This Sausage Hash brown Breakfast Casserole is made healthier thanks to turkey breakfast sausage. It's a great freezer meal prep idea!
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For a casual weekend breakfast or brunch, there isn’t much better than an easy breakfast casserole!
Here are just a few reasons to love breakfast casseroles:
- They're perfect for entertaining
- They're amazing for meal prep
- They freeze well
- They're made in one pan, which reduces clean up
- Just bake and forget it – once this goes in the oven, kick back and relax! The cooking part is hands-off
Actually, this casserole recipe isn’t just easy, it’s super easy thanks to frozen hashbrowns (my fave!!!)
It’s also a healthier recipe because rather than using pork sausage, we’ll be using turkey sausage. If you can't find turkey breakfast sausages (or even chicken ones), it's totally cool to use regular breakfast sausage, but just know that the calorie count below will be slightly higher than listed below on the recipe card.
What’s in this recipe?
I like this easy breakfast casserole with sausage because it really is a complete meal. It has:
- protein from eggs and turkey sausage
- carbs from the hash brown potatoes
- dairy from the cheddar cheese
- vegetables – this sausage hashbrown casserole has bell peppers and onions – you can add more veggies too!
This recipe is really versatile, too. Don’t like sausage? Feel free to make this breakfast casserole with bacon (turkey or pork), ham, or even cooked chicken.
Or, for a vegetarian breakfast casserole, leave the meat out entirely. You can add other vegetables that you like, too. Spinach, broccoli, diced tomatoes, and mushrooms are all delicious options.
If you have a dairy allergy, use a brand of dairy-free cheese or nutritional yeast. Or just leave the cheese out altogether too! This sausage breakfast casserole does not use milk and instead uses more eggs than traditional versions for more protein so you don't have to worry about substituting the milk.
Should you thaw frozen hash browns before cooking?
There are varying opinions on whether or not to thaw frozen hash browns before making a hashbrown breakfast casserole. Some recipes out there have you thaw the potatoes in the refrigerator overnight, but it's really not necessary with this recipe. It only takes a few extra minutes to cook this sausage hash brown casserole using frozen potatoes, and all the cooking is done in the oven so there's no extra work for you!
You should cook the turkey sausage ahead of time slightly though – you can do this ahead of time if need be, and the sausage actually doesn't need to be cooked all the way through since it will continue to cook in the oven with the rest of the ingredients.
You just want to ensure that you can slice the breakfast sausage up into rounds so that you can distribute it evenly across the breakfast casserole and get all the flavour throughout.
Meal prepping this breakfast casserole
As you can see below, it's super easy to make this breakfast casserole as your weekly meal prep!
Whether enjoying for breakfast or lunch, this is a delicious one-pan recipe that can be cut into squares and then stored in glass meal prep containers to be enjoyed later. Personally, I believe it even reheats just as well as when it comes out of the oven fresh!
I prefer to store individual serving sizes in glass containers because then you can microwave them right from the fridge without having to dirty more dishes. When ready to reheat, microwave on high for 1-3 minutes. This may depend on the wattage of your microwave and how many squares you have packed into your meal prep bowls. If I'm enjoying for lunch, I will usually pack two squares.
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Can you freeze breakfast casseroles?
Yes! This easy breakfast casserole is freezer-friendly, making it perfect for future meals. You can reheat it for another breakfast, pack it into lunch boxes, or have breakfast for dinner.
After baking the hash brown casserole, allow it to cool to room temperature. Then cover it well; the casserole will keep well in the freezer for 2 to 3 months.
To reheat the frozen egg casserole, first let it thaw overnight in the fridge. Then, reheat individual slices as desired, or place the entire casserole into a preheated oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees., or even 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
To prevent the sausage breakfast casserole from drying out, cover the dish with aluminum foil. You’ll only need to cook it for 20 to 30 minutes, just until it is heated through.
You can also freeze in individual glass square bowls with lids as you see pictured above – freeze them just like you would refrigerate them and then reheat in the microwave for 5-6 minutes until fully defrosted and warm.
Making this breakfast casserole ahead of time (overnight)
This recipe is perfect to use for make-ahead meals, too. For an overnight breakfast casserole, simply assemble it in a casserole dish. Then, cover the casserole dish well with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge overnight.
The uncooked breakfast casserole will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. NOTE: If you plan to make the casserole ahead, you should thaw the frozen hash browns first. Otherwise, the egg mixture will become watery as the hash browns thaw.
How long does hash brown casserole last in the fridge?
If you won’t be freezing the casserole, the cooked leftovers should be eaten within 4 to 5 days. It's much better to freeze it if you're not making it for company since this makes a giant serving but if you're eating it for breakfast everyday you just might be able to eat all the leftovers in that period of time. Just know that you have many options for storage!
Serving suggestions for breakfast casserole
You can of course enjoy this breakfast casserole on its own but you can also serve it with other side dishes to turn it into a larger meal. For occasions like Christmas morning or a Mother's Day brunch, for instance, you can serve this dish with a side of salad and a fruit tray – this makes hosting a breeze and you can ensure you're serving a larger group of up to 8 people comfortably.
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this breakfast casserole into your weekly meal prep
- Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months
Other easy breakfast meal prep
Want some more easy breakfast recipes? I've got you covered with these other amazing options and they are perfect for meal prep or for entertaining!
Sausage Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 10 turkey or chicken breakfast sausage links
- 1 tbsp butter
- 16 eggs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 cups frozen hashbrowns
- 1/2 each red and green pepper, diced
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 1/2 cup cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Cook breakfast sausage in a skillet over med-high heat for 4-5 minutes until mostly cooked through. Slice into small pieces and set aside with other toppings.
- Grease a 9x13'' casserole dish with the 1 tbsp butter (this is the best greasing agent to ensure egg doesn't get stuck - you can also use cooking spray).
- Mix eggs together in a large bowl with salt and pepper. Layer sausage, hashbrowns, cheese and vegetables into casserole dish then pour eggs in overtop.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until egg is cooked through. Remove from oven and let cool before slicing into individual portion sizes.
- Storing: Serve immediately or store in microwave-safe containers up to 5 days in the fridge. You can also freeze in individual portion sizes in glass containers up to 3 months. Reheat frozen portions in microwave for 1-3 minutes until warm.
Video
Nutrition
Margie says
Just to confirm, because I’ve never done this before, that this can be prepared and kept unbaked for up to 3 days. I like the sound of that option better than baking, freezing, thawing, then baking again. But just want to be sure I read that correctly!
Taylor Stinson says
Yes, you did read that correctly! 🙂
KPJ says
Looks like a great recipe!
I want to prep in advance of feeding a big crowd for breakfast… my question is: should I cook it, then freeze it, or prep the whole casserole, freeze it, and then thaw it out and then fully cook it the morning of the party? Thanks!
Taylor Stinson says
It’s best to cook and freeze! Then you can reheat in a 350 F oven for at least 30 min from frozen.
JMcG says
I’d like to serve this egg bake recipe on Sunday morn after my daughter’s wedding which will be on Sat. As weddings go we will be running ‘from stem to stern’ as they say, for several days prior. I would like to put/mix egg bakes together on Thurs evening to be baked on Sun morn. Your description says can be made up to 3 days in advance .. do you think Thursday is too far in advance?
Taylor Stinson says
I don’t think it’s too far in advance, you should be fine 🙂
Leslie says
Hi! I know it says 8 servings, but do you know how many grams 1 serving is? Thank you!
Taylor Stinson says
I don’t give out measurements per serving unfortunately!
Amy says
Has anyone used Egg Whites in place of eggs?
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Amy! You would try using half egg whites and half eggs. I wouldn’t recommend with just egg whites but you could always try it. You may need to Google what 8 eggs would be in cups of egg whites.
Bob says
Another great breakfast casserole! Easy to make, fantastic taste and breakfast for the week. Happy, happy, happy!
Taylor Stinson says
So happy you enjoyed Bob!!!
Michelle T says
Has anyone used crumbled meatless meat such as Gardein Beefless Ground?
Becky says
Creating the Recipe in WW it comes out to 2 points per serving. Total 8 sevings.
Soundra says
How many points is the recipe
Taylor Stinson says
It should be about 3 points!
Becky says
In WW it is 3 if you use butter. Its 2 if you use light butter.