Sausage Egg Hash Brown Casserole (87 cents/serving)

Enjoy a flavorful breakfast or brunch with this Italian Sausage Egg Hash Brown Casserole. It’s very make-ahead, making it a great way to start the day.

Do you wake up hungry each morning but find yourself not really wanting to expend much effort in the kitchen? Do you wish there was something quick and filling to start the day with? Have you wondered how to reconcile a love for breakfast with one’s own agenda to be out of the kitchen?

A make-ahead breakfast casserole is the answer. To be specific, this Sausage Egg Hash Brown Casserole.

Sausage Egg Hash Brown Casserole

This sausage egg hash brown casserole comes together super quickly. It can be made in advance as a casserole or as components that assemble in a flash. It serves a crowd without your having to stand at the stove messing.

In a word — or two — this is breakfast perfection.

There are lots of ways you can go with a sausage egg hash brown casserole to vary the flavors and keep it interesting.

• Add green chiles and cumin and go southwest.
• Add thyme and tarragon and call it a crustless quiche.
• Leave out the herbs and you’ve got something like a Spanish tortilla.
• Use Italian sausage and basil and top it all with tomato bruschetta? You’ve got an Italian breakfast mash-up.

Check out how easy it is to make in this video:

How do you make sausage egg hash brown casserole?

This sausage egg hash brown casserole comes together super quickly. 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a skillet saute the sausage and onion until the meat is no longer pink and the onion has become translucent.
3. Beat the eggs and stir in the milk and spices.
4. Layer the potatoes, sausage, cheese, and egg mixture in the prepared pan.
5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until set. Serve hot or warm, with bruschetta if you like.

Can I use fresh potatoes instead of frozen hash browns?

If you prefer you can use fresh potatoes instead of frozen hash browns. Simply cook and shred the potatoes and layer them in the baking dish according to the recipe.

Can I use different sausage?

We’ve made this casserole a dozen different ways. Feel free to use whatever sausage you like as well as cooked bacon or chopped ham. 

Can I make this dairy-free?

This casserole can be made dairy-free. Simply omit the milk and cheese. Increase the eggs to 12 to make sure you have enough custard to surround the fillings. 

Can you freeze egg casserole?

Egg casserole is one of my favorite meals to freeze. It makes breakfasts (or lunches or dinners!) super easy to pull off.

You can freeze this dish in one of two ways.

To freeze the assembled casserole:

1. Prepare the sausage and onion as directed. Chill it completely in the refrigerator.
2. Assemble the casserole as the recipe instructs, but do not bake it.
3. Instead, cover and freeze it immediately, for up to 6 weeks.
4. To serve: thaw overnight in the refrigerator prior to baking.

To freeze this as a kit:

1. Prepare the sausage and onion as directed. Package it in a ziptop freezer bag and chill it completely in the refrigerator.
2. Package the hash browns and cheese in separate ziptop freezer bags. 
3. Place all three bags into one larger bag and label with egg and seasoning amounts as well as baking instructions.
4. Store the kit in the freezer until ready to bake.
5. When ready to bake, layer the frozen ingredients in the baking dish, add the eggs and seasonings. Bake and serve.

How long can you keep egg casserole in the refrigerator?

Once baked, refrigerate leftovers promptly. Do not leave the casserole at room temperature for more than two hours.

The baked casserole is good in the freezer for up to 4 days, making it a great dish for meal prep. Reheat for a quick and easy breakfast.

How much does it cost to make this sausage egg hash brown casserole?

We always assume that making it at home will cost less money than buying it elsewhere. This is often, but not always the case. Let’s see how much an egg bake really costs, shall we?

This casserole is made from some basic ingredients, ingredients that when bought at regular, non-sale prices break down as follows:

• sausage – $1.99 ($3.99/lb)
• onion – $0.38 ($0.75/whole)
• frozen hash browns – $1.00 ($1.99/32 oz)
• cheese – $1.20 ($4.79/lb)
• eggs – $2.20 ($2.99/dozen)
• milk – $0.19 ($3.09/gallon)
• seasonings – $0.02

Based on full price ingredients, this casserole costs $6.98, or 87 cents a serving. Not bad for a filling, make-ahead breakfast, but you can do even better!

HOW CAN YOU MAKE THIS MORE ECONOMICAL?

Here are some of the strategies you can use to make this recipe more economical:

• Do a price comparison. I know that Costco is the best place to buy ingredients like eggs and sausage when there isn’t a great sale elsewhere. I keep track of prices so that I know who has the best deal where.
• Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. For instance, when I see a great price on eggs, I buy a lot. Same with cheese, sausage and hash browns.
• Use a lower priced alternative. Sausage out of your target price? You can sub a cheaper meat like ground turkey, beef, or pork. The cheese and milk can even be omitted completely and lower the cost of the dish.
• Make double! I purposely portioned the potatoes and sausage so that one egg bake uses 1/2 of a bag of frozen hash browns and 1/2 a package of Italian sausage. This makes it super easy to make a double batch and freeze one casserole for another night, thereby avoiding convenience items or restaurant fare. Freezer cooking is an easy way to save you money. 🙂

Tools I use to make this recipe easy:

This is a pretty straight-forward dish. You don’t need any fancy equipment. However, having some good basic kitchen tools can really make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Over time, I’ve honed my collection so that they are perfect for my needs. Here are the tools that I like to use in this recipe.

• plastic cutting boards – I have blue boards for veggies and white boards for meat.
• Ergo Chef chef’s knife – I’ve had my set for several years and they work well.
• large skillet with lid – I have two of these since I love this model so much.
• Pyrex measure bowl – Great for measuring and mixing in one spot.
• whisk – Get one with a sealed barrel so you can’t throw it in the dishwasher.
• 9×13-inch pan – I love the ones that come with plastic lids for easy storage and stacking in the freezer.

If you prepare this recipe, be sure to take a picture and hashtag it #GOODCHEAPEATS. I can't wait to see what you cook up!

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5 from 4 votes

Sausage Egg Hash Brown Casserole

Enjoy a flavorful breakfast or brunch with this Sausage Egg Hash Brown Casserole. It's very make-ahead, making it a great way to start the day.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Total Time1 hr

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: breakfast casserole, egg bake, egg casserole

Servings: 8

Calories: 362kcal

Author: Jessica Fisher

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb bulk Italian sausage
• 1/2 onion finely chopped
• 1 16-ounce package frozen shredded hash browns no need to thaw
• 4 oz cheddar cheese (shredded) (1 cup) mozzarella can be used
• 9 egg beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• dash red pepper flakes
• salt
• black pepper
• Bruschetta for serving

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a large skillet, cook the sausage and onion until the sausage is no longer pink and the onion turns translucent. 
• Meanwhile, layer the potatoes in the bottom of the prepared pan.
• Drain the meat mixture and spread it over the potatoes. Sprinkle the cheese over the meat.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, basil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste. Pour the egg mixture over the cheese.
• Bake for 45 minutes, or until set. Serve hot or at room temperature with the bruschetta on the side.

Notes

To freeze: Cool the sausage mixture before placing it in the pan. Once the dish is assembled, cover and store in the freezer for up to one month. Thaw completely in the refrigerator before baking.

You can also freeze the fillings as a kit. Bag the meat mixture, cheese, and frozen hash browns separately and then collect the three bags in one bigger bag. Label with baking instructions and freeze.

Nutrition

Calories: 362kcal | Carbohydrates: 30.7g | Protein: 18.3g | Fat: 18.3g | Saturated Fat: 7.5g | Cholesterol: 225mg | Sodium: 434mg | Potassium: 191mg | Fiber: 4.2g | Sugar: 2.1g | Calcium: 1700mg | Iron: 0.4mg

This post was originally published March 15, 2018. It has been updated for content and clarity.