This Easy Breakfast Casserole is a Crowd-Pleasing Favorite

Best Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole : This easy country breakfast casserole is simple to throw together and bake. Easy prep time and cook time is less than an hour. It’s filled with sausage and hash browns, and covered in cheese.

Here’s a confession. I don’t make breakfast. Not during usual breakfast hours. I’ll make breakfast for supper, but I hate cooking breakfast first thing in the morning. Who wants to pull out a bunch of pots of pans and mess up a tidy kitchen that early? Not me. That’s why my kids eat a banana or something else quick for breakfast. So when I do make a hearty breakfast, it’s always a real treat.

If you’re like me and don’t want to cook first thing in the morning, this country breakfast casserole is an easy one that is filled with flavor. Although I do love a great French toast casserole, that to me is more of a dessert not a meal, so I think this one is the best make ahead breakfast casserole recipe you’ll find because it’s filled with all those great filling breakfast favorites.

So go ahead and bookmark this page so you can grab the ingredients and try it this week. It’s a great one for special occasions, like Mother’s Day or Easter brunch, and of course, great for Christmas morning. 

Here’s why this one is a super smart one: You get the entire thing ready the night before and the next morning simply toss it in the oven to bake. More than that, though, it is out of this world delicious. It’s a hearty one that’s filled with sausage and eggs. Plus, it smells wonderful while baking, which is a great way to wake up the rest of the family. They’ll jump from bed just to get a bite of this one.

As our all-time best make ahead breakfast casserole, I always recommend this one for special occasions or when you have a big family gathering for breakfast or brunch. That’s why it’s a fabulous idea for Christmas breakfast, too. Again, though, it’s a great idea for planning ahead when you know you’ll have a busy morning or even for dinner. Who says a breakfast casserole must be served in the mornings anyway? If you’re looking for a great one, here’s how I like to make mine.

HOW TO MAKE A CASSEROLE OUT OF ANYTHING

Best Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients

1 lb. mild breakfast sausage

3 cups frozen shredded hash browns, thawed

2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese

8 eggs, lightly beaten

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

3/4 cup evaporated milk

salt and pepper to taste

Directions for Breakfast Casserole Recipe

Crumble up the sausage in a skillet and cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain and transfer to a greased 9 x 13 baking dish.

Sprinkle the shredded hash browns over the top of the sausage and top with the shredded cheese.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour over the entire top of the sausage, hash browns, and cheese.

Cover the casserole and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, remove the casserole from the refrigerator for about 30 minutes or so before baking.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bake the breakfast casserole, uncovered, for about 45 minutes or until the center of the casserole is set. Enjoy!

Breakfast Casserole Variations

As with any casserole – check out my HOW TO MAKE A CASSEROLE OUT OF ANYTHING – you can easily vary the ingredients in this recipe to make it suit your family’s tastes. Add spinach, mushrooms, bell pepper, onion or other veggies, bacon, ham, pretty much anything in your fridge of leftovers that work well in an omelet. You can even throw in some salsa and top with avocado or cilantro for more of a TexMex dish.

This breakfast casserole is a basic start to use as a building block for pretty much any egg mixture. We happen to like it just as is because, well, it’s delicious with all that sausage and cheese, but of course, you the ingredients you have on hand. I am a huge component for using what you have. I haven’t tried it, but I’ll bet you could even substitute the frozen hash browns for tater tots. I mean it’s potatoes either way. Just follow the instructions for the basic casserole and then add in whatever veggies or protein you want!

What to serve with breakfast casserole for brunch?

Since this casserole is such a hearty one, you don’t need much as a side dish. For brunch, serve this recipe with a simple fresh salad or a small bowl of fresh seasonal fruits. 

 

Don’t forget to check at our easy Dinner Casserole recipes, too!

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Simply click on the recipe card and print your own copy of our best make ahead breakfast casserole recipe. I hope your family will enjoy it as much as we do!