Sausage Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

This Sausage Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole is loaded with goodies and so easy to make! It’s perfect for everything from meal prepping to holiday and weekend breakfasts. There are even make-ahead and overnight options as well to make this recipe even easier. This egg casserole is a household favorite for us for everything from holiday breakfast to taking along with us camping.

This is one of those recipes that just makes life easier all around. The inspiration for it came from my sister-in-law’s mom. She often makes a recipe for a breakfast bake that’s commonly called a ‘wife saver’ although I think it has other names as well.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Sausage, Bacon, or both – I make this recipe with sausage or bacon, or sometimes a mix of both for a variation. For sausage, any bulk breakfast sausage works here, or mix it up with something like chorizo. I you have precooked sausage links, thinly slice them and skip the cooking adding them straight to the casserole to bake.
• Veggies – I used spinach and diced roasted peppers along with some green onion. You can use any veggies you like in a breakfast bake as long as they’re bite-sized. Also, avoid anything hard like butternut squash because it takes too long to bake for this casserole. Or you can pre-cook the veggie of your choice to add.
• Hash browns – I’ve used both frozen hash browns, grated raw potato, and grated cooked potatoes in this recipe. Grated potato is the best budget option because frozen hash browns can be costly.
• Eggs – the essential ingredient to hold all of this egg casserole together.
• Herbs / Spices – I like to make this recipe in its simplest form without any seasoning other than salt and pepper most of the time. This allows the flavor of the sausage and veggies to shine. However that being said, I sometimes add 1 teaspoon dried herbs (like Italian seasoning) or 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh basil.
• Cheese – you don’t need to add cheese if you’re dairy-free, but I love adding grated/shredded cheddar cheese or crumbled feta as another way to mix things up. You can use mozzarella or Swiss cheese, but I personally lean towards the most flavorful cheeses like sharp cheddar/feta for this sausage egg casserole.

Step 1: Prep all of the veggies. You can use fresh red bell peppers, but at this time of year, I often use jarred roasted peppers. They’re both convenient and most of the time more affordable in our area during the colder months.

If you use fresh bell peppers, sauté them briefly with the sausage or bacon.

Step 2: Next we’re going to sauté your meat of choice in a large skillet. In this particular batch, I used a mix of sausage and bacon. You really can’t go wrong with either one or a mix of both!

You can also use finely diced-up ham as well, but don’t cook it in this step, brown the hash browns on their own.

Step 3: After the sausage/bacon is done, add the hashbrowns without draining off any grease. The grease will help you to brown the hash browns.

If you use the grated potato, add it in at this step, it will just take a little bit longer to cook. Cook over medium-high heat to brown the potato.

Ways to serve this

• Serve this Sausage Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole recipe on its own with simple sides like fresh fruit or my Winter Fruit Salad.
• Make it a special occasion breakfast or brunch by adding my Paleo Blueberry Muffins or Almond Flour Banana Muffins to the menu. If you have lots of zucchini around in the summer, pair this casserole with my Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Muffins. For holiday breakfasts I like to pair this casserole with my Paleo Cranberry Orange Muffins.
• Add a side dish of potatoes with my Instant Pot Crispy Potatoes, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, or Rosemary Potatoes.
• Serve this casserole with my Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits for a fun brunch menu. You can use fresh fruit with those parfaits or make either my Berry Sauce or Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce.
• Add extra veggies by serving this breakfast casserole on a bed of greens, (arugula is my favorite) and/or add some sliced avocado.

Storing leftovers

• To store – place any leftover breakfast casserole into an airtight container and refrigerate for 4-5 days.
• Make ahead – see the make ahead tips below for a full rundown!
• Reheating – the easiest way to reheat this casserole is to microwave until heated. But I’ve also reheated several slices in the oven, (a toaster oven also works) in a covered dish until heated at 250ºF for about 15 minutes. You can also eat this casserole cold, we take it camping all the time and eat it straight out of the cooler before we head out hiking!
• To freeze – place any leftover breakfast casserole into an airtight container and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you have a lot of casserole slices to freeze, place layers of parchment paper between the slices to prevent sticking. This is helpful to get a slice or two out at a time. You can also freeze the slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and then transfer to a freezer container to prevent sticking. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

Dietary Options & Substitutions

• Dairy-free – make sure whatever sausage you use is dairy-free. Breakfast sausage is usually dairy-free, but it’s always best to check the labels.
• Paleo & Whole30 – check the labels for the sausage and hash browns to make sure they’re Whole30 compliant. Frozen hash browns often have added oil that is not Whole30. And sausage can have dairy, sugar, and other additives in it.
• No allergies – if you don’t have allergies/dietary needs, I love making this casserole with the optional cheese listed in the recipe. You can also use any kind of milk desired, I’ve personally tested this recipe with regular milk, half and half, heavy cream, almond milk, and coconut milk.

More Egg Breakfast Recipe Inspiration

• Breakfast Salad with Everything Bagel Dressing
• Vegetarian Breakfast Casserole
• Western Omelet Chaffles
• Mexican Sweet Potato Bowls
• Sweet Potato Avocado Toast