Today’s Egg and Potato Breakfast Casserole is an easy 9×13 breakfast bake made with eggs, milk, hash browns, Italian sausage, and cheddar cheese. It’s hearty, cheesy, and simple to mix together, which makes it perfect for busy mornings, brunch, holidays, or feeding overnight guests.
We love this because the thawed hash browns make it filling without extra chopping, and the precooked sausage keeps the prep quick. Add the last layer of cheese at the end so it melts beautifully over the top before serving.
We first made this for a Christmas morning years ago and have had it on repeat ever since. Pair it with a sweet casserole like Coffee Cake or Cinnamon Bites for a complete meal.
Why you’ll love it + Why it works:
- 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!
- Thawed hash browns bake evenly. Starting with thawed potatoes helps the casserole cook through without extra moisture.
- Cheese goes in and on top. Mixing some cheese into the casserole adds flavor throughout, while the final topping melts nicely.
Potato Breakfast Casserole Ingredients
- Large eggs (8): Creates the base of the casserole and help everything bake together.
- Milk, room temperature (½ cup): Adds moisture and helps the eggs bake up softer.
- Frozen diced hash browns, thawed (1 bag, 20 ounces): Adds hearty potato texture and make the casserole filling.
- Precooked Italian sausage (9-10 ounces): Adds savory flavor, protein, and makes prep easier.
- Salt and pepper, to taste: Seasons the egg mixture and balance the flavors.
- Shredded mild cheddar cheese, divided (1½ cups): Adds cheesy flavor throughout the casserole and a melty topping at the end.
- optional garnish: Fresh herbs and spices like parsley and green onions, or a dollop of sour cream
How to Make a Potato Breakfast Casserole
PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside ½ cup of cheese.
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.
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.
Kristyn’s 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.
Potato Breakfast Casserole Recipe
Equipment
Video
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
- 1½ 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.
Notes
- 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
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.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freezer for 1-2 months.
Complete The Meal
Sides
Bacon in the Oven
23 mins
Yogurt Parfait Board
25 mins
Breakfast Sausage Recipe
15 mins
Cinnamon Bites
30 mins
Breakfast Casseroles
Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole
48 mins
Breakfast Enchilada Casserole
1 hr 5 mins
Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole
6 hrs 50 mins
Collections
This recipe was originally published December 2013.
What could I substitute for the sausage? I don’t care for it, plus it upsets my stomach.
You could use diced ham, cooked crumbled bacon, or omit it altogether.
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.
Hi, do I cook the fresh potatoes before putting in the casserole? Thanks
Yes, if you are using fresh potatoes, you will want to make sure they are cooked before adding to the casserole.
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
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 🙂
Thank you for another delicious & very easy to assemble recipe.
Just ordered your cookbook and cannot wait to get it.
Thanks again 🙂
Sandy
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.
Can I freeze this recipe? Wondering about making in advance, baking and then freezing. Or freezing before baking and talking out to bake later
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.
It didn’t say cooked sausage in the directions but says so in the video…
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!
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!
So I am having a large brunch (70 people) and wondered about double batches in larger foil pans? Any advice on baking times?
Made this for Easter brunch. It was definitely a hit!
Added cooked bacon as recommended and loved how it turned out.
I love casserole dishes for any meal. This dish is pretty good and covers all your breakfast items. Yummy!
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!
Haha..love to hear that!! You may have to start doubling the batch 🙂 It’s great leftovers!!
I’m making this for Easter bruch!
Can you make this ahead and freeze it?
Yes, you could!
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.
Is that enough milk
Only 7oz of cheese? Is the recipe correct on that? It calls for starting with 1 cup (8oz), and reserving the rest for topping.
Thanks for catching that. We’ll get that post updated!
Delicious! I made it the night before and added some diced red and green pepper pieces for color.
Thanks for sharing what you did. I bet it looked and tasted great with those additions!
How can I use real potatoes instead of frozen?
Yes, absolutely! Just make sure they are pre-cooked. Leftover baked potatoes are a great option if not using the frozen hash browns.
This looks amazing!!! Is it gluten free by chance? My new daughter in law cannot eat gluten. 😊🤞
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. 🙂
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 🙂
Delicious cheesy goodness! This will be a go to!
This is my families favorite breakfast dishes. FABULOUS!!!!!!
We loved this! So easy and so filling. Perfect for Christmas morning.
I loved this recipe! It was so easy, and so delicious. It has to perfect ratio of sausage to egg to potato.
I love this casserole. This is what I make Christmas morning. Today I added sauteed onions and red peppers. Absolutely delicious.
Ooh that sounds delicious to add the onions and peppers. What a fun Christmas morning tradition. So glad you enjoy the casserole!
How long does it last after cooking?
I will reheat it for a few days after.
love this type of casserole thank for posting it.
I am glad you do!! You are so welcome & thank you!
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!
Nothing wrong with extra cheese 🙂 Thank you for sharing that!
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.
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.
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.
There are 8 ounce bags, that’s what I use. A little more cheese doesn’t hurt 🙂
can you use almond milk instead of skim milk or regular milk?
You sure could 😉
Can you make this in a muffin Pan?
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.
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.
You are so welcome!! Love hearing that! Thank you!
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.
Love that your family likes it that much! I like them crispy, too!
Could I use sage Jimmy Dean sausage and cook before adding it to the casserole?
Yes, that works too!
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.
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!
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.
Perfect!! You are so welcome! Thank you for trying it & for letting me know!
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…
I am wondering the same thing. I’m bummed this is the only comment without a reply from her.
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.
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.
Perfect!! Thank you for sharing that 🙂
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!
Yes, it’s great for adding what you like or taking out what you don’t. Thank you for sharing what you did!!
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?
It is sold precooked or you can cook some up. Whichever is easier for you 🙂 Enjoy!!
I’m not a great cook, but this one turned out great when I took it to Bible study!
I love hearing that! I hope it was a hit! Thank you!
Question, can prepare this recipe the niGht Before i bake it?
You sure could 🙂 Just cover well. Enjoy!!
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!
Any brand would work. I use Ore-Ida a lot, the southern style cubed potatoes. And, they are in the frozen section 🙂
Easy and the ENTIRE famil loved it!
Yay!! Happy they did 🙂 Thank you for trying it!
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?
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.
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!
Need to fix your cheese measurements. Only 7oz in the whole recipe? Confused.
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.
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.