Sausage Potato Breakfast Casserole

Amethyst · December 7, 2025, 6:28pm

Sausage Potato Breakfast Casserole

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients:

8 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
24 ounces frozen diced hash browns, Two 12-ounce bags thawed, see notes section.
1 pound breakfast sausage
2 cups cheddar cheese, divided
2 stalks green onion, sliced, optional

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish lightly with cooking oil.

Break the eggs into a mixing bowl. Add milk, thyme, salt, and pepper to the eggs and mix with a whisk until the eggs are well mixed.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Break up the sausage meat in the skillet with a wooden spatula. and cook until browned, usually about 10 minutes. Drain any excess oil from the pan.

Place the drained sausage meat, 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese, and the potatoes in the baking dish. Mix the ingredients together in the pan and spread evenly over the dish. Pour the egg mixture all over the potato and sausage in the pan.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake the casserole for 45-50 minutes.

Top the casserole with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Place the casserole back in the oven, uncovered, until the cheese is melted for about 5-10 minutes. Then top with diced green onions if desired, serve, and enjoy!

Notes:

Watch carefully for the last 5-10 minutes, melting the cheese. The cheese gets a little too crispy if left too long, especially around the edges. This can make the casserole end up a little too dry.

Swaps And Substitution Ideas:

This recipe is pretty easy to make simple swaps of items you may already have on hand, and still have a good breakfast casserole. Try some of these ideas.

Swap the hashbrowns– You can easily swap frozen shredded hashbrowns or other frozen diced potatoes, including the O’Brien potatoes with peppers and onions. If using other frozen hashbrowns that come in different-sized bags, you can add four cups of frozen potatoes and then half a cup of mixed diced onion and bell pepper to the casserole, too, if you prefer.

Swap the meat– You can swap out up to two cups of other diced meats into this recipe. You MUST cook the meat before adding it to the casserole to ensure it is cooked all the way through. Try bacon, ham, or chicken sausage!

Make it vegetarian– You can leave out the meat if you prefer in this breakfast casserole, making it easily a vegetarian dish.

Add more vegetables– You can swap out or add a few more vegetables to this dish. Try spinach or kale (wilt it in a pan over medium heat, then add so the egg doesn’t get watery), diced red bell peppers, mushrooms, olives, asparagus sliced into one-inch pieces, broccoli in bite-sized pieces, or even corn. Add the vegetables to the potato mixture before adding the eggs. Start by adding 1/2- 3/4 cup of extra vegetables without affecting the final cook time too much.

Swap the cheese– We’ve used shredded cheddar cheese in this recipe, but you can certainly swap other shredded-style cheeses into this recipe. Try Pepper Jack, sharp cheddar, mozzarella, or even a blend.

What’s The Difference Between This Breakfast Casserole Recipe And Quiche?

Quiche and this baked breakfast casserole are pretty similar overall. Both are packed full of fluffy eggs, savory herbs, and an assortment of meat, cheese, and vegetables.

Quiche is typically baked in a pie-sized dish with a crust. Breakfast casserole typically is made in a square or rectangular pan and doesn’t have to have a crust (but can have a crust!)

How Do I Prep This Sausage Breakfast Casserole To Make Breakfast Ahead Of Time?

You can prep this casserole up to a day ahead of time in the fridge, just leave the cheese off the top. Then pop the casserole in the preheated oven when you’re ready to bake.
Can I Substitute Fresh Potatoes For Frozen Hash Browns?

Yes, you can substitute fresh potatoes for frozen hashbrowns in this recipe, but only certain types of potatoes work well. Red potatoes and yellow waxy potatoes work ok, using from fresh as long as you dice them small.

I have had readers tell me they used russet potatoes or other types of baking potatoes, and the potatoes simply didn’t cook enough to be tender. If you don’t have small yellow or red potatoes I recommend parboiling the potatoes in water before dicing them and adding them to the casserole.

How To Add Red Potatoes Or Yellow Potatoes To This Breakfast Casserole:

You will need about 4 1/2 cups total of potatoes. You can also use 4 cups of potatoes and a 1/2 cup that’s a mix of finely diced onions and bell pepper.

Dice the potatoes into small bite-sized pieces or shred the potatoes like hashbrowns. Place the potatoes in a bowl of cold water for at least ten minutes.

Drain the water and dry the potatoes well with paper towels. Then add the dried potatoes to your casserole.
How Do I Reheat This Egg Casserole?

Reheating in the microwave by the slice works easiest for this casserole. I’ve found that if I reheat it in the oven after it’s already been baked, it gets a little dry.

How Long Does This Casserole Last?

After cooking, you can store it in a container with a lid for up to three days in the refrigerator.

Can You Freeze Leftovers Of This Sausage Egg Casserole?

Yes, this casserole freezes very well! I like to portion out slices when I store them between pieces of freezer paper, then place them inside zip-top freezer bags. Freeze extra slices for up to three months for the best results.

Nutritional Facts:

Recipe courtesy of On My Kid’s Plate.com