When I need to entertain a crowd in the mornings, I turn to breakfast recipes such as sausage casserole, red velvet waffles, tater tot breakfast casserole, french toast casserole and this cheesy baked egg dish. The holidays are almost here, which means the entertaining season has begun! I host quite a few gatherings during the holidays, including cookie exchanges, kids holiday parties, and more. One occasion that sometimes gets overlooked is breakfast. I often have guests staying at my house and I want to be able to offer a quick yet satisfying meal in the morning. This hash brown egg casserole is perfect for entertaining. It’s a hearty dish filled with ham, veggies, eggs, hash browns and cheese. Best of all, it’s simple to make and serves a crowd!
Hash Brown Egg Casserole Ingredients
To make this recipe, you will need olive oil, ham, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, yellow onion, salt, black pepper, hash browns, eggs, heavy cream, milk, cheddar cheese and chives.
How Do You Make Hash Brown Egg Casserole?
Preheat the oven and coat a baking dish with cooking spray. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or pan, then add the onions and peppers. Season the veggies with salt and pepper to taste, and cook until they’re soft. Place the vegetables, ham and hash browns in the prepared dish. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, salt and pepper. When the mixture is smooth, add the cheese. Pour the egg mixture over the ham and vegetables in the casserole dish. Bake until golden brown. Add a sprinkle of chives, then cut into squares and serve.
Tips For The Perfect Dish
To get a smooth egg mixture for this casserole, I typically crack my eggs into a bowl, and whisk until thoroughly blended. After the eggs have been beaten, I slowly add in the milk and cream, whisking as I go. You can use either fresh or frozen hash browns for this recipe. If you’re using frozen hash browns, you don’t need to thaw them, simply break them up a bit and add to the pan. Fresh hash browns are located in the egg section of most grocery stores. I typically use a ham steak in this recipe, but it’s also a great way to use leftover holiday ham. You can prepare your casserole up to 8 hours before you plan to bake it. Store it covered in the fridge, then when you bake it, add an extra 5 minutes to the cooking time.
Flavor Variations
This recipe is great as is, but you can switch up some of the ingredients to suit your tastes.
Meat: No ham on hand? This recipe will also work with cooked bacon or breakfast sausage. Potatoes: Instead of hash browns, feel free to use other types of frozen potato products such as tater tots or diced potatoes. Cheese: Swap out the cheddar for other cheeses such as mozzarella, gouda, swiss cheese, fontina or colby jack. Vegetables: Instead of peppers and onions, you can use other veggies such as spinach, mushrooms, jalapenos or asparagus.
Whether you need a hearty breakfast on a Sunday, or something impressive to serve on Christmas morning, this casserole is sure to be a hit!
