Get out your slow cooker for this easy breakfast casserole recipe! It’s loaded with cheesy hashbrowns, sausage, and eggs. Let it cook overnight and wake up to the best breakfast ever!
This slow cooker breakfast casserole is perfect for Christmas morning and the holidays. Try my overnight breakfast strata and saucy make-ahead breakfast enchiladas, next!
Forget stockings and presents, this crock pot breakfast casserole is the BEST thing to wake up to on Christmas morning. Or, any morning, really. It’s quick and easy to prep the night before. All you do is add everything to the slow cooker, and hit start! Fast forward 8 hours, and you have a complete breakfast with hashbrowns, juicy sausage, and cheese layered into fluffy seasoned eggs. It’s the ultimate holiday breakfast or brunch. Just whip up a batch of mimosas to go with it!
Why I Love This Breakfast Casserole Recipe
- It cooks itself. Aren’t slow cooker recipes just the best? Like crockpot French toast and my slow cooker veggie omelette, all I do for this breakfast casserole is toss everything into the pot and let my slow cooker do its thing.
- Prep it the night before. This is basically a crock pot version of my make-ahead breakfast casserole. You can leave it in the slow cooker overnight. Assemble the ingredients in the crock before bed, and wake up to a delicious, all-in-one breakfast that’s ready to serve.
- It feeds a crowd. I love hosting brunch, whether it’s the holidays or just because. This slow cooker breakfast casserole is the perfect side-kick at the breakfast table! This recipe makes A LOT of breakfast casserole, so there’s plenty to feed the family (with leftovers) or a group of friends.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This easy breakfast casserole recipe combines all of my favorite breakfast foods! Check out the notes below and scroll down to the recipe card after the post for a printable list of ingredients with the full recipe details.
- Potatoes – You can shred some russet potatoes to make hashbrowns by hand or pick up a bag of refrigerated or frozen hashbrowns from the store. If you use frozen potatoes, there’s no need to thaw them first.
- Cheese – I use a combination of melty mozzarella and salty-sharp parmigiano cheese. Other good options are shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Gouda, or Swiss cheese. Feta would also taste delicious!
- Breakfast Sausage – I like the Fully Cooked Turkey Breakfast Sausage Links from Johnsonville. You can use any pre-cooked breakfast sausage, ham, or chorizo, and chop it into bite-sized pieces. Another option is to use ground sausage and brown it in a skillet beforehand. Even cooked bacon will work in this recipe.
- Sun-dried Tomatoes – The kind that comes in oil. Chop the dried tomatoes up beforehand.
- Eggs – Choose large eggs. I usually budget 1 egg per serving.
- Milk – Half-and-half and 2% milk give the eggs an extra creamy, fluffy texture. You can substitute one with the other if needed.
- Seasonings – Dried basil, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper. You can play around with different herbs and seasonings to taste, like Italian seasoning, Cajun spice, or Herbes de Provence.
- Green Onions and Cherry Tomatoes – Optional, for garnish. I love the freshness of green onions and juicy, ripe cherry or grape tomatoes with this casserole.
How to Make a Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole
This recipe is so effortless, that you’ll want to crack out the slow cooker to get breakfast going ASAP! Here’s what to do:
- Assemble. Layer the potatoes, both types of cheese, cooked sausage, and sun-dried tomatoes into the bowl of your crockpot or slow cooker.
- Add the eggs. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with milk, half-and-half, and seasonings. Pour this egg mixture over the hashbrown mixture. Finish with a final layer of shredded mozzarella.
- Cook. Cover the casserole and set the crock pot to cook according to the recipe (see below and in the recipe card).
- Serve! Garnish the top of the breakfast casserole with halved tomatoes and a sprinkle of green onions, and dig in.
How Long Should I Cook a Breakfast Casserole?
This slow cooker breakfast casserole will need to cook on LOW for 6-8 hours (I often do this while we sleep!). You can also cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours if you need breakfast sooner.
Tips and Variations
- Grease the slow cooker. Coat the inside of your slow cooker well with cooking spray or olive oil before adding the potatoes. It prevents sticking, for nice, clean scoops. You can also use a slow cooker liner if you have one.
- Make sure it’s cooked. Even if the top of your crockpot breakfast casserole looks done a couple of hours into the cooking time, it doesn’t mean the casserole is cooked through on the inside. Keep slow cooking (trust the process) until the eggs are done all the way through.
- Not all slow cookers cook the same. Exact cooking times will vary depending on the size of your slow cooker or if you’re cooking a half- or double-batch.
- More add-ins. Layer in spinach, kale, and other veggies like sautéed mushrooms and bell peppers.
- Add more toppings. Serve this breakfast casserole topped with a dollop of sour cream, salsa, or ajvar (Macedonian roasted red pepper relish).
Serving Suggestions
Did I mention how much I LOVE this breakfast casserole recipe!? Come morning, all you need to do is switch the slow cooker to “Warm” and gather everyone around the breakfast table. I’ll usually serve this casserole with a side of tomatoes, crispy air fryer bacon, and fresh fruit slices or an easy fruit salad. It also goes great with a sweet side of crepes or sheet pan pancakes on a special occasion. And if it’s Christmas, no brunch is complete without Christmas mimosas!
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Allow the breakfast casserole to cool completely to room temperature, and then store it covered airtight. Leftover breakfast casserole lasts about 3-4 days in the fridge.
- Reheat. Warm this casserole covered in the oven at 350ºF or in the microwave until it’s hot throughout.
- Freeze. I recommend freezing the finished casserole after it’s chilled for a night in the fridge. Transfer the casserole to airtight containers either whole or in portions and freeze for up to 3 months. Whenever you’re ready, thaw the casserole in the fridge again before serving.
More Breakfast Recipes
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- 2 to 3 russet potatoes, peeled and shredded (see note)
- 8 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
- 4 ounces shredded parmigiano reggiano
- 10 fully cooked breakfast sausage links, (I use Johnsonville), sliced into coins
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
- 10 large eggs
- ½ cup half and half
- ½ cup 2% milk
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- chopped green onions, for garnish, optional
- halved cherry tomatoes, for garnish, optional
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Prep. Spray the bowl of your slow cooker or crock with a nonstick cooking spray.
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Combine the ingredients. Layer shredded potatoes or hash browns on the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle the top of the potatoes with half of the shredded mozzarella cheese, parmigiano reggiano cheese, sausage links, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
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Season the eggs. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs together with half-and-half and milk. Next, whisk in dried basil, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and black pepper until completely combined.
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Put it all together. Pour egg mixture over prepared hash browns and smooth out the top. Sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella cheese over top of the casserole.
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Cook. Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.
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Serve. Dish up and garnish with green onions and tomatoes, and enjoy!
- Frozen hashbrowns: In place of shredded potatoes, tou can use a 20-ounce bag of refrigerated/frozen hashbrowns. You do not need to thaw them first. Just add them into the crock pot straight from the freezer!
Calories: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 230mg | Sodium: 815mg | Potassium: 553mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 699IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 389mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
