Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole is one of our favorite savory breakfast recipes, loaded with bacon, eggs, tender potatoes, and three kinds of cheese. It takes about 15 minutes to prep, feeds a crowd, and is especially easy for holidays and brunches.
What makes this version extra filling is the combination of cheddar, Swiss, and cottage cheese. The cottage cheese keeps the egg filling soft and creamy, while the bacon and hash browns make it hearty enough for breakfast, brunch, or even breakfast for dinner.
We especially love this breakfast casserole for holidays because it can be assembled the night before and baked in the morning. For more make-ahead favorites, try our Sausage Breakfast Casserole, Potato Egg Casserole, and Breakfast Enchilada Casserole..
Why You’ll Love It + Why It Works:
- 15-Minute Prep. Cook the bacon, stir everything together, and let the oven do the rest.
- Great for a Crowd. A 9×13-inch pan makes plenty for holidays, brunches, showers, or family breakfasts.
- Easy Make Ahead. Assemble it the night before so breakfast is ready to bake in the morning.
- Three Kinds of Cheese. Cheddar and Swiss add plenty of cheesy flavor while cottage cheese helps keep the eggs soft and creamy.
- Thawed Hash Browns Bake Better. Thawing the potatoes first helps prevent extra moisture from making the casserole watery.
Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole Ingredients
- Bacon (1 pound), diced: Adds smoky, savory flavor throughout the casserole. Cook until browned, then drain off excess grease before adding it to the egg mixture.
- Frozen shredded hash brown potatoes (4 cups), thawed: Make the casserole hearty and filling while keeping prep quick. Thaw them completely before using so excess moisture does not make the casserole watery.
- Large eggs (9), lightly beaten: Create the base of the casserole and hold the potatoes, bacon, and cheeses together as they bake.
- Cheddar cheese (2 cups), shredded: Adds plenty of cheesy flavor and helps create a rich, filling casserole. Mild or sharp cheddar both work.
- Cottage cheese (1½ cups): Adds moisture and creaminess to the egg mixture so the casserole stays soft instead of dry. Small-curd or regular cottage cheese both work.
- Swiss cheese (1¼ cups), shredded: Adds a slightly nutty flavor that pairs especially well with the bacon and eggs.
- Salt and black pepper, to taste: Season the eggs and potatoes. Go light on the salt at first since the bacon and cheeses already add plenty.
How to Make Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole
PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
BACON. Cook the diced bacon in a large skillet until browned and crisp. Drain off the excess grease, then transfer the bacon to a large bowl.
ASSEMBLE. Add the thawed hash browns, lightly beaten eggs, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, Swiss cheese, salt, and black pepper. Stir until evenly combined.
Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish.
BAKE. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the center is set and no longer looks wet. If the top begins browning before the center is finished, loosely tent the casserole with foil.
REST. Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole Variations
This casserole is easy to change depending on what your family likes or what you have on hand.
- Use Sausage. Replace the bacon with cooked breakfast sausage for a heartier version.
- Use Ham. Diced cooked ham is an easy option, especially when you have leftovers.
- Add Vegetables. Try sautéed mushrooms, red or green bell peppers, onions, spinach, or broccoli.
- Switch the Cheese. Use mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or Colby Jack in place of some of the cheddar or Swiss.
- Add a Little Heat. Mix in diced green chiles, Pepper Jack, or a small amount of hot sauce.
- Use Potatoes O’Brien. Thawed potatoes with peppers and onions are an easy shortcut if you want more vegetables without extra chopping.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Thaw the Hash Browns. Frozen potatoes can release extra water while baking, so thaw them completely before mixing the casserole.
- Drain the Bacon. Removing excess grease keeps the egg mixture from becoming overly oily.
- Cook Vegetables First. Sauté mushrooms, peppers, or onions before adding them so they do not release extra moisture into the casserole.
- Do Not Overbake. Pull the casserole when the center is set. Overbaking can make the eggs dry.
- Let It Rest. Ten minutes gives the egg mixture time to finish setting and makes the casserole easier to slice.
- Plan for Extra Time When Chilled. An overnight casserole may need about 10 to 15 additional minutes in the oven.
Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound bacon, diced
- 4 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
- 9 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1½ cups cottage cheese
- 1¼ cups shredded swiss cheese
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F, and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Cook diced bacon in a large skillet until browned and put into a large bowl.
- Stir in potatoes, eggs, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, swiss cheese, and salt & pepper. Pour mixture into greased baking dish.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes. If the top is browning more quickly than the middle is baking, tent a piece of aluminum foil over the top to keep it from getting too crispy and dry.
- Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. ENJOY!
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe FAQ
Yes. Thaw the hash browns completely before assembling the casserole. Frozen potatoes can release extra moisture and may make the casserole watery or increase the bake time.
Yes. Assemble the casserole, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight. Remove it from the refrigerator while the oven preheats, then bake as directed. A cold casserole may need about 10 to 15 extra minutes.
Yes. Peel and shred 4 to 5 medium potatoes, soak them in cold water for 10 to 15 minutes, then drain and dry them very well before using.
The center should look set and no longer wet, and the edges should be lightly golden. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Frozen or poorly drained potatoes and uncooked vegetables can release extra moisture. Thaw the hash browns completely and sauté watery vegetables before adding them.
Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or larger portions in the oven.
Yes. For the best texture, bake the casserole first, cool completely, wrap tightly, and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Complete The Meal
Side Dishes
Easy Fruit Salad Recipe
1 hr 20 mins
Yogurt Parfait
5 mins
Bacon in the Oven
23 mins
Breakfast Sausage Recipe
15 mins
More Potato Breakfast Casseroles
Collections
This recipe was originally published November 2017.
Do you know if this recipe would be gluten-free? I see a lot of this type of recipe that is made with bread so I’m wondering if using potatoes solves the problem for someone who can’t have gluten.
The ingredients include bacon, frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, eggs, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, Swiss cheese, salt and pepper. All of these are generally gluten free. I would make sure to double check the ingredients of of the frozen hash browns as well as any pre-shredded cheese.
Can I double the recipe and still bake in 9×13 pan…would I need to adjust the baking time?
One recipe fills a 9×13, so I’m afraid a double batch would not fit. I’d recommend using two 9×13 pans, one for each batch.
When do you add the bacon? With the eggs and cheeses or just before serving?
Yes, I like to mix it in with the eggs and cheeses.
Can you use pre-cooked bacon or real bacon bits/pieces? Someone bought a huge bags so hoping this would work without changing the taste.
Yes, absolutey!
Do you recommend cooking the added vegetables (onion, pepper, etc) before assembling? I assume yes
Yes, sauté any added veggies in a little olive oil first, then mix them into the casserole.
Hi! I love all your stuff!!
Can I use the diced hash brown potatoes?
My wife relies on me to cook Sunday brunch – I though this recipe looked good, so I tried it. It was really easy to put together, and it the result was absolutely great. I actually prepared it the night before, which made things really simple on Sunday. The appearance out of the oven was impressive and it tasted incredible. I used sausage instead of bacon (just easier to deal with) and cut back both the Swiss and Cheddar cheese by 1/4 cup. My wife wants to make it when our son and daughter-in-law visit in a few weeks. I want to try other recipes of Lil Luna – they all look great!
This is a longtime family favorite. Nothing beats a tasty breakfast casserole, which we’re happy to eat any time of day. Five stars!
This is amazing and so easy to make.
This looks delicious and easy! What was the green garnish at the end of the video?
I make this often. I swap out the bacon for ham. It’s delicious.
Great option!! Glad you like it! Thank you!
This is a family favorite, Every time I serve it to company, they ask for the recipe.
Yay!! Glad it’s a favorite!! Thanks for sharing that!
How to make this for 2 people or 4.
Thanks, making it now, but know. It’s way too much.
You can adjust the serving size on the recipe card. It says what the serving size is and then there is a slider bar that you can adjust to the desired serving size. That will adjust the measurements of the ingredients so you can make for 2-4 people instead.
How much salt do you generally put in the casserole?
This looks really good, but my mom absolutely hates cottage cheese.. can you recommend a good substitute for the cottage cheese? Like, would sour cream work just as well maybe? Or maybe a different soft cheese? She doesn’t like ricotta cheese either, lol.. I don’t mind them, but she won’t try this if I can’t find a good substitute.. I take care of my mom, and I’m always on the lookout for new recipes to make for her.. thanks in advance! 🙂
Yes, I’d say Ricotta cheese is a great substitute, but if she’s not a fan of that, you could certainly try using greek yogurt or sour cream. I haven’t tried this casserole with either of them, so you’ll have to let us know how it turns out if you do use them. 🙂
I’ve been making this breakfast dish at least twice a month for the last two years and it’s what I bring for Christmas morning with the fam❤️ And only have used sour cream as a substitute for cottage cheese and it’s delish! In addition to the bacon, I also include diced up sausage links and it’s amazing!
Thank you, love your recipe’s instructions. Very well explained. I am really excited to make this one with my sister.
Hope you enjoy the recipe!!
This recipe is very good .. had just the right amount of egg vs. cheese. Added chopped green bell pepper and onion. It was a hit!
Love the additions… I bet they were tasty! Song glad you enjoyed the dish.
Just wondering I have a group of about 20 normally if I make the hashbrowns casserole and the french toast casserole will that be enough for all of them,6 of them are kids?Hate to double recipe because then I feel it’s going to be too much.
That’s hard to say. It totally depends on how big of portions your family eats. The casserole recipe serves about 12 and the French Toast Bake serves about 8, so if you doubled I imagine you would have leftovers. Depending on how old the kids are/how much they eat, you might be fine with just the two casserole servings. I always tend to ere on the side of having more than less so everyone gets their fill. Both casseroles store well for a few days and can even be frozen if needed if you did decide to double anything. Hope the breakfast turns out well!!
I would just make the two casseroles and back fill with fruit salad, coffee cake or cinnamon rolls.
That’s a great idea!
This was delicious! It reminds me of a casserole that my mom made especially around the holidays and that is such a sweet memory
Making this now and it looks amazing, my kiddos can’t wait to try it out!
One of our family’s favorite breakfasts. We love to make this for Christmas morning. Love that you can put it together the night before and then throw it in the oven the next morning!
Do you think if i only have frozen cubed O’Brien potatoes i could sub them for the shredded? Maybe brown them first for better texture/flavor?
Yes – the cubes would work as well and I think that’s a great idea to brown them first. Let me know how it turned out. 🙂
We made this for our Christmas morning breakfast and I had to sneak a taste after baking it. So yummy!!
This is the best hash brown casserole!! We’ve made it every Christmas since I found it and everyone begs for it!! It’s so easy and delicious.
This is yummy
do you squeeze the extra water out of the thawed hash browns first? Thanks for great recipes. I have family coming this weekend and am planning the menu now. Your broccoli salad is on the list as it was a hit last time!
I don’t usually, but if they seem super wet, then I probably would. Hope that helps & I hope they liked it!!
If you thaw hash browns in the microwave, the microwave takes care of any moisture!
Making this ReCipe in the air fryEr With rAmeKins: leftover ham from dinner, added hot water to the bOxed dried hash browns, ricotta cheese leftover from lasagne The other night … a littLe dried spices & fresh eggs from the free-range local ranch & i had jUst Enough batter to fill 2 small dessert ramekins. This was so easy & putting them into the air fryer gives me time to clean up so i can enjoy breakfast when its all done!!! I love It!!! Thanks for posting the recipe!!!
You are so welcome!! That all sounds wonderful!
can you use simply potatoes instead of frozen potatoes?
You sure could 🙂 Enjoy!
Wow!! This recipe was just what I needed for a father’s day breakfast at my church. This was my first Ever casserole and seasoned cooks LOVED it! Thank you so much!!
Yay!! That is what I love to hear! Thank you so much for letting me know!
Try using SMALL CURD COTTAGE CHERSE THEN BLEND IT SMOOTH IN A BLENDER, HE WILL NEVER KNOW. OR USE SOUR CREAM
Thank you for sharing 🙂
For those who had an issue with cottage CHEESE, try using 4% fat and SMALL CURD cottage cheese. Then you could pulse it even smoother in a blender or with beaters in a small mixing bowl. Diced breakfast sausage links are also good to sub in for bacon.
Can this recipe be halved? If so, how long would it need to be cooked?
Yes, it can be halved 🙂 Maybe, check it at 25 minutes, then add more time from there.
Im such a fan of make ahead dishes. Its no wonder I gravitate to these Type of recipes. I like the combination of our favoRite breakfAst foods all in one.
This makes the perfect breakfast dish! My family loves it!
This is one of our favorite breakfast casseroles! We love it so much we sometimes have it for dinner too!
We love breakfast for dinner 🙂 I am glad you like it! Thank you for letting me know!
Love breakfast Casseroles! Thanks for the delicious recipe!
What a perfect breakfast idea. A must try for sure.
This will be perfect for our new years brunch!
I hope you give it a try! Have fun!
We love this recipe so mUch! My kids can never get enough!
Yay!! That is what I love to hear! Thank you 🙂
This casserole looks so good and hearty. One of my friends makes something similar but I never knew how to do it, now I do. Thank you!
Yes, you do & I hope you try it soon! I’d love to know what you think!
THis looks so easy and perfect for when I have lots of people over for breakfast!
I love how easy & tasty this casserole is!! My hubby loves breakfast, so I made this and also added sausage & it was a hit!! He has requested it again!
I love that i can make This ahead of time and have a fiLling meal on a busy morning.
Is there anything I could sub for the Cottage cheese? I think this would be awesome as part of Christmas morning breakfast but my husband won’t touch it with cottage cheese.
You could do sour cream or yogurt? I haven’t tried, but usually those are great substitutes for cottage cheese.
does the cottage cheese not melt in, or can you tell its cottage cheese.? my boyfriend had the same problem with the texture of cottage cheese 🙁
It doesn’t totally melt, but you can use yogurt, sour cream, mayo, or ricotta cheese if you prefer.
Hi Kristyn, I’m so excited to make this recipe for my friendsgiving brunch. Can you please tell me what the green garnish is on top of the hash brown casserole.
thank you,
christy sareh
This would be great!! I hope everyone enjoys it. You could sprinkle parsley on top 🙂
Love recipes
I’m so glad 🙂 Thank you for stopping by!