Crockpot Overnight Breakfast Casserole
Hash browns, sausage, peppers, cheese and eggs layered in the slow cooker. Set it before bed and wake up to a hot breakfast for a crowd.
- Crockpot
- Slow cooker
- Pork
- Breakfast
- 450 min total
- Serves 10
Ingredients
Ingredients for servings
Enter a number of at least ½, in steps of ½.
Original recipe serves 10. Ingredient amounts adjust automatically. Cooking times and pan size may need adjusting separately.
- 1 lb breakfast sausage, bulk, browned and drained
- 30 oz frozen shredded hash browns, one bag, thawed and patted dry
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 cups shredded cheddar, divided
- 12 eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard
- nonstick cooking spray
Gear
- Slow cooker, 6 quart
- Skillet
- Large bowl and whisk
- Parchment paper
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Steps
Step 1: Brown the sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up, about 8 minutes. Drain it well and let it cool a few minutes. Cook the sausage ahead, never raw in the crock.
Step 2: Spray a 6 quart slow cooker well with cooking spray. Line the bottom with a strip of parchment if you have it.
Step 3: Layer one third of the hash browns, then one third of the sausage, peppers, onion and cheese. Repeat two more times, saving 0.5 cup cheese for the top.
Step 4: Whisk the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder and dry mustard together and pour it evenly over the layers.
Step 5: Cover and cook on Low 7 hours, until the center is set and reads 160°F. Cooking times vary a lot between slow cookers, so check yours at 6 hours the first time.
Step 6: Sprinkle on the last of the cheese, cover 10 minutes to melt, then slice and serve.
Swaps
- Meat: Diced ham or cooked bacon in place of the sausage. No need to brown ham.
- Potatoes: Diced frozen potatoes O’Brien bring their own peppers and onions.
- Cheese: Pepper jack for a spicy version.
Tips
- Thaw and dry the hash browns. Frozen ones release water and make the bottom soggy.
- Always cook the sausage before it goes in. Raw meat shouldn’t sit in a slow cooker with eggs overnight.
- Slice it in the pot with a plastic spatula so you don’t scratch the crock.
The story
HAM Cooking. Let’s fire it up.
Picture this: it’s a holiday morning, there’s a houseful of people, and you’re standing at the stove flipping eggs for twelve while everybody else drinks coffee. Now picture this instead: you pour your own coffee, walk to the counter, and breakfast is just done. That’s what this casserole is for.
It works because a slow cooker on Low is like a very gentle oven. Eggs set best with slow, low heat. Rush them and they turn rubbery and weepy. The hash browns soak up some of the custard on the bottom and turn into a tender, cheesy potato layer, while the top sets like a big, fluffy frittata.
A couple of rules keep it safe and good. The sausage gets cooked first, every time. And not every slow cooker runs at the same temperature, so get to know yours before you trust it with an overnight job. Parchment on the bottom is cheap insurance against scorched edges.
Hot coffee, warm casserole, and nobody stuck at the stove. That’s a good morning.
HAM out.
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