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We have breakfast for dinner at least ONCE a week because we love breakfast that much! Breakfast casseroles are one of our go-tos because they’re so simple, and this potato egg casserole is one of our FAVORITES!!

We first made this for a Christmas morning years ago and have had it on repeat ever since. It’s filled with cheesy potatoes, eggs, and sausage and is so delicious and simple (it’s prepped in 5 minutes!)

As with most casseroles, this is perfect for making ahead of time for an easy morning (think holidays or busy weekends). Even so, it’s simple to make on the morning of; just mix and bake, and it’s ready in 40 minutes!

Pair it with a sweet casserole like Coffee Cake or Cinnamon Bites for a complete meal.

Why we think you’ll love it:

  • Filling. This particular casserole has potatoes, eggs, sausage, and cheese – some of our favorite hearty breakfast or brunch ingredients.
  • For an easy morning. This egg bake is prepped in 5 minutes and on the table in 40 for a less-fuss way to start your day.
  • Prep the night before. Store in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to bake – perfect for holiday mornings!
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Ingredients for breakfast potato egg casserole on counter.

Potato Egg Casserole Ingredients and Substitutions

  • 8 large eggs
  • ½ cup milk, room temperature
  • 1 (20-ounce) bag of frozen diced hash browns, thawed – To use fresh potatoes, peel and dice 20 ounces of russet potatoes and par-boil them.
  • 9-10 ounces precooked Italian sausage – You can brown raw Italian sausage in a skillet before adding it to the recipe.
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1½ cups shredded mild cheddar cheese, divided – Substitute or combine it with Swiss cheese, pepper jack cheese, or Colby Cheese. 
  • optional garnish – fresh herbs and spices like parsley and green onions, or a dollop of sour cream

How to Make a Potato Egg Casserole

  1. PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside ½ cup of cheese.
  2. COMBINE. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, and stir in thawed hashbrowns, cooked sausage, salt & pepper to taste, and 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese until combined. Pour the egg mixture into the prepared baking pan.
  3. BAKE. Bake for 32–35 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the remaining ½ cup cheese over the top. Place it back in the oven and bake for 3–5 minutes.
  • We will either use precooked sausage from the refrigerator section or cook up raw sausage and drain the grease before adding it to the recipe.
  • This recipe is easy to add jalapenos, spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, red bell pepper, or broccoli florets. Sauté veggies in a large skillet before adding.
  • To use fresh potatoes, peel, dice, and boil for about 8 minutes. Drain well and mix into the recipe. 
Slice of breakfast potato egg casserole on white plate.
4.99 from 270 votes

Potato Egg Casserole

Easily feed a crowd with this 5-minute prep breakfast potato egg casserole – a family favorite and the perfect make-ahead meal!
Servings: 12
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 40 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 8 large eggs
  • ½ cup milk, room temperature
  • 1 (20-ounce) bag frozen diced hash browns, thawed
  • 9-10 ounces precooked Italian sausage
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • cups shredded mild cheddar cheese, divided

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, mix eggs, milk, hash browns, sausage, salt, pepper, and 1 cup of cheese until combined. Pour into the prepared baking dish.
  • Bake for 32–35 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the remaining ½ cup cheese on top. Place back in the oven and bake for an additional 3–5 minutes.

Video

Notes

Recipe tips.
  • We will either use precooked sausage from the refrigerator section or cook up raw sausage and drain the grease before adding it to the recipe.
  • This recipe is easy to add jalapenos, spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, red bell pepper, or broccoli florets. Sauté veggies in a large skillet before adding.
  • To use fresh potatoes, peel, dice, and boil for about 8 minutes. Drain well and mix into the recipe. 
Make ahead of time. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours, or wrap again with foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before baking. Add a few extra minutes to the baking time.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freezer for 1-2 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 227kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 143mg, Sodium: 314mg, Potassium: 258mg, Vitamin A: 340IU, Vitamin C: 4.3mg, Calcium: 156mg, Iron: 1.3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Recipe FAQ

Make ahead of time?

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, or wrap again with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge before baking. Add a few extra minutes to the baking time.

How to store?

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freezer for 1-2 months.

This recipe was originally published December 2013.

About Kristyn

Kristyn Merkley is a published cookbook author, wife, mom of six, and major food enthusiast! For the past 15 years, she has been sharing foolproof, family-friendly recipes—each one tested in her kitchen—that anyone can master. As a seasoned recipe creator, she loves making cooking simple, stress-free, and totally doable for everyone!

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4.99 from 270 votes (240 ratings without comment)

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92 Comments

  1. Tara Johnson says:

    I can’t wait to make alot of these simple to make recipes. Thank you for sharing all your wonderful recipes. I keep most of these ingredients on hand.

  2. Brooklyn says:

    Hi, do I cook the fresh potatoes before putting in the casserole? Thanks

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Yes, if you are using fresh potatoes, you will want to make sure they are cooked before adding to the casserole.

  3. Mary says:

    Your recipes are great! I’ve made many! But the website is the worst. Jumps around all the time with ads. Can’t even get through the recipe without it jumping back to the top of the page.
    I totally get having the ads but this is the worst experience I’ve ever seen on a recipe website.
    Love your recipes though!

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Thank you for your honest feedback about the website and the recipes!

  4. Diane Schultz says:

    your recipe notes say: Perfect Prep. The milk should be about room temperature before adding the melted butter. Otherwise, the butter will harden up into little flakes or droplets instead of mixing with the other two ingredients.

    the recipe does not call for melted butter anywhere.
    I am confused

    1. M.M. says:

      This recipe is a run-of-the-mill potato egg casserole, nothing special but it’s delicious. It’s the almost exact way I make it except I whip the eggs a bit first so it’s a little fluffier and add herbs. The milk does not have to be room temperature. I noticed that too and no butter is in it unless you add something cooked in it like mushrooms, veggies etc. I used olive oil for mine. She may be referencing the milk being at room temp due to the beef because it will have fats that may harden. I don’t really think it matters 🙂

  5. Sandy says:

    5 stars
    Thank you for another delicious & very easy to assemble recipe.
    Just ordered your cookbook and cannot wait to get it.
    Thanks again 🙂
    Sandy

  6. Ally G says:

    5 stars
    This recipe is a great way to use up leftovers from wholesale stores like Sam’s Club if you are in a small household (1-2 people) and you like their pre-seasoned, pre-cooked meats. My husband and I buy carnitas and barbacoa from Sam’s club and typically have 8-10 oz of leftovers after a taco night. I’ve tried both as substitutes for the sausage in this recipe and the end result is AMAZING.

  7. Pen H says:

    Can I freeze this recipe? Wondering about making in advance, baking and then freezing. Or freezing before baking and talking out to bake later

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Yes you definitely can!! You can freeze it, uncooked, for up to 2 months. Wrap the pan tightly with plastic wrap and again with foil. Thaw in the fridge before baking. You can also freeze it after it is baked.

  8. Emily Ruger says:

    It didn’t say cooked sausage in the directions but says so in the video…

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      On the instruction card, the ingredients listed say pre-cooked Italian sausage, so you’ll want to go with that for this recipe! Hope you enjoy!

  9. Lisa Woods says:

    5 stars
    Delicious! I did the overnight method. I used leftover ham. I was afraid the potatoes would get soggy overnight, so I browned them in a skillet before mixing it all together. This will be my go to breakfast casserole. Perfect for when the grands are spending the night!

  10. Katie says:

    So I am having a large brunch (70 people) and wondered about double batches in larger foil pans? Any advice on baking times?

  11. Jeanne says:

    5 stars
    Made this for Easter brunch. It was definitely a hit!

  12. Sue says:

    5 stars
    Added cooked bacon as recommended and loved how it turned out.

  13. Olivia says:

    5 stars
    I love casserole dishes for any meal. This dish is pretty good and covers all your breakfast items. Yummy!

  14. annamarie dodge says:

    5 stars
    This is actually one of my favourite casseroles, that I make for my family on the weekends…always a HUGE hit and rarely any leftovers. I usually have to fight someone for that last piece lol! Great flavour, filling and not difficult to make!

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Haha..love to hear that!! You may have to start doubling the batch 🙂 It’s great leftovers!!

  15. Cathy Pontak says:

    5 stars
    I’m making this for Easter bruch!

  16. sheppyspg says:

    2 stars
    The good – this recipe was a cinch to prepare and toss in oven. The bad – hardly any flavour and too dry, tripled the cheese and it still was just cheesy.

    This recipe has a decent foundation but really requires a lot of doctoring before id consider making it again.

    1. Debra Martin says:

      5 stars
      I have always added a smidgen of cream cheese to my scrambled eggs for extra flavor and fluff. I did so here and I loved it. It’s just me so I cut the recipe down a bit, but still had enough for leftovers.

  17. Audrey Moore says:

    Guessing on amount of salt makes this either over salted or under unless somehow you get lucky.
    The dish was very flat and lacked flavor.

  18. melissa says:

    Can you make this ahead and freeze it?

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Yes, you could!

  19. Donna says:

    5 stars
    I made this for dinner last night and everyone ages 7 to 72 loved it. I will certainly be making this a lot!! I threw a cup of shredded cheese in the casserole and another on top to melt at the end.

  20. Kay says:

    Is that enough milk

  21. Steve says:

    Cant do recipe for all the ads popping up

  22. Kathy says:

    Only 7oz of cheese? Is the recipe correct on that? It calls for starting with 1 cup (8oz), and reserving the rest for topping.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Thanks for catching that. We’ll get that post updated!

  23. Yvonne says:

    5 stars
    Delicious! I made it the night before and added some diced red and green pepper pieces for color.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Thanks for sharing what you did. I bet it looked and tasted great with those additions!

  24. Cindy says:

    How can I use real potatoes instead of frozen?

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Yes, absolutely! Just make sure they are pre-cooked. Leftover baked potatoes are a great option if not using the frozen hash browns.

  25. Chris says:

    5 stars
    This looks amazing!!! Is it gluten free by chance? My new daughter in law cannot eat gluten. 😊🤞

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      The recipe was not created as a gluten-free recipe, but you could certainly tweak anything in it that she couldn’t eat to make it work for her. 🙂

  26. Ingrid says:

    5 stars
    Delicious! I’ve tried a few variations of this recipe over the years and this is my favorite. I love it for its simplicity and deliciousness. We just ate it for Christmas breakfast and everyone loved it. The amount was perfect for a family of 4 and we even have some leftovers.
    Printing the recipe right now so I won’t forget where I got from 🙂

  27. Ashley says:

    5 stars
    Delicious cheesy goodness! This will be a go to!

  28. Kalie Ross says:

    5 stars
    This is my families favorite breakfast dishes. FABULOUS!!!!!!

  29. Cori says:

    5 stars
    We loved this! So easy and so filling. Perfect for Christmas morning.

  30. Emily says:

    5 stars
    I loved this recipe! It was so easy, and so delicious. It has to perfect ratio of sausage to egg to potato.

  31. Joy says:

    5 stars
    I love this casserole. This is what I make Christmas morning. Today I added sauteed onions and red peppers. Absolutely delicious.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Ooh that sounds delicious to add the onions and peppers. What a fun Christmas morning tradition. So glad you enjoy the casserole!

  32. Karin says:

    How long does it last after cooking?

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      I will reheat it for a few days after.

  33. jeanne says:

    5 stars
    love this type of casserole thank for posting it.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      I am glad you do!! You are so welcome & thank you!

  34. Baby says:

    Making it again because it was a hit! They ate it for breakfast and came back for snacking later! Extra cheese made it really cheesy! For peoples who loves cheese!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Nothing wrong with extra cheese 🙂 Thank you for sharing that!

  35. Frank Pedroza says:

    There is an error in your cheese quantity. If you get aside 1 cup of cheese (8oz), you are short 1 oz., then you are suppose to add the rest of the left over cheese when you take it out, there’s no cheese left over. Need to adjust the amount of cheese in the ingredients to 1-1/2 cups of cheese.

    1. Mary C says:

      There’s a difference between ‘fluid’ ounces and ‘dry’ ounces when you are measuring ingredients. An 8 ounce bag of shredded cheese is 2 cups in dry ounces. It says this on the bag. It has to do with ounces actually being the weight of something, which really varies depending on what you are weighing.

  36. Sharon Rhodes says:

    I am not quite understanding how much cheese to use? It says 7 ounces but that is not even one cup but it says to reserve one cup… Can you help me out and explain? Thank you so much.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      There are 8 ounce bags, that’s what I use. A little more cheese doesn’t hurt 🙂

      1. melinda Eisenhauer says:

        can you use almond milk instead of skim milk or regular milk?

      2. Kristyn Merkley says:

        You sure could 😉

  37. Carly says:

    Can you make this in a muffin Pan?

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      I personally haven’t tried, but I don’t see why not 🙂 The baking time wouldn’t be as much, but I am not sure how long they would take.

  38. Lynn says:

    5 stars
    Omg!!! I made this today for breakfast!! My partner & i loved it. He had 3 helpings, i had 2 lol.. Yum yum yummy!! Will definitely be making this delicious dish a lot. So easy too. Thank you so much for this recipe.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      You are so welcome!! Love hearing that! Thank you!

  39. Leslie says:

    5 stars
    Ive made it twice in a weeks time. I do cook my hashbrowns fIrst sInce my family likes them crispy. I heat the leftovers in a skillet so it DOESN’T get mushy.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Love that your family likes it that much! I like them crispy, too!

      1. Paula Bernier says:

        Could I use sage Jimmy Dean sausage and cook before adding it to the casserole?

      2. Kristyn Merkley says:

        Yes, that works too!

  40. Kellie says:

    3 stars
    Not really sure what went wrong as my my eggs never cooked. I followed the directions to a t but I did find them to be a little vague.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Hmm..I am not sure what went wrong either?? They should have gotten baked. Everything just gets mixed in a bowl, minus one cup cheese, then gets poured in the pan to get baked, with the cup of cheese on top. I’m sorry!

  41. mARTHA says:

    5 stars
    tHIS WAS AN EASY AND DELICIOUS CASSEROLE. tHE ONLY THING i CHANGED WAS i ADDED SOME CHOPPED GREEN ONIONS. iT WAS AMAZING. tHANK YOU FOR THE RECIPE.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Perfect!! You are so welcome! Thank you for trying it & for letting me know!

      1. Melissa says:

        Can you dice up whole Potatoes and USe THose? Should YOu cook the whole potaties FIRSTif YOu go That route to SOften THEM or will they COOk in the Casserole ANd SOften THat way…

      2. Jill says:

        I am wondering the same thing. I’m bummed this is the only comment without a reply from her.

      3. Kristyn Merkley says:

        I have not tried using cubed potatoes, so I couldn’t say for sure if you would add them raw or cooked. I am thinking if they are small, they would cook in the casserole.

      4. Audrey says:

        5 stars
        Made this tonight, and I used diced raw potato. It turned out great. Make sure your dices are small and cook 5 to 10 extra minutes.

      5. Kristyn Merkley says:

        Perfect!! Thank you for sharing that 🙂

  42. Melissa says:

    5 stars
    I made it this morning for my son & hubby. I made some changes, only to be more appealing to my son. I used tater tots, instead of hashbrowns & diced ham instead of sausage. It turned out incredible & they loved it. This is a great recipe that can totally be altered to fit your tastes. Hubby asked me to make one with bacon, sausage, peppers & onions, in the future. We also added a dollop of sour cream on top for some extra yum!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Yes, it’s great for adding what you like or taking out what you don’t. Thank you for sharing what you did!!

  43. Rey says:

    For the precooked Italian sausage, is it sold precooked in the freezer section or do I buy the Italian sausage in the meat section and cook before using?

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      It is sold precooked or you can cook some up. Whichever is easier for you 🙂 Enjoy!!

  44. Julie Hansen says:

    5 stars
    I’m not a great cook, but this one turned out great when I took it to Bible study!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      I love hearing that! I hope it was a hit! Thank you!

  45. Hanale says:

    Question, can prepare this recipe the niGht Before i bake it?

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      You sure could 🙂 Just cover well. Enjoy!!

  46. Jade says:

    I was just wondering what you mean by hash browns cubed and thawed? do you have a certain brand you use for that? sorry, just barely trying to learn how to cook. Thank you!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Any brand would work. I use Ore-Ida a lot, the southern style cubed potatoes. And, they are in the frozen section 🙂

  47. Sharon says:

    5 stars
    Easy and the ENTIRE famil loved it!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Yay!! Happy they did 🙂 Thank you for trying it!

    2. Kim Massie says:

      I will be making this for a homeless shelter to serve 75 people. Im going to ×6 the recipe and cook it in 2 separate large baking dishes, so recipe ×3 in each fish. How much time do you think it will take to cook each pan? Any other tips?

      1. Kristyn Merkley says:

        I would probably double it & put in an 11×17, so have 3 pans. It might need close to 40-45 min. I would start checking at 35 min, then add a couple min at a time.

  48. Kara Cook says:

    5 stars
    This is a favorite at our house. It’s so easy and so tasty! We actually enjoy it so much that we sometimes have it for dinner!

    1. Cory Blane says:

      Need to fix your cheese measurements. Only 7oz in the whole recipe? Confused.

      1. Lil'Luna Team says:

        Yes, you’ll use about 1 cup of cheese in the casserole and the rest (about 1 cup) will go on the top. If you like more or less, you can certainly adjust the amount of cheese used.