Italian Sausage and Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
There is no better way to feed a large crowd breakfast or brunch than to make a breakfast casserole. This easy casserole recipe is ready to go in the oven in under 15 minutes and can even be made the night before and ready to pop in the oven the next day. When you are entertaining, an overnight casserole is perfect. This Italian Sausage and Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole has all the elements you want in a breakfast: eggs, sausage, bell peppers, hash browns, and cheddar cheese, all in one casserole dish.
There are many versions of sausage egg casserole dishes; this one uses sweet Italian sausage instead of traditional breakfast sausage. The Italian seasoning in the sausage ups the flavor a bit, making it perfect for a weekend brunch dish. The heat could even be turned up on this dish by using a hot Italian sausage if you wanted to.
What You Need For This Italian Sausage and Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole Recipe
The ingredient list is relatively short for this all-in-one dish breakfast meal. You need lots of eggs, ten whole eggs, to be exact, Italian sausage, some peppers (I like colorful tinkerbell peppers in the recipe), green onions, heavy cream, frozen hash browns (you could even use Tater Tots or other breakfast potatoes), and sharp Cheddar cheese.
Step-By-Step How To Guide
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350° F and prepare a 3-quart baking dish (butter it or use a nonstick cooking spray).
- Step 2: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add a splash of olive oil and brown the sausage. Make sure to break it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon. It will take about 7 minutes. Add the chopped peppers; as I said, I like tri-colored Tinkerbell sweet peppers (the color is perfect for the dish), but you can use a red bell pepper if you prefer. At the same time, stir in the whites and light green parts of the scallions and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove the sausage mixture from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Step 3: In a large bowl, whisk eggs together with the cream, mustard, salt, and black pepper. If you want a little more heat, you can add a dash of hot sauce to the eggs. Mix 1 1/2 cups of cheese and the hash browns into the egg mixture.
- Step 4: Transfer to a prepared baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes. Remove the foil and top with remaining cheese and bake for another 10-15 minutes. The cooking time may vary; it’s done when the center of the casserole is set and golden brown. Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes before serving; top with the chopped scallion greens.
Tips For Success
Tip 1— Thaw your frozen hash browns before adding the egg mixture. If you don’t, you will have a block of frozen potatoes in your bowl.
Tip 2 — Add some color to the dish by using multi-colored peppers.
Tip 3 — Overnight breakfast casserole recipes are perfect for entertaining. Combine this with the French Toast Casserole on Fork & Wander. Together, you will have a great Christmas morning brunch.
Tip 4 — This breakfast bake is excellent leftover; store it in an airtight container and reheat.
For more casserole recipes, check out my A New Take On Top Classic Winter Casserole Recipes.
Italian Sausage and Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb Italian sausage
- 1/2 cup chopped scallions save chopped green tops for garnish
- 1 cup multi-color sweet peppers. Remove tops and seeds and rough chop.
- 10 eggs
- 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 30 oz package of shredded hash browns thawed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F and prepare a 3-quart baking dish (butter it or use a nonstick cooking spray).
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add a splash of olive oil and brown the sausage. Make sure to break it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon. It will take about 7 minutes.
- Add peppers and scallions and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove the sausage mixture from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs together with the cream, mustard, salt, and black pepper. Mix 1 1/2 cups of cheese and the hash browns into the egg mixture.
- Transfer to a prepared baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes.
- Remove the foil and top with remaining cheese and bake for another 10-15 minutes. The cooking time may vary; it’s done when the center of the casserole is set and golden brown. Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes before serving; top with the chopped scallion greens.
