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This is truly the BEST Breakfast Casserole! It has a thick and creamy egg base loaded with shredded potatoes, chunks of ham, and flavorful cheese blends that bake up in no time. Make this to enjoy Christmas morning or brunch any time of year.
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make: This is so easy to throw together. It only takes about 5 minutes to get everything together. The hard part is waiting for it to be done cooking!
- Make Ahead: Make this ahead of time, and when ready to bake, simply take it out of the refrigerator and bake.
- Family Favorite: Your family will love this easy breakfast casserole this holiday season. I have our traditional Sticky buns on the menu for Christmas, along with this amazing casserole.
Family Tradition
Breakfast casserole reminds me of Christmas morning. The smells, the ooey gooey cheese, and the smokey chunks of ham are just so good! I always loved waking up to it on Christmas morning! It is perfect the way it is, but if you want to switch up the cheese, meat, or potatoes, you totally can! You can also add some veggies! Get creative and make this part of your family traditions!
Ingredients Needed
How to Make a Breakfast Casserole
This breakfast casserole recipe is the BEST because of how simple it comes together and is in the oven in just minutes. This tried and true breakfast casserole tastes amazing, and I know your whole family will love it!
- Prepare Frozen Hash Browns: Spray a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Add the frozen shredded hash browns to the bottom of the prepared pan. Season with salt and pepper.
- Whisk Eggs/ Add Remaining Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the half and half and seasoned salt, then whisk to combine. Stir in the shredded cheese and chopped ham.
- Pour Into Pan and Refrigerate: Pour over the top of the frozen hash browns, then cover with foil and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
- Bake: Bake uncovered at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 60-75 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Mix It Up!
Try some of these fun variations in this breakfast casserole and find what you enjoy best!
- Can I add vegetables? Add in some veggies like bell peppers, spinach or kale, tomato (fresh or canned), broccoli, mushrooms, or onions are great.
- Do I have to use ham? You can use bacon, variations of sausage, shredded chicken, ground beef, or leftover turkey.
- Do I have to use Half & Half? If you’re not a fan of half and half, you can use whipping cream for a thicker, richer breakfast, or you can simply use milk.
- Can I use any kind of cheese? Switch up which cheese you use. Try Swiss cheese, Colby jack, or mozzarella, which all work well and melt perfectly when baked.
- How can I make this spicy? Adding red pepper flakes, green chilies, or green onions is a fun way to add a little heat.
- Can I use different potatoes? Diced or flavorful frozen potatoes will work great in place of shredded potatoes.
Tips for Making Breakfast Casserole
Here are some tips for making this breakfast casserole even better and easier on you. These tips will help you better understand how to bake this breakfast for you to enjoy with your family.
- Do I Need to Thaw the Frozen Hash Browns? There is no need to thaw the potatoes because they will thaw as they sit in the refrigerator. However, they would cook up perfectly if they were to cook from frozen!
- How Do I Know When the Casserole is Done? Once the outside edges become golden brown and the egg mixture in the middle is firm. You can check by slightly shaking the pan to see if it jiggles. Use a toothpick or knife to check if it is completely cooked through the middle. You can also use a thermometer to see if the breakfast casserole has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Short on Time? Allowing your casserole to refrigerate ahead of time creates the best results, and I highly recommend it! But if you’re short on time, you can assemble the casserole and bake it right away without refrigerating.
- Drain Grease: If you use any other meat in the breakfast casserole, drain the meat before adding it to the dish.
Storing Breakfast Casserole
There are so many options and plans for this breakfast casserole to make your holiday mornings even easier and better.
- In the Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
- To Reheat: To reheat the breakfast casserole, microwave individual servings until warmed through.
- In the Freezer: Yes, this is perfect for freezing. Make and bake your breakfast casserole. Once it has completely cooled down, place it in an airtight container or ziplock bag. Lay flat in your freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw from frozen in the refrigerator over night. Warm individual servings in the microwave until warmed through.
- Make Ahead Instructions: Simply follow the instructions until you are ready to bake. Cover it with aluminum foil or a lid and place it in your fridge. When you are ready to bake, simply take it out and bake it according to the instructions. This can sit in the fridge for up to 2 days before baking.
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The Best Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 24 ounces frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 12 large eggs
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 ½ cups shredded pepper jack cheese
- 2 cups chopped ham sausage, bacon, or preferred meat
Instructions
- Spray a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Add 24 ounces frozen shredded hash brown potatoes to the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 12 large eggs. Add 2 cups half and half and 1 teaspoon seasoned salt then whisk to combine. Stir in 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, 1 ½ cups shredded pepper jack cheese, and 2 cups chopped ham.
- Pour the egg mixture over the frozen hash browns. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Bake uncovered at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 60-75 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with green onions, if desired!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve made this a few times and improved on it each time.. super delicious and always a hit with my crowd. I now make this in a larger pan, use 13 eggs, 4 cups of whipping cream, and maple sausages. I layer starting with tater tots, then add my sliced sausage pieces, sprinkle with the three kinds of cheese, then I slowly pour the egg and whipping cream mix over the entire pan and sprinkle top with one pre chopped orange bell pepper. I also keep the foil on the first hour then take off so it can crisp up.
Do you think hash browns would be a good alternative to shredded potatoes? We don’t seem to carry them at our local store.
Or, could I just shred a few fresh potatoes instead?
Hashbrowns or freshly shredded potatoes would work great! Let me know how you like it!
I use Costco’s breakfast hash as my bottom layer and use their Tex Mex shredded cheese and with cooked and crumbled bacon with farmers sausage and of course extra cheese
Usually not a fan of b’fast casseroles, but this one blew me away. The only issue was cooking time; mine was done in 40 minutes, not 90. Let it sit for about twenty covered loosely with foil. Shredded potatoes made an excellent base and the eggs were almost custard-like while the top was perfectly browned and bubbly. I added chopped broccoli; delish! Next time I’ll try chopped spinach. Thanks for the recipe – fabulous!
I tried making the recipe for the first time! Very delicious!
This recipe is delicious and great for an easy brunch option, being able to prepare ahead of time. I used mushroom, spinach, and Gouda.
Outstanding!
My potatoes were not shredded either. I cut my fresh potatoes like french fries. The whole thing was delicious!!
I made it this morning. I think it turned out yummy, but next time I’ll make it in 2 smaller dishes, put ham and onions in one, sausage or bacon in the other. (my son-in-law doesn’t like ham or onions)
I changed it up a bit by using Colby Jack instead of Cheddar (it’s what I had), I used sausage instead of ham and I made 2/3 of the recipe, so 8 eggs instead of 12, etc. I used a bag of Simply Potatoes (shredded & not frozen). I made it in a 9 x 13 dish, but it only needed an hour, not 90 minutes. I covered it with foil the last 15 minutes or so because it was getting brown. I will definitely make it again, it was a hit!
When you reheat it the next day how do you recommend doing that?
I like to bake it in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes or until it is warm. You can also heat it up in the microwave.
Do I have to use half and half?
Half and half is best!
I want to add chopped bacon to this recipe. Does the bacon have to be cooked prior?
Yes, I would cook the bacon ahead of time.
Can you make this with fresh potatoes diced and fried and added to the bottom?
I have not tried it that way. Let me know how it turns out!
Can this sit in the refrigerator for 48 hours before being cooked?
It is best to make it within 24 hours.
I added every veggie to this! Peppers, onions, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms! It was so good
I just made this dish. I added 16 ounces of green pork chili instead of ham. And I used 16 eggs in a larger dish. I let it sit over night. Turned out great! And it was even better warmed up later in the day.
Hi I am wondering if you have to refrigerate for 2 hours?
It is best to refrigerate to soak in, and let the egg mixture flow throughout the pan. It is not mandatory but helps bake quicker and softens the potatoes.
If I wanted to freeze this should I freeze it before or after it’s baked?
This should be frozen after it is baked.