The beauty of a hash brown egg bake is that you can combine whatever ingredients you enjoy into a portable and delicious package, and it’ll give you plenty of oomph to get you going in the morning. Like many breakfast recipes, our hearty breakfast casserole with hash browns packs in all the carbs and protein you need to fuel a workout or a busy workday.
While modern conveniences like frozen cubed hash browns and shredded cheese make this a winning dish for today’s bustling households, the term “hashed browns” was first used to describe potatoes in the 1880s, and around that time, chopped or shredded potato cakes began appearing on breakfast menus in New York City. The dish has similarities to a beloved Swiss dish called rösti potatoes, which has been around since the 16th century.
This egg bake with hash browns keeps it super simple, which means it’s a perfect place to flex your culinary muscles: Try adding seasonings and spices to customize the dish to your desires. Egg casserole recipes like this are great to whip up at the beginning of the week so you can pack up servings to eat on the go. But this hash brown egg casserole is also delicious enough to serve for a boozy brunch or a holiday buffet.
Ingredients for Breakfast Casserole with Hash Browns
- Frozen cubed hash browns: Purchasing a package of frozen ‘taters makes this recipe a breeze. Cubed potatoes are called for, but you could just as easily make this recipe with frozen shredded potatoes. There are lots of hash brown breakfast casseroles to use up any extra.
- Bacon: Bacon gives the casserole a lot of its flavor, so go for a thick-cut, premium bacon if you can (these are our Test Kitchen’s picks for best bacon brands). You can make your bacon chewy or crunchy, depending on your preference, but if you make it crisp, don’t be surprised when it softens as it cooks into the casserole.
- Cheddar cheese: The sharper the cheese, the more tangy and tasty the hash brown egg bake will be. I use Hunters Cheddar from Cabot, one of the best cheese shops in America, and shred it to order. Shredded cheddar cheese saves time but usually costs more per pound, and often has added ingredients to keep the shreds separate and inhibit mold.
- Eggs: Large eggs are what you want, here. Use cage-free or free-range eggs, or some from your favorite local farm. The latter will give you a nutritional boost.
- Milk: This recipe calls for 2% milk, but if you prefer whole milk, that’s fine, too. Don’t do dairy milk? Choose the best nondairy milk as a substitute.
- Seasonings: The base recipe for our hash brown breakfast casserole only calls for salt and paprika, but you can spice up this recipe with any seasonings you like. Some of these spice blends might fit the bill.
Directions
Step 1: Make the base mixture
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine the hash browns, bacon, 1/2 cup cheese and salt. Spoon into a greased 13×9-inch baking dish.
Step 2: Whisk the eggs
In another large bowl, whisk the eggs and milk until combined and uniform in color, and pour over the hash brown mixture. Sprinkle with paprika.
Editor’s tip: If you like to use minimal dishes when you cook, you could make the potato and bacon mixture, put it into the pan, and use the same bowl for whisking the eggs and milk. You don’t even need to wash it out in between.
Step 3: Bake the casserole
Bake, uncovered, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Recipe Variations
- Mix up the meats: Any of the classic breakfast meats, such as sausage or ham, would be perfect in this casserole. Want to get wilder? The recipe calls for meat that is already cooked, so try adding in exciting leftovers and give the dish your own spin. You could use barbecued pulled pork or roasted chicken, for instance. For a Tex-Mex spin, try cooked and crumbled chorizo or seasoned taco meat.
- Make a veggie version: You can add veggies to the original hash brown egg casserole—bell peppers and onions would be a classic choice—but you can also make the egg bake minus the meat. Add sauteed crimini or button mushrooms, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, spinach, shredded Brussels sprouts or baby kale.
- Get global: Let the cuisines of the world inspire your breakfast. You could try a Greek egg bake with spinach, tomato and feta, plus some garlic and oregano. Swap in chorizo for the bacon and a few sprinkles of smoked paprika for a Spanish twist. Take cues from our favorite southern recipes and use fresh or frozen corn, andouille sausage and some wilted collards.
- Turn up the heat: Like things spicy? You could add in some chopped fresh or canned chiles, or lace the egg mixture with a little bit of your favorite hot sauce. You could also sprinkle on chipotle or cayenne powder when you add the paprika.
- Change the cheese: You can’t really go wrong with cheese and eggs. This dish would be lovely with a nutty, melty Swiss cheese such as Emmental or Gruyere, a smooth and creamy Monterey Jack, or pretty much any other kind of cheese that you can think of.
How to Store Hash Brown Egg Casserole
The FDA recommends eating cooked egg dishes within three to four days. After baking your casserole, let it cool on the counter, cover it tightly and store it in the fridge.
Can you make breakfast casserole with hash browns ahead of time?
Raw eggs are pretty perishable, so if you want to prep the dish in advance, make sure that you cook it within two days. Plan to take it out of the fridge around 30 minutes before you want to put it in the oven. If you’d like to keep an unbaked egg casserole for longer, you can cover it tightly and keep it in the freezer for up to two months.
Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole Tips
Should you bake hash brown egg casserole covered or uncovered?
It depends on the casserole recipe, so always follow the instructions. For this hash brown egg bake, we recommend baking it uncovered at 350°.
What can you serve with hash brown breakfast casserole?
If you’ve chosen to add veggies to the casserole, this could be considered a one-dish meal, but if not, serving a simple vegetable dish on the side would be a perfect accompaniment. Greens are wonderful with eggs, so sauteed spinach or kale would be nice. Parmesan roasted broccoli or roasted herb-lemon cauliflower would also work well. Serving it to a crowd? Don’t forget the mimosas!
