This Crockpot Breakfast Casserole is a delicious make-ahead breakfast option for meal prep or for big family gatherings. Dump frozen hash browns, bacon, eggs and veggies in the slow cooker – it's so easy!
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Ingredients in Crockpot Breakfast Casserole
Get ready for the most delicious breakfast meal prep recipe there is!!! (Well, besides these other amazing Breakfast Meal Prep Ideas anyway…)
This crockpot breakfast casserole is genius for your weekly meal prep (literally just dump everything in and press the on button), but it's also perfect for big family gatherings like Christmas where you're looking to serve a big breakfast. Pair this breakfast casserole with a fruit tray and you're feeding 8 people easily! Here's what you need to make it:
- Cooking spray
- frozen hashbrowns
- bacon
- red, yellow and green bell peppers
- red onion
- eggs
- cheddar cheese
How to make Crockpot Breakfast Casserole
This Crockpot Breakfast Casserole is perfect for meal prep, and if you store it correctly it's a grab and go breakfast!
You don't have to worry about what you're going to eat in the morning and you can also take it with you to go, so you can eat it at work instead of wolfing down some food first thing in the morning before you're even hungry.
Here's how to make this breakfast casserole:
- Cook the bacon over med-high heat in a large skillet, about 5-10 minutes until cooked through (timing will depend on type of bacon used – I use turkey bacon to keep it lower in calories).
- Spray inside of slow cooker with cooking spray, then add frozen hashbrowns, cooked bacon, peppers and onion in two even layers.
- Mix salt and pepper with eggs, then pour overtop of other layers and top with cheese.
- Cook on high for 4 hours. Serve and enjoy!
Breakfast Casserole Ingredient Substitutions
The great thing about this crockpot breakfast casserole is that you can put just about anything in it!
Because I'm obsessed with hash browns, they had to make an appearance – I just used the frozen diced breakfast potatoes that McCain makes but you could layer in some tater tots or shredded frozen potatoes too. From there, you'll pile in the veggies and your protein.
Cooked up breakfast sausage works as well as turkey bacon or regular pork bacon. You can even get creative and use up some leftover meat if you have any in the fridge. Leftover ham, for instance would work well, or even some deli turkey, salami or ham would taste amazing.
I just used some diced up bell peppers and red onion and then added in some cheddar cheese to top it all off but even the cheese is optional! If you're really in a bind you can just throw some spinach in there too and skip the other veg. Don't be afraid to mix it up!
Making breakfast casserole in the oven
This Crockpot Breakfast Casserole is SO simple to make!
You can technically even make it in the oven too – like you would in the slow cooker, spray an oven-safe dish with cooking spray and then layer in all your ingredients. Pour the eggs and cheese overtop, then bake! Make this breakfast casserole in the oven – this is a similar recipe I have on my site and is adapted specifically for the oven.
Otherwise, let the crockpot do all the work! All you need to worry about ahead of time is prepping your protein, so fry up your bacon or sausage and dump it in with the rest of the ingredients. I sometimes cook the meat a day or two before so it's easy to just cook everything when it's time.
Making this Crockpot Breakfast Casserole ahead
Part of what I love about this slow cooker breakfast casserole is that you can make it a few days in advance. If you're celebrating something special and want to have everything cooked before guests arrive, you can have this breakfast casserole going a few days before. And it will last in the fridge up to 5 days so it's also perfect for your weekly meal prep.
If you are going to be entertaining and want this crockpot breakfast casserole to be ready fresh, you can plan the timing accordingly so it finishes up just as everyone arrives. If you have a brunch around noon or 1pm for instance, you can cook this breakfast casserole on high for 4 hours starting at 8 or 9am so you will have time in the morning to get everything together.
You can also assemble the night before – you just need to keep the crockpot in the fridge so the ingredients don't go bad.
Storing and reheating
You can store this breakfast casserole in the fridge up to 5 days. I recommend storing individual portion sizes in glass meal prep containers so that all you have to do is take one out of the fridge and reheat for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle a little bit of water overtop before reheating to ensure it doesn't dry out, and the leftovers will taste just like new!
Freezing this recipe
You can also freeze the cooked leftovers! Store individual portions in glass containers with lids. You can reheat in the microwave straight from frozen. Sprinkle a bit of water overtop then reheat for 6-7 minutes, checking on it halfway through the cooking time.
More easy breakfast recipes
If you love eggs and breakfast casseroles but you want something a little lighter and lower in calories, then you'll probably also love this Egg White Frittata – it's low carb and loaded with veggies so it's perfect for those upcoming New Year's resolutions.
This Crustless Quiche is also great for big gatherings and meal prep breakfasts.
And finally, you can make this breakfast casserole in the oven! Here's a similar recipe to this one made in the oven, not the slow cooker.
Meal prep tools
Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on packing this Breakfast Casserole up for your breakfast meal prep.
Other easy breakfast recipes
Meal prep challenge
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Crockpot Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 2 cups frozen hashbrowns
- 12 slices pork or turkey bacon
- 1 each red, yellow and green bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium-sized red onion, diced
- 16 large eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
Instructions
- Cook bacon over med-high heat in a large skillet, about 5-10 minutes until cooked through (timing will depend on type of bacon used).
- Spray inside of slow cooker with cooking spray, then add frozen hashbrowns, cooked bacon, peppers and onion in two even layers. Mix salt and pepper with eggs, then pour overtop of other layers and top with cheese.
- Cook on high for 4 hours. Serve and enjoy! Note: This can be made ahead of time up to 3 days in advance.
Video
Nutrition
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Kerrey says
Could I add mushrooms?
Taylor Stinson says
Yes of course!
Bob says
I added mushrooms. They were great.
Cheri says
Think you could put crock pot on 8 hours or 10 hours and do it before I go to bed?
Taylor Stinson says
I’m not sure that I would leave it overnight like that Cheri – I think 8-10 hours would be too long unfortunately 🙁
Rebekah says
The 8 hour setting should work, it’s just a lower temp.
Ken Lutz says
If you are having this for breakfast when do you put it on? If I need it by 0800 that means 0400?
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Ken – I usually make it the day before if I need it for that early in the morning. If I’m making it for a family brunch, putting it together at 7 or 8am will have it ready for lunchtime.
Britney says
Do you think it’s possible to try this with egg whites?
Taylor Stinson says
You could for sure! I would be unable to advise on the amount but you essentially want enough to cover all the ingredients 🙂
Joyce says
Great recipe. I have done a similar casserole but I sautéed the veggies before adding them to the layers. Uncooked veggies causes a lot of liquid to be in the crock pot when cooked. Sautéing also adds much more flavour because I add lots of spices.
Taylor Stinson says
Great idea Joyce! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Renee says
This looks amazing! If you make it ahead of time- what is the best way to reheat it? Thanks-
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Renee – you can reheat in the oven (375 F) for 20 minutes or so. You’ll want to slice it up and place it in a casserole dish as I’m not sure if the crockpot’s inner dish can go in the oven. You can also microwave individual pieces!
Ivy Lang says
I have tried these before and have always been disappointed with the potatoes being soft if I cooked the potatoes first would it still work?
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Ivy – the potatoes will not be crisp no matter what you do unfortunately.
Renae says
This step makes it sound like the eggs are cooked before going into the crockpot: ‘Mix salt and pepper with eggs, then pour overtop’. Am I reading that wrong?
Taylor Stinson says
The eggs are not cooked before – you just want to mix the salt and pepper with the raw egg to make sure it’s not disproportionately seasoned. You will pour the raw eggs overtop of the rest of the ingredients.
Mekayla says
Hi Taylor,
I had a lot of trouble with this recipe this morning. I followed your instructions and baked it in the oven for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. I had to continue cooking another 15 minutes. At this point the eggs were still very raw in the middle with a lot of water from the frozen potatoes. Then I increased the temperature to 400 degrees and cooked for another 20 minutes to no avail. By the time I had to give up because I ran out of time prior to work, the eggs were still raw and the potatoes still crunchy.
I recommend that in the future if you haven’t made a recipe in the oven. DO NOT suggest a cooking time and temp. This is very misleading. You caused me to not fulfil a promise to my coworkers for breakfast this morning, I then had to show up empty handed to an event I helped organize,
To all your readers,
Do not trust all recipes you find on the internet, apparently anyone can post anything and be popular on Pinterest.
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Mekayla – I’m sorry you had trouble with this recipe. I actually have made an almost exact replica of this in the oven a few times, as I linked to in the post. Unfortunately all ovens are different and can have different results. I have over 300+ recipes on my website and have been running it on a full time basis for 5 years, so I’d like to assure you that I’m not just someone posting “anything” on the internet. I’m very sorry it didn’t work out for you but it seems as though there may be forces outside of my control that went wrong here. Further, you are on a crockpot recipe. If you really want to ensure that a recipe turns out correctly the first time around, you should follow it exactly instead of making modifications then placing blame. I did link to another recipe that was adapted exactly for the oven and not the crockpot, and if you had wanted to bake this in the oven, you should be following an exact recipe that is suited for the oven. I give suggestions as I can in each recipe, and I will take your feedback into account that if I haven’t tested the exact recipe a few times, I will remove the suggestion. However, it does seem as though the failure here is the oven. I have worked in many different kitchens and can attest to what a wide range of temperatures different ovens can have. It seems bizarre that after 1 hr and 20 minutes the eggs were still raw.
Bob says
I made this today as my first meal prep and it is delicious. I went with the turkey bacon to make it a little lighter and it will fit in nicely with my daily calorie limits. I was surprised how nicely it puffed up and when packaged it made 8 very nice size portions. I am really looking forward to breakfast this coming week.
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you enjoyed it Bob!
Samantha Smith says
Can I double this recipe? I need it to feed 15 people.
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Samantha – unfortunately you can’t double it as it will already fill an 8-quart crockpot. Wish I could be of more help!