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This hearty hashbrown and sausage breakfast casserole is pure comfort in a dish! With savory breakfast sausage, crispy hashbrowns, and melty sharp cheddar cheese all baked together in one pan, it’s the ultimate make-ahead brunch dish that feeds a crowd with minimal effort!
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why This Recipe is So Good
- This breakfast casserole serves 6-8 people generously, making it awesome for weekend brunch, holiday mornings, or when you’ve got overnight guests. Everyone gets a hot, satisfying breakfast at the same time—no short-order cook duties required!
- This dish is sooo easy to make—we’re talking maybe 15 minutes of active work before this goes in the oven. Brown the sausage, make the gravy, layer everything, and walk away. The oven does all the heavy lifting while you enjoy your coffee and actually get to hang out with your family.
- Pressed for time? Assemble this the night before, cover it, and pop it in the fridge. In the morning, just add 10-15 minutes to the bake time since it’s going in cold. This is a game-changer for stress-free holiday mornings when you’ve got a million other things going on!
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What You Need to Know Before You Start
- I know it’s tempting to just layer everything and call it a day, but cooking the flour into the sausage drippings and then adding the milk creates a gravy that binds everything together beautifully. This step is what transforms this from a dry casserole into a creamy, cohesive dish that tastes like Christmas morning!
- Use frozen hashbrowns straight from the bag—no thawing needed! Seriously, don’t thaw them first. Frozen hashbrowns have less moisture, which means your casserole won’t end up watery. Just break up any big clumps before layering them in the dish, and you’re off to the races!
- Let it rest for 5-10 minutes after baking. This isn’t just about avoiding burned tongues (though that’s important too). Letting the casserole sit allows the gravy to set slightly, making it much easier to cut clean slices instead of ending up with a sloppy mess on the plate.
- While sharp cheddar is classic and provides great flavor, you can absolutely swap in pepper jack for some heat, gruyere for a more sophisticated flavor, or a Mexican cheese blend if you’re going in a Tex-Mex direction with some added jalapeños and cilantro.
Recipe Variations
Tex-Mex Style: Use chorizo or spicy breakfast sausage, swap the cheddar for a Mexican cheese blend, and add diced green chiles to the gravy. Top with fresh cilantro, diced tomatoes, and sliced jalapeños. Serve with salsa and sour cream on the side.
Veggie-Loaded Version: Add 1 cup diced bell peppers and 1 cup sliced mushrooms to the sausage as it cooks. You could also fold in some spinach or kale for extra greens.
Southern Twist: Use country sausage and add a good dose of black pepper to the gravy. Top with crumbled bacon before baking for even more breakfast meat goodness.
Lighter Option: Use turkey breakfast sausage, skim milk, and reduce the cheese to 1 cup total. It won’t be quite as rich, but it’ll still be satisfying and delicious.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can, but you’ll need to partially cook them first. Shred about 1 1/2 pounds of russet potatoes, rinse well to remove excess starch, and pat completely dry. Sauté them in a bit of butter for about 5 minutes before layering. My lazy opinion: frozen hashbrowns are honestly easier and give more consistent results.
I wouldn’t share this recipe if you couldn’t! Assemble the casserole completely, cover tightly with plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed, adding 5-10 minutes to the bake time if needed.
Fresh fruit, yogurt parfaits, biscuits, toast, or a simple green salad if you’re serving it for brunch. Coffee and orange juice are classic beverage pairings. Try out our Homemade Disney POG Juice Recipe for the kiddos, and for the adults, these POG Juice Mimosas are a hit! Keep sides simple since this casserole is already pretty hearty and filling.
An 8×8 pan is perfect for 6-8 servings, but you can double the recipe and use a 9×13 pan for a crowd (12-16 servings). Add about 10-15 minutes to the bake time for the larger pan. A smaller 7×11 pan would work too if that’s what you have.
The cheese should be melted and bubbly, the edges should be golden brown, and when you insert a fork into the center, the potatoes should be tender. If the top is browning too quickly but the potatoes aren’t done, tent loosely with foil and continue baking.
More Yummy Brunch Recipes
- High Protein Pumpkin Pancakes (with Cinnamon Butter)
- Breakfast Cottage Cheese Bowl with Sausage & Sweet Potatoes
- Paleo Breakfast Bake with Sweet Potatoes and Apples
- Egg Bites with Cottage Cheese
- Red Eye Gravy with Country Ham
- Crockpot Breakfast Casserole
- Tonga Toast French Toast Casserole
- Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole with Eggs and Sausage (Whole30, Dairy Free, Gluten Free)
- Whole30 Breakfast Tacos
- Copycat Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole
- Denver Omelette
- Breakfast Taco Casserole
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Sausage and Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole
Equipment
- 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish
- Heavy large skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound bulk breakfast sausage
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups milk or half and half
- 1 pound package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
- 1 small bunch green onions about 4-5, finely chopped
- 1 ½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish and set aside.
- Cook 1 pound bulk breakfast sausage in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until completely browned, breaking into small pieces with back of spoon, about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoons all purpose flour over cooked sausage and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in 1 1/2 cups milk or half and half, stirring constantly. Cook until mixture thickens and comes to boil, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Spread 1 1-pound package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes evenly in prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle one-third of finely chopped green onions over potatoes.
- Add 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese in even layer.
- Top with another third of chopped green onions.
- Pour sausage gravy mixture evenly over layers.
- Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese on top.
- Bake casserole until potatoes are tender when pierced with fork and cheese is melted and bubbly, about 45 minutes.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining green onions. Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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