Pioneer Woman Breakfast Casserole Recipe

You want something filling, warm, good for feeding a bunch of people without losing your mind in the morning? This breakfast casserole gets it done. Eggs, sausage, cheese, hash browns… like, it doesn’t try too hard but still makes the whole house smell like comfort. Honestly, it’s the kinda thing you throw together half-awake and still get applause.

Alright, so the texture’s soft but hearty — kinda like a cheesy egg bake but with all the breakfast stuff you’d usually plate up one by one. Everything’s in there: crispy edges from the oven, melty cheese inside, sausage bits in every bite. It’s not fancy. That’s the point. And it reheats without getting weird, which helps.

You can prep the whole thing ahead of time too. Night before? Totally fine. Makes mornings less chaotic, which… yeah, yes please.

Jump to Recipe

Ingredients Needed:

• 1 pound breakfast sausage – spicy or mild, whatever works. Crumbled up.
• 6 green onions – chopped. Use both white and green parts.
• 1 red bell pepper – for color and some sweetness.
• 10 large eggs – obviously.
• 1¼ cups heavy cream – this makes it rich, don’t skip it.
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard – adds tang. Optional-ish, but really good.
• 1–2 tsp Tabasco – if you like a little heat. Totally skip if not.
• 1½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese – divided. Like half now, half later.
• 1 (30 oz) bag frozen shredded hash browns – thawed. Not soggy.

How To Make Breakfast Casserole:

Brown the sausage & veg:
Cook sausage, white onion parts, and bell pepper together in a skillet until the sausage’s no longer pink. Break it up well — nobody wants giant blobs. Let that cool a bit.

Make the egg mix:
In a big bowl, beat the eggs with cream, mustard, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and half the chopped green tops. (Save some green for garnish later.)

Combine everything:
Stir in hash browns, 1½ cups cheese, and the sausage mixture. Dump it all into a greased 9×13″ dish. Flatten it out.

Bake covered:
Foil on. Into a 350°F oven for 50 mins. Go do something else. Maybe even nap.

Add cheese & finish:
Foil off. Sprinkle remaining cheese. Turn oven up to 400°F. Bake another 10–15 mins till the top’s golden and set.

Rest & serve:
Let it sit like 10 mins before cutting. Sprinkle the rest of those green onions on top.

Recipe Tips:

• Use parchment under the dish if you hate scrubbing baked-on cheese.
• Let hash browns thaw in the fridge overnight so they’re not a wet mess.
• Skip hot sauce if you’ve got reflux or kids who’ll whine.
• You can swap sausage with turkey sausage or even mushrooms if needed.

How to Store & Reheat:

Room Temperature: Not long — 1 hour tops.
Fridge: Keeps 3–4 days, sealed in the dish or cut into squares in containers.
Freezer: Freeze individual slices, wrapped tight. Reheat at 350°F or microwave for 1–2 mins.

Nutrition Facts (Approx. per serving):

• Calories: 410
• Sodium: 740mg
• Protein: 21g
• Fat: 33g
• Carbs: 11g
• Fibre: 1g
• Sugar: 2g

FAQs:

Can I make this without sausage?
Yeah. Just skip it or sub in mushrooms, plant-based meat, or even diced ham.

Is it gluten-free?
Basically, yes — just double-check your sausage and mustard labels.

Can I prep this the night before?
Absolutely. Just keep it covered in the fridge. Add 5–10 mins to bake time.

Can I use milk instead of cream?
You can. It’ll be a little less rich, but still totally fine.

Do I need to thaw the hash browns?
Yes. If they’re still frozen, the whole middle cooks unevenly. Learned that the hard way.