Description
This Cheesy Sausage Hashbrown Breakfast Bake is a hearty and satisfying morning casserole featuring tender hash browns, flavorful ground pork sausage, colorful bell peppers, and gooey melted cheddar cheese. Perfect for an easy weekend breakfast or brunch, it can be prepared ahead and baked to golden perfection with a creamy egg custard base.
Ingredients
Scale
Hashbrown Mixture
- 20 ounces shredded hash browns, thawed
- 1 pound ground pork sausage, cooked, crumbled, and drained
- ¼ cup finely diced onion
- ½ red bell pepper, diced
- ½ green bell pepper, diced
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
Egg Mixture
- 8 eggs
- 12 ounces evaporated milk (1 can) or 1â…“ cups milk
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning or preferred herbs/spices (optional)
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Topping
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch pan or a 3-quart baking dish thoroughly to prevent sticking.
- Cook Sausage: In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground pork sausage until it’s no longer pink inside. Once cooked, crumble the sausage and drain any excess fat to keep the bake from becoming greasy.
- Combine Hashbrown Mixture: In the prepared baking dish, mix together the thawed hash browns, cooked sausage, finely diced onion, diced red and green bell peppers, and 1½ cups of shredded cheddar cheese evenly to distribute all ingredients.
- Prepare Egg Mixture: In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, evaporated milk (or regular milk), Kosher salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning thoroughly until well combined to create a smooth custard.
- Assemble and Add Topping: Pour the egg mixture evenly over the hashbrown and sausage mixture in the baking dish. Then sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of cheddar cheese on top for a golden cheesy crust.
- Refrigerate or Bake: You can cover the dish with foil and refrigerate overnight for convenience or bake immediately. When ready, bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the casserole is set and the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
Notes
- You can prepare the casserole the night before and refrigerate to save time in the morning.
- Use evaporated milk for a richer, creamier texture, or substitute with regular milk if preferred.
- Feel free to customize with your favorite herbs and spices beyond Italian seasoning.
- Ensure sausage is thoroughly cooked and drained well to avoid excess grease in the bake.
- Let the casserole rest for 5–10 minutes after baking before serving for easier slicing.
