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Cheesy Breakfast Potato Casserole takes minutes to make and is a perfect make-ahead meal! It will become a breakfast favorite.

This Cheesy Breakfast Potato Casserole is hearty and delicious. It’s a filling breakfast and will surely be a crowd-pleaser! Try pairing this with a Strawberry Banana Smoothie or a glass of  Orange Juice Smoothie.

Cheesy Breakfast Potato Casserole baked in a dish and topped with green onions.

Cheesy Potato Casserole

We LOVE breakfast at our house. I’m not joking when I say that we have breakfast for dinner at least ONCE a week.

We love Pancakes and Waffles, Cinnamon Rolls, Smoothies, and especially Breakfast Casseroles, like today’s Cheesy Potato Casserole.

Casseroles are so great, mostly because they’re quick, simple, and delicious. Plus, they are easy to change up based on the ingredients you love and crave most.

This particular Cheesy Breakfast Potato Casserole has potatoes, eggs, sausage, and cheese – some of our favorite breakfast or brunch ingredients. The best part of all was that it took just minutes to make!

How to Make It

The ingredients for this Egg and Potato Casserole are simple – eggs, milk, sausage, hash browns, cheese, salt, and pepper.

PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-x-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Divide the cheese and set ½ cup aside.

COMBINE. 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. Bake for 32–35 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the remaining ½ cup cheese over the top. Place it back in the oven and bake for an additional 3–5 minutes.

Recipe Variations

There are so many easy ways to change up this recipe. Here are some try:

  • Mexican: add chopped peppers and use Mexican blend cheese instead of cheddar.
  • Meat lovers: add cooked bacon along with the sausage.
  • Low-fat version: omit the meat and add a cup of chopped spinach and other vegetables such as zucchini, red bell pepper, or broccoli florets.
  • Garnish: garnish with fresh herbs and spices like parsley and green onions. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.
Cheesy breakfast potato casserole ready for baking.

Recipe Tips

Shredded hash browns. Cook times should be the same. Just like the cubed hash browns, thaw shredded hash browns for best results. If not thawed, it may need an additional few minutes to cook.

Use fresh potatoes. Peel and dice 20 oz of fresh potatoes, like russets, to use in this recipe. Don’t soak the potatoes because you want the starch from the potatoes to help thicken the Breakfast Potato Casserole as it bakes. 

Sausage. Brown your own Italian Sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain excess fat before using it in the recipe. 

Cheese. Substitute the cheddar cheese, or combine it, with other favorites like Swiss cheese, pepper jack cheese, or Colby Cheese. 

Fresh baked cheesy breakfast potato casserole topped with green onions.

Making Ahead and Storing

STORE leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

FREEZE leftovers in the freezer for later. Reheat in the microwave or oven if you have a large amount. 

Make ahead of time. Make this Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole up to 24 hours in advance – perfect for Christmas morning!

  • Cover and keep it in the fridge until ready to make. A few minutes may need to be added to the cooking time.
  • 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.
Close up of cheesy breakfast potato casserole topped with green onions.

Recipe FAQ

Can I use fresh potatoes instead of frozen hashbrowns?

You definitely can! Peel and dice 20 oz of fresh russet potatoes to use instead of the frozen kind. Don’t soak them, because the starch from the potatoes will thicken the casserole as it bakes. 

Do I have to use precooked sausage?

You can use the precooked sausage crumbles you find in the freezer section of the grocery store, or you can use uncooked sausage. Simply brown the sausage in a skillet and drain excess fat before incorporating into the breakfast casserole.

Can I make this breakfast potato casserole ahead of time?

Of course! One of the best features of this casserole is that it can be made up to 24 hours before baking. See the details above in the section titled, “Making Ahead and Storing”.

For more yummy Breakfast recipes:

4.99 from 268 votes

Cheesy Breakfast Potato Casserole Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
Cheesy Breakfast Potato Casserole takes minutes to make and is a perfect make-ahead meal! It will become a breakfast favorite.
Servings: 12
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 40 minutes

Ingredients 

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

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-x-13-inch baking dish.
  • 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 over the top. Place back in the oven and bake for an additional 3–5 minutes.

Video

Notes

Make Ahead. Make this breakfast potato casserole through Step 2 up to 24 hours in advance. Just cover and keep in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Uncover and bake; you may need to add a few additional minutes to the baking time.
Variations:
  • Mexican: Add chopped bell peppers and use Mexican blend cheese instead of cheddar.
  • Meat Lovers’: Add cooked bacon along with the sausage.
  • Low-Fat: Omit the meat and add a cup of chopped spinach and other vegetables.

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.

Additional Info

Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
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Share it with us on Instagram using the hashtag #lilluna, so we can see what you’re creating in the kitchen!

About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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Recipe Rating




83 Comments

  1. 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!

  2. Karin says:

    How long does it last after cooking?

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      I will reheat it for a few days after.

  3. 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!

  4. 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!

  5. 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.

  6. 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 😉

  7. 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.

  8. 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!

  9. 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!

  10. 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!