This satisfying + easy breakfast casserole is made with mild Italian sausage, fresh grated hashed browns, whole eggs, and plenty of cheese.
Every once in a while, I like to toss a savory recipe your way. 😉 And if you’re like me, you like an easy savory meal, namely an easy breakfast. Something that comes together quickly is preferable over a long and drawn out process, but you definitely don’t want to sacrifice taste or quality in the process. Enter my Easy Breakfast Casserole. This hearty delight comes together in about 15 minutes, and bakes for 40. In your oven and then in your belly in an hour, and that’s a pretty great start to the day.
What you’ll need to make this easy breakfast casserole:
Potatoes, shredded
Onion powder
All natural mild Italian sausage
Large whole eggs
Whole or 2% milk
Salt
Pepper
Nutmeg
Stone ground mustard
Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Parmesan cheese, shredded
Butter for the casserole dish
The Making
Butter a small- medium sized casserole dish (10” oval or so), and set aside.
Begin to prepare the dish by shredding the potatoes to create hashed browns. I shredded the whole potato because I love fresh hashed brown and also enjoy the skins, but the skins go very unnoticed in this recipe. So don’t bother peeling those potatoes ahead of time even if you traditionally don’t love skins. You can also use frozen hashed browns. We’ll get to that in a minute.
Brown the sausage in a pan on high heat, ensuring that you keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn. Chop the larger pieces up and when it is done, transfer it to a bowl. The sausage I used gave off a very small amount of grease, so I didn’t bother to drain it. You can drain your sausage for a minute or so if you prefer to let that run off. Add the hashed browns directly to the still warm sausage pan, sautéing with the onion powder for about five minutes. If you are using frozen hashed browns, sauté until they are thawed and slightly warm, about ten minutes instead of five.
Transfer the potatoes to the prepared casserole dish.
In a medium bowl, add the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and mustard. Whisk until combined, about 30 seconds.
The Assembling and Baking
To assemble the casserole, layer the sausage on top of the potatoes. Pour the egg mixture all over the casserole, ensuring that it is somewhat even. Layer ¾ of the cheddar cheese on top of the casserole, and then add the Parmesan cheese in the same manner. You will reserve the ¼ cup of remaining cheddar cheese to crumble on top of the casserole about ten minutes before it is done baking. Bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes, or until bubbly and golden on the edges. Serve with fruit and yogurt, or simply as is.
Additions and Variations
I hope you love this easy breakfast casserole! You can make some fun additions to create an even more unique casserole. Sauté you favorite peppers with the potatoes, and add some pepper jack cheese to give it some additional kick as well. Layer in mushrooms, spinach, or kale for a few healthy veggies. Really you can add whatever you would like in an omelet to this amazing casserole, it would be delicious.
If you need a savory lunch idea, try my Veggie Garlic Naan Pizza.
Have a wonderful New Years Eve! Be safe, and here’s to a marvelous 2022 because Jesus is on the throne, He is coming back soon, and life is a gift even through all of the crazy and the hard. Much love to all of you today!
XO,
Heather
Easy Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 Cups potatoes, shredded
- ½ tablespoon onion powder
- 1 Pound all natural mild Italian sausage
- 4 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ tablespoon stone ground mustard
- 1 Cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 Cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Shred the potatoes, skin and all. Alternatively you can use frozen hashed browns as well if you prefer.
- Brown the sausage in a medium pan on the stove on high heat, being careful to watch it so it does not burn. Once browned, remove to a dish. You can drain the sausage if you prefer, I did not drain mine as it let off a very small amount of greese.
- Add the hashed browns to the still warm sausage pan. Sauté with the onion powder for five minutes, ten if you’re using frozen hashed browns. You want the frozen variety to be completely thawed and slightly warm.
- Transfer the potatoes to the prepared casserole dish.
- In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and mustard. Whisk until combined, about 30 seconds.
- Pour the sausage evenly over the potatoes in the casserole dish. Drizzle the egg mixture evenly over the sausage layer. Add ¾ cup of the cheddar cheese on top, and the full cup of Parmesan cheese. You will reserve the ¼ cup of cheddar for ten minutes before the dish is done baking.
- Bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes, or until bubbly and golden on the edges. At the 25-30 minute mark, carefully add the remaining ¼ cup of cheddar to the dish and allow it to melt during the last ten minutes of baking. Remove to a wire rack and cool for five minutes. Serve hot with fresh fruit and yogurt. Enjoy!
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