Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole
Merry Christmas Eve!
I wanted to share one more recipe with you before the holiday because I loved this so, so much last year. Growing up, we always, always, always went to church on Christmas Eve. My parents were big advocates of relaxing, lazy Christmas mornings. We could sleep in, take our time opening presents, my mom would cook breakfast, and we could hang out in our pajamas playing with our new toys until it was time to go to my grandma’s. There was no rush to hurry up and get ready for church, and I always loved that.
As a grown-up, I still love having relaxing, laid-back Christmas mornings, and something warm for breakfast is an absolute must. I made this overnight breakfast casserole at my mom’s last year, and after we woke up and opened our presents, my mom, sister, and I dug into the Crock Pot for a wonderfully warm breakfast that had cooked itself and was waiting for us!
I had cooked the sausage, shredded the cheese, and sliced the onions early in the morning on Christmas Eve, and had just stored them in the refrigerator until later that night. Before bed, I layered everything together in the Crock Pot, turned it on, and went to bed. I woke up to such a delicious smell, and I couldn’t wait to eat. This turns out to be a massive baked omelet with layers of breakfast sausage, hash browns, cheddar cheese, and green onions. The edges get a little crusty, and I would be lying if I denied standing over the Crock Pot, picking off all of the crusty pieces, and piling them on my plate. So good!
If you love the classic hashbrown casserole side dish, you are going to LOVE this version all amped up for breakfast!
This is a great casserole, especially if you have particularly busy Christmas mornings and want a warm breakfast. It’s also great if you have lazy, relaxing Christmas mornings and just want more time to play with your toys instead of standing in the kitchen :)
I wish you a wonderful, warm Christmas Eve with those you love.
More Delicious Breakfast Casseroles:
- Baked French Toast with Praline Topping
- Cheesy Bacon, Mushroom & Spinach Breakfast Strata
- Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding Breakfast Casserole
- Cheesy Sausage Spinach Breakfast Casserole
- Breakfast Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Casserole
Slow Cooker Sausage, Hash Brown & Cheddar Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 32 ounces (907.19 g) frozen shredded hashbrowns
- 16 ounces (453.59 g) breakfast sausage, cooked and crumbled
- 6 green onions, finely chopped
- 12 ounces (340.2 g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 12 eggs
- ¼ cup (61 ml) milk
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) pepper
- Additional salt and pepper to season the hash brown layers
Instructions
- Grease the insert of a 6-quart slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
- Layer â…“ of the hashbrowns on the bottom, then season with salt and pepper. Top with â…“ of the cooked sausage, then â…“ each of the green onions and cheddar cheese. Repeat the layers two more times, ending with the cheese.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the top of the hash brown, sausage and cheese layers in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours (the edges will brown). Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Yes
I’ve made this many times over the years and it’s always a HIT! I do add some things… I add more cream to the eggs as well as some dried herbs like tarragon and/or thyme. I also add mushrooms and goat cheese!Â
I am currently making this with someone who is lactose intolerant in mind so I used oat milk, manchego cheese, sheep’s milk ricotta and goat cheese. I also add bacon, because…BACON!!Â
Thanks for this tried and true HIT!!Â
I make this recipe a lot! It is well loved.Â
My only – my slow cooker cooks this faster than 6 hours.Â
I’ve also had success at 3 hours on high.Â
Or a combination of cooking times.Â
Very good!
Help! I had my crockpot plugged in & turned on all night, here the outlet was not working & I didn’t know it until I woke up in the morning. Ugh. What can I do?
I just want to verify that the hashbrowns are still frozen when you put them in the crockpot.Â
Thanks. Looking forward to making this.Â
Deb
Hi Deb, Yes they are. Enjoy!
Have you tried this in a crock pot casserole dish? I imagine it would work just fine!
Hi Betsy, I’m not sure what a crock pot casserole dish is?
It’s a slow cooker with a shallow crock like a 9×13 baking dish. It also has a latching lid, so it is more portable for parties. Should be ideal IMHO.
This is amazing! I have made it twice for gatherings, using dairy free milk and cheese and turkey sausage to accommodate our family’s health needs. No one even knew! There were no leftovers. Thanks
Have made this several times, always delish !
I’ve made this a few times and while I love it, my family thinks it’s a little too much potato. Â Can I use 18 eggs and cook for the same time?
Hi Audrey, Yes that should work, I would just test the center to make sure it’s cooked through before serving.
i made this for my co-workers – it was a huge success! I’m making it again for my husband to take to his work holiday breakfast potluck.
Has anyone made a large version of this in a roaster oven? My nesco would hold a triple batch but I am not sure what that would do for the cooking time.
I made this in the oven this morning. 375 degrees for 45 minutes and it turned out well for a brunch I brought it to.
My family loves this recipe…just add biscuits and you’ve got a perfect breakfast 😋😋
I need to double the recipe. How long should I cook it? Thanks!
Hi Courtney, I’ve never doubled it so I can’t say for sure, but I think if you went 8-10 hours you would be good. You can always check the center with an instant read thermometer – as long as it’s above 165 degrees F you’re good!
I made this last night and took out green onions and added yellow onions, green peppers and tomatoes that I sautéed in same pan that I cooked my sausage in. I also added cooked bacon pieces. I put this all together with the sausage. I also put a teaspoon of ground mustard in with the egg mixture. I did use a bit more milk as I had seen on simular recipes where they called for 2 cups of milk. I said oh I’m gonna go for it and added two cups of milk to the eggs along with a cup of bisquick mix and mixed that all up then poured it over everything in the crockpot. Then topped with more cheese. I think it turned out fantastic and nothing is dry.
I’m sorry to say, but this was extremely bland.Â
I’m making this tonight for my son’s wrestling team snack stand in the AM! We are trying to offer healthier options at the snack stand. We don’t have ovens or anything like that so I’m always looking for slow cooker options! This is a great way to protein into them before hitting the mats.
I use to only make the recipe that was baked in the oven after being on refrigeration overnight, which meant getting up way to early to put it in the oven for our 7:30 a.m. Breakfast Meeting.
Since I found this recipe, it’s the only one for me. I make this every quarter for a Church breakfast and is always a hit, especially for those who can only eat gluten free. Must admit that I do add more chopped green onion and twice the amount of cheese and sausage. I like to make it hearty. Very seldom do I take anything home. Thank you for this recipe as it will continue to be served at Church and for Holiday gatherings at home.
I made this last night for church today. I added 2 c of sour cream, at someone else’s suggestion. Also, I mixed all ingredients together instead of layering them (just pure laziness, honestly). It was delicious!!!! I really have been looking for a hashbrown crockpot recipe that doesn’t call for canned soup so thank you!!!
I added lots of mushrooms to this, as well as sliced Field Roast soysage links and substituted crumbled tempeh for the sausage. So good! This works so well on holiday mornings because it doesn’t use up valuable oven real estate.
This is the kind of breakfast I can get behind. I’ve never slow cooked eggs before, but reading the comments here makes me realize i need to readdress this issue!
I need to double the batch. How long do I cook it then? I’m making tonight so please let me know as soon as you can. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks…
My daughter in Seattle sent me this recipe and I used it for Christmas Day brunch and everyone loved it! Served it with scalloped cinnamon apples and biscuits.
I put this on at midnight & it’s 8am now & very soupy! Help!
Made this for a work function, it was a hit. My variation: I used 1 1/2 bags of frozen hash browns (26oz bags), and added egg/milk mixture to the top of the hash browns. Ended up using 30 eggs but it went a long way. Cooked about 8 hours in a large rectangle GE slowcooker. It was borrowed so not sure of the exact size.
Anyone make this in a 5 quart slow cooker? Do you recommend limiting the amount of eggs or cutting down some of the ingredients? I just wasn’t sure if it would fit okay.
Thanks!
Made this for a pre- Thanksgiving family get together and it was AMAZING!! I added 1/4 tsp dry mustard for a little extra flavor.
Going to be adding this recipe to my favorites. :-)
Thanks for sharing! xoxo
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about slow cooker recipes.
Regards
Have made this in the slow cooker as well as oven-baked. Great flavors! One of those recipes to which you can successfully add seasonings or sauteed veggies. Not crazy about the crockpot consistency, soft and not appetizing to look at with no dive-into-me appeal. This tasty cheesy, sausagy casserole looks yummy when baked in the oven, and actually tastes really good either way.
Our FF draft was yesterday am, so I made this for the league. Huge hit! Sent home printed copies of the recipe with 4 guys who attended in person. I baked the casserole in the oven in my deep Corning ware baking dish, came out perfect. BTW, happy with my team, Aaron Rodgers is my QB! Good luck this season :)
Our slow cooker seems to cook things pretty quick and I don’t want to have to get up in the middle of the night to start it for the morning. Do you know if it stays ok if the cook time is a little longer than needed? Or do you know how best to cook it beforehand, refrigerate the entire slow cooker, and reheat it quickly in the morning?
Hi Shane, Well, you don’t want it to burn, but I’m not sure how quickly you’re talking. It should be fine on low for up to 8 hours – does your slow cooker automatically switch to warm when finished? If so, just set it for a shorter amount of time. You could cook it ahead of time, refrigerate it, and then just reheat individual portions in the microwave. I’m really not sure how else you would do it.
I made this last night and it was ready this morning. I live alone, so after it cooled I cut it into individual servings and froze it to enjoy on future meals. I know my college-aged son will love this when he comes home! Excellent recipe! Easy for someone who doesn’t enjoy cooking!
Hi, sounds delicious, was wondering how big are the servings, we are thinking of making for a large group and trying to figure out how big servings should be to make 10-12 servings.
Hi Cathy, I didn’t measure or weigh the servings, just based it on how many we got out of it. Some guys had larger servings than the ladies, but the average was about the size you see on that plate above (a very generous helping).
Hi I enjoyed all your Easter traditions, you said you Grandma makes bow ties from dough and does she fry them. My Mom made these and after they were fried she piled them on a platter and sprinkled them with powdered sugar honey and colored sprinkles. Do you have your Grandmas recipe? if you do would you be so kind as to share it with me and my family. I enjoy your blog very very much and your recipes are delicious. Thank you J
Hi Joy, I don’t have it, but I believe that my mom does. A number of people have asked for it; I am going to get it and make them!
Made this when my family came for a visit–it was great! Only problem was it woke me up at 4am because it smelled so yummy, but don’t worry because I was able to get back to sleep. :) I also added sour cream to the egg mixture because I was scared my crockpot would dry it out. We all enjoyed it and it was nice to enjoy a morning with my family drinking coffee rather than being in the kitchen cooking.
How much sour cream did you add?
Hi AJ, Did you use both sour cream & milk or just the sour cream? How long did it cook? Was it dry @ all?
Approximately how many people does this serve?
Hi Jana, It is listed up in the recipe, but 10 to 12 servings.
We made this for Christmas morning with great results. My plan is to make it this weekend for a larger crowd, adding half again quantities, i.e. 18 eggs etc. Has anyone tried this? If so, how long did you cook it? Thanks
A friend of mine made something similar to this with both bacon and sausage…but also added gravy!! any ideas how to do that!? :)
Hi Michelle, I’m honestly not sure about the gravy! Did you ask your friend how she did it? I imagine it would just baked into the egg mixture (which could be delicious!).
If there’s so many servings, it may last my girlfriend and I for at least a week. Would it be able to last in the fridge that long if we eat it for breakfast every morning? How would you store it?
Hi Tyler, I would say you could keep it in the refrigerator for about 5 days or so. Just put it in a tupperware container or another covered, airtight container.
I’ve made this and subbed ham or bacon for the sausage. Also, I put a tea towel over the casserole, under the lid to absorb the excess water. I’ve also baked it in the oven instead of the crock pot and I liked it much better. You can still assemble ahead of time in a 9×13 or larger baking pan and pop into a 350 oven for about 30-50 minutes….you’ll need to test it because I can’t remember exactly how long I bake it; I kept checking it after about 35 minutes. I also like to use the hash browns with the peppers and onions already in them.
This might be a silly question but..Can you cook this on high so its done quicker?
Hi Amanda, Not a silly question! I actually tried to cook it on high once, but it still took longer than expected for the eggs to cook through, and I thought that the texture/flavor was better when cooked on low.
I sort of cut this recipe in half & prepared it in a smaller slow cooker. I used 8 eggs rather than 12 & just a bit more milk. I also used a mixture of cheddar & monterey jack cheese with jalapeños because my family enjoys things with a bit of a kick. It turned out great & everyone enjoyed it for dinner one evening between Christmas & New Year’s when I really didn’t want to be back in the kitchen cooking! Thanks for all of your hard work making sure your website has quality recipes & enjoyable content. Looking forward to what you have in store on BEB for 2014!
Hi Debbie, Thanks for posting your one-half plan. I was just sitting here thinking about doing same thing. I live alone & usually cook for 2, or 4-5 servings in small cooker. I think it’s a 2-quart or a little smaller. Does that sound right?. What about using only 6 eggs? Was it watery @ all? How long did you cook yours?
Hi there, I would love to try this recipe for a New Years brunch that I am having. Is there a way I could cook this more quickly in the oven instead of the slow cooker? Maybe for an hour or so? Thanks :)
Hi Kaycee, Unfortunately, I have not tried this in the oven, so I’m not sure how it would turn out or how long it would take. If you try it, please let us know how it turns out!
Looks deelish!
Pinning… :-)
I made this and it turned out wonderfully! I was nervous because my family is hard to please but it was a huge hit. My casserole was not dry and had tons of flavor. Also thrilled to find a breakfast casserole recipe that is gluten free. I used pre-cooked turkey sausage crumbles, and used a mixture of regular and light cheese (the Cabot brand is the only light one I’ve found that actually melts). This recipe saved me a ton of time Christmas morning so its a keeper! Thanks Michelle!
I followed exact directions and it was very bland and dry. I think the combination of eggs & frozen hashbrowns just doesn’t work in a crockpot. I am only posting this so someone does not waste money on a lot of ingredients only to have it turn out inedible. I would put this in a casserole dish in the oven for only maybe and hour or two and add spices to give it flavor.
I wonder if more milk would help. I make one in a pan in the oven and is has a lot of milk in it.
I was much more liberal with the cheese and the garlic than she suggested, and it’s important to layer the salt and pepper with the potatoes :) Maybe that will help?
It was hardly edible. Made when my kids were in town visiting and only my daughter ate it, probably to not hurt my feelings! Needs more seasoning, or something (!) and dry. Very disappointing!
 I made this for breakfast Christmas Day  it was not a success. This was not an inexpensive meal and it was definitely  not a favorite ..
I made this and mine sucked. I used fresh potatoes — did not see it was supposed to be frozen. I am going back to my old casserole.
I have never had anything else burn in the crock pot. :(
Could you use freshly shredded potatoes instead of the frozen hash browns? If you did would you use more milk and maybe add a little water? I usually make a ham, egg, and cheese strata for breakfast because I can prepare it the night before and let it cook in the morning while the kids open their presents, but this sounds like something they would also like.
Hi Sabine, I have never tried it with fresh potatoes, although it looks like the commenter below you tried it and did not have success. I would stick to the frozen ones.
I swapped O’Brien hash browns for the standard and removed the onions since they were already in the hash browns with green and red bell pepper as well! Awesome!!!
It’s in the crock!
Just to let you know….
In step three you pour the egg mixture over the hash browns, sausage, cheese, AND ONIONS!!!!!
They forgot to add onions in there LOL!!!
Thank you for another delicious-sounding recipe. This will be perfect for our next breakfast potluck at work. Have a Merry Christmas!
If I were to halve the recipe, would I also cut cooking time in half or no?
Hi Shannon, I think you probably would, but just check to be sure the eggs are cooked through.
Yep, going in the crockpot tonight! Hurrayyyy!
Thanks so much & Merry Christmas!
I normally bake this dish in the oven on Christmas morning but I’m going to put in my slow cooker tonight and sleep a little later. Thanks so much for the GREAT idea!!! This has been a family favorite for a long time and now it will be my favorite since it will be easy!
I make a similar casserole with sausage, hash browns, and cheese, but instead of eggs, you make a cream sauce with the sausage (a la biscuits and gravy), and you pour that over it. I wonder if it could be cooked in the crock pot? I usually whip it up in the morning, and then let it bake while we are opening gifts – it takes ~45min in order for the frozen hash browns to cook.
I need THIS recipe! Sounds glorious!
I will definitely make this when my family comes for Christmas! Do you think I can substitute the sausage for bacon? They are canadians….they know what they like hehe ;)
Hi Bethany, I think that would be fine! Enjoy!
You cook it with the lid on right? Looks yummy!!
Hi Carolyn, Yes, cook with the lid on!
Love it! Merry Christmas!
I am so glad you posted this! I have seen similar things on Pinterest, but I know if it is from Brown Eyed Baker that it is going to be good! Now I feel better about trying it. Can’t wait.
Merry Christmas!
Thanks. Will try this on Christmas morning! My first time on your site, getting recipe for Best Chocolate Cupcakes and saw this first!
This looks soooo yummy and easy! I think I may try it tomorrow! By the way, was there a lucky winner for the Ipad? I never saw that one was posted….or do I still have a chance!!! I hope you, your culinary consultant, your family and your beautiful dogs have a very merry Christmas! Thank you for all you do for us!
Mary
I read “slow cooker, sausage, hash browns and cheese” and I was in! This looks like a perfect weekend (or Christmas!) easy breakfast. Merry Christmas! :)
Are the potatoes thawed or into the crock frozen? Yum! Thank you and have a wonderful holiday.
I suspect they are thawed, since layering while frozen could be difficult.
Hi Bryn, They go in frozen. If there are any clumps, I just break them up with my hands. Have a great holiday!
frozen
Merry Christmas!
Sounds yummy! Thanks for all the great recipes and posts. My first year subscribing. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!