theveganbeauty

This cheesy sausage hash brown breakfast casserole is a 5-star breakfast or brunch which can be prepped ahead and baked the next morning.

Today we’ll be cooking the ultimate make-ahead lazy morning meal. Combine frozen hash brown potatoes with sausage, eggs, plenty of cheese and flavor it with some sour cream and mustard for this hearty breakfast casserole.

Since you can make it ahead of time, it’s perfect when you need to feed a crowd first thing in the morning. Think of Christmas or Thanksgiving mornings, or when you want that weekend brunch with friends. It even works with smaller groups or couples because just like hash brown egg nests or on-the-go breakfast muffins, leftovers taste just as good. So let’s get started.

CHEESY SAUSAGE HASH BROWN BREAKFAST CASSEROLE TIPS AND TRICKS

Prep in advance: To make this in advance, cover and refrigerate overnight but let it sit at room temperature on the counter for about 30 minutes before baking the next day. Depending on your oven, you may have to increase cooking time by 5-10 minutes. The best way to check if it is done is to insert a knife into the middle of the casserole. If it comes out clean, it is done cooking.

Sausage: I ended up using Jimmy Dean’s sage sausage but you can use any kind of sausage for this recipe. You won’t need any oil to brown it as it will eventually render and cook in its own fat. The quickest way to break up clumps is to use a potato masher in the pan once the sausage has fully browned. Depending on what brand of sausage you use, you might need to drain any fat from the pan.

Bell peppers: I went with red bell peppers but you can go for green or yellow or a combination of all three. For an easier way to add a splash of color, try using pre-packaged baby bell peppers.

Spice it up: If you want to spice things up a little, try adding some hot sauce or diced jalapeños to the egg mixture. Another suggestion would be to add some smoked paprika.

Load it up: For even more flavor, try adding some bacon bits as well.

Mustard: Use any kind of mustard you have in your fridge like spicy, honey, Dijon or coarse. I had coarse ground mustard leftover from making this honey mustard salmon recipe, so I ended up using that.

Sour cream: I added sour cream and mustard to give it more flavor but if you don’t like sour cream, feel free to skip it and add another 1/2 cup of milk to the egg mixture instead.

Cheese: I used a triple cheddar mix with Vermont white cheddar, sharp cheddar, and mild cheddar cheese. Feel free to mix it up with other cheese blends like Mexican cheese or Italian cheese.

Toppings: Add some color or freshness with chopped green onions or parsley. You can also incorporate these directly into the casserole.

Leftovers: These keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave or oven.

And that’s about it. Save some room for this because it’s so filling and hearty and you will want to finish the whole plate. Enjoy and happy brunching!

For other brunch or breakfast ideas, try out hash brown egg nests, hash brown breakfast quiche or this easy hamburger quiche.

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