Crockpot Breakfast Casserole

With ingredients like sausage, hash browns, onions and cheese, this Crockpot Breakfast Casserole will be your new go to dish!

Close up of crockpot breakfast casserole with sour cream drizzle and scallions


 

Easy breakfast recipes don’t get any better than this Crockpot Breakfast Casserole! Whip it up before you go to bed and breakfast is ready in the morning!

This recipe breaks my usual “10 minutes in the pot” rule. Yep, I broke down and browned sausage.

Make sure you PIN this Slow Cooker Breakfast recipe!

A general no-no for me, but this is the one occasion I am going to make an exception. Because sausage it delicious, obviously.

Overhead of breakfast casserole in a slow cooker with melted cheese

This overnight breakfast casserole is easy to assemble and cooks while you are getting beauty sleep. When you wake up, it is ready to go!

Perfect for Christmas morning breakfast when the kiddos just want to tear into those gifts or when you have early rising guests at your home. I serve mine alongside a Cream Cheese Board with fresh bagels.

Overhead of breakfast casserole on a plate with strawberries

You can even make the morning-of for brunch by cranking up the heat to “high”. If you put it on overnight, set the timer function and it will “keep warm” until you roll yourself out of bed.

This would also be a great dish to bring to new parents. The last thing they want to be doing after waking up 4+ times with a newborn is make a hearty breakfast. You can prepare it the night before, drop it off and they have a delicious, filling NO WORK breakfast ready for them in the morning!

Breakfast casserole being scooped out of a slow cooker bowl

I have toyed with a few slow cooker breakfast casserole recipes and most have one thing in common: they are too watery. I realized this was due to one simple aspect they all had in common.

The addition of raw onions or bell peppers. Both of these ingredients are delicious. I love them, but in a crockpot, there is no way for excess moisture to escape. So when they sweat down, releasing all their liquid into the eggs resulting in runny eggs.

Fork digging into a slice of breakfast casserole with sour cream and green onions

I love the flavors of onion and garlic, even in my breakfast foods, though, so I still added them, just in other ways. Dried minced onion actually helps to soak up liquid floating around while still adding flavor and saving you a step in the kitchen. Garlic powder gives flavor without the watery aftermath.

Cooked breakfast casserole

If you do want fresh veggies, opt to pile them on high and raw when serving instead of baking them. You still get the flavor without all of the extra moisture!

Now onto this delicious breakfast. As I stated before, start by crumbling and cooking your sausage in a medium skillet. Once fully cooked, transfer to a plate that is lined with paper towels. This will help with draining off the grease.

A ground beef in a skillet

Next, you will coat your slow cooker with cooking spray. This ensures that the breakfast casserole is perfect and does not stick to the slow cooker itself. You can also use slow cooker liners.

Once the slow cooker is coated, add the hash browns, cheddar cheese (or any type of cheese that you prefer,) Kosher salt, ground white pepper, diced minced onions and cooked sausage.

Toss all of those ingredients until well mixed.

hash browns, sausage and cheese in a slow cooker

In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs milk. Pour that mixture over the hash brown and sausage mixture.

Eggs pouring over breakfast casserole

Cover with the lid and set the cooking time to 7-8 hours on low (or until the eggs are set.) When you are ready to serve, top with salt and pepper, sour cream, or any of your favorite fresh veggies!

Questions you may have about this Crock Pot Egg Bake:

Can I use frozen hash browns? Yes and no. You wanted a straight answer, didn’t you?

Using frozen hash browns leads to the same issue with soggy eggs as using fresh onion and bell pepper. The frozen hash browns release all their liquid and it can’t evaporate.

If you do opt for frozen hash browns, I advise to add a step and cook them before adding to the mix.

Crockpot breakfast casserole for Pinterest

Can I substitute bacon for sausage? Sure! Just use the same amount, cook it, chop it up well and drain it before adding.

What toppings are best for a breakfast casserole? My family loves this blender salsa recipe on their eggs. I love fresh avocado slices. For this one I used a sour cream drizzle and sliced scallions.

If you are craving fresh veggies, use arugula, microgreens, chopped red pepper or onion.

Can I add spinach to my breakfast casserole? You can add spinach, but wilt it down to release excess liquid before adding.

Can I double this recipe? I do not suggest doubling this recipe in the same slow cooker, it is already fairly deep and you’ll run the risk of the center not being fulling cooked. If you need a double batch, use two slow cookers.

Can I freeze this casserole? Yes, you can! Check out how to freeze casseroles here.

If you liked this breakfast recipes, check out these ones:

breakfast pizza with egg

Vegetable Breakfast Pizza

When it comes to easy breakfast recipes, this Breakfast Pizza tops the list! With just a few ingredients and a homemade sauce, this pizza is the best!
See The Recipe!
Twice Baked Breakfast Potatoes use leftover potatoes with scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, chives, sour cream and BACON for the perfect easy breakfast recipe. #breakfastpotatoes www.savoryexperiments.com

Twice Baked Breakfast Potatoes

Twice Baked Breakfast Potatoes use leftover potatoes with scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, chives, sour cream and BACON for the perfect easy breakfast recipe.
See The Recipe!
Breakfast casserole made in the crock pot

Tools for making this slow cooker breakfast casserole:

Slow Cooker– You’ll need a slow cooker for a SLOW COOKER recipe, LOL.

Slow Cooker Liners– Skip the mess and the clean up by using slow cooker liners!

spoonful of breakfast casserole with sour cream drizzle

Crockpot Breakfast Casserole

4.41 from 15 votes
Easy breakfast recipes don't get any better than this Crockpot Breakfast Casserole! Whip it up before you go to bed and breakfast is ready in the morning!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 10

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a medium skillet, cook and crumble sausage. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
  • Meanwhile, coat inside of slow cooker with cooking spray.
  • Add shredded hash browns, cheese, Kosher salt, ground white pepper, dried minced onion and cooked sausage. Toss to combine.
  • In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Pour over hash brown-sausage mixture.
  • Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until eggs have set.
  • Serve while hot. Garnish with scallions and sour cream, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 357 kcal, Carbohydrates: 10 g, Protein: 21 g, Fat: 26 g, Saturated Fat: 11 g, Cholesterol: 255 mg, Sodium: 757 mg, Potassium: 369 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 2 g, Vitamin A: 585 IU, Vitamin C: 4 mg, Calcium: 229 mg, Iron: 2 mg
Calories: 357
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: crockpot breakfast casserole, slow cooker breakfast casserole
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see your recipes – snap a picture and mention @savoryexperiments or tag #savoryexperiments!
Jessica Formicola in her ktichen

About the Author

Chef Jessica Anne Formicola

Jessica the mom, wife and chef behind Savory Experiments. You might see her on the Emmy- nominated TV show Plate It! or on bookshelves as a cookbook author. Jessica is a Le Cordon Bleu certified recipe developer and regularly contributed to Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, The Daily Meal, Mashed and more!

Read More About Jessica

4.41 from 15 votes (10 ratings without comment)

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Questions and Reviews

    1. You sure can! Any type of potato, really. Same amount 🙂 This recipe is pretty hard to screw up. LOL.

  1. 5 stars
    What a beautiful breakfast meal that could be ready over night! I am gonna make it on Friday to enjoy on Saturday! Thanks for sharing.