This non-meat/non-dairy (not vegan I kept the eggs in) version was also delicious. I will make them both again! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
So good to know the recipe worked with those substitutions! Thanks for the comment!
Is the 477 calories per serving?
I make a gf sausage and egg breakfast casserole for Christmas morning each year and my whole family agreed that this was hands down the best one we’ve ever had. It’ll become a regular meal for us, thank you for the great recipe! I had to cook ~50 mins for it to set, but I used large eggs. Delicious!!!
Really good! Made it for Christmas breakfast! The grocery store was out of hashbrowns but had potatoes O’Brien, which is what I used. Mine needed to cook longer – I checked it a couple of times and it was ready to go @ 43 minutes. If anyone is sensitive to salt (things taste salty to you but not as much to others), I would cut the salt back slightly. If you aren’t, leave as is! I also drizzled my piece with Siracha to add a little kick. This will become a staple breakfast casserole in my house. Thank you for the recipe!
Really love this recipe 🙂
The only critique I have is of the cook time, for me the eggs don’t fully set until the casserole has been cooked at 350 for about 50 mins
If I cook for the suggested 25-30 the casserole is completely runny.
Absolutely loved this recipe!! Took about 40 minutes in my oven and it was PERFECT for my work party. Can’t wait to prep this for my family!
We’re so glad you loved the casserole, Abby! Thank you for your kind feedback. We hope your family loves it just as much!
5 STARS- this is my GO TO EGG BAKE RECIPE!!
I have Dairy Free and Gluten Free issues in my family and this is ALSO Dairy Free and Gluten Free!
My family LOVES IT!
I’m so glad you like it! Glad your family does too 🙂
I don’t know if I have commented in the past but while I’m here again I thought I might as well. I make this a couple times a month. This is my go to breakfast casserole. I add in more veggies sometimes, sometimes different veggies like broccoli, green pepper or mushrooms. I always use Almond or Oat milk. This is a hit every single time I make it and it’s so easy to meal prep for the week. I drizzle sriracha on mine and it’s is DELISH. I’m currently popping one in the oven.
I’m so glad you like the recipe! Great idea to switch up the veggies. It really is so great for meal prep!
How do you ensure that it has a creamy texture??
I want to make this to take on a trip. Should I cook to before freezing it, or freeze raw then cook after defrosting? If the former, what are the warming instructions?
I would cook it before freezing! Then thaw it in the fridge and reheat (covered in foil) for 350F for 20-30 minutes. I hope this helps!
Had anyone made this the night before and then cooked it the next day?
Yes! That works great actually. Just assemble everything and pour into the baking pan. Then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake it the next day.
Do you think this will have enough flavor without adding cheese? My son will not eat anything with cheese.
Yes! I make it that way all the time. I hope this helps!
Can this be frozen and then cooked?
I made the sausage hash Brown breakfast casserole this morning. Instead of two cups of hash brown. The bag was four cups, so I put them all in. I did I think a cup each of the red pepper and onion. And a full cup of cheese on top. Wow this was amazing. Most Sundays I do breakfast for the family because I travel a lot during the week. So this is my give to them. With the casserole I made French toast. Turned out greate.
Thank you for the recipe
Rick
Great recipe!!!
Substitution question…thoughts on using riced cauliflower instead of shredded potatoes? For low carb option? Thank you!
I haven’t tried that myself but it sounds delicious! Let me know how it works if you try it!
Hi! Sorry but I’m not sure what Frozen Hash browns are ? Do you need the shredded ones ?? I could only find the round patty type potatos in my store.
Yes the shredded ones are what this recipe calls for. I hope this helps!