Oh, the weather outside is not very frightful. Nah. It’s sunny and high 60’s which is cold to some Californians. Not me. Well, not normally me. But I won’t lie, people: the heater has been briefly turned on twice this month. I’m not proud but running around shivering is stupid too. Thus, it’s official now: I’m a California wimp.
And this SoCal gal likes it cool but not cold. She prefers running errands in her flip-flops, not Nikes, because her toes demand freedom. FREEDOM, I say. Alas, Mother Nature does as she pleases and I shouldn’t complain because I’m flying to Minnesota at the end of this week. Now I’m looking forward to seeing my family but … it will be in the low 30’s back home, which isn’t terrible but not great either, especially now that I’m a California wimp.
I’m gonna have to pack my long johns and just grin it and bear it, which shouldn’t be too hard because I plan on eating myself toasty warm. 😀 Since Santa knows when I’m naughty, I’ll tell you the truth: this make-ahead breakfast casserole is amazing. And it’s perfect for those who have overnight guests for the holiday or are hosting a holiday brunch.
Yes, that’s Max photobombing my breakfast casserole. Sure, I could have made him move but nah. Where’s the fun in that?
This makes a very special breakfast for guests but honestly, I love just making it for me too. It makes a huge pan and reheats beautifully, making my lunch or dinner a snap. I love the flavorful and creamy hash-brown layer and it’s perfect topped with a dollop of sour cream and salsa.
Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1/2 of a 30oz bag of hash browns
- 8 oz whipped chive and onion cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons ranch dip powder mix
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 (4oz) can chopped green chiles, well-drained
- 1 lb pork sausage
- 10 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 3/4 tsp salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
Directions
- Butter or spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- In medium skillet, crumble sausage and fry until fully cooked. Add onion and cook until soft, 2-3 minutes. Drain grease from skillet. I even lightly dab the sausage with a paper towel to get all the excess oil. Stir in drained chiles.
- In a large bowl, stir together the cream cheese and ranch powder mix. Add the hash-browns and gently combine. Mix the cream cheese as thoroughly as you can but don’t turn the hash-browns into mush either!
- In a large bowl, whip the eggs and milk together. Stir in seasonings.
- Spread the hash-browns in your prepared baking dish, lightly pressing the potatoes to make a crust. Top with the sausage mixture, then the grated cheddar cheese and finally the egg mixture.
- Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake uncovered for 50 minutes or until eggs are set. Check at 35 minutes, if cheese is starting to brown, lightly cover with aluminum foil. When done, remove from oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve with sour cream and salsa, if desired.
Special Notes
You don’t have to refrigerate the casserole and can bake it immediately too. It may not need to cook as long, though, so adjust cooking time accordingly.
Enjoy!
Tanya
I love the pic with Max! Purrrfect kitty photobomb 🙂
I love breakfast casserole but all the eggs make me sick. I nibble on different b-fast casseroles throughout the holiday season but I can’t eat too many eggs for some odd reason. This sounds delicious, though!!
I just thought he looked too adorable to move! And let’s get real: I overindulge my cat! 😀 I’ve heard that eggs can give some people really bad headaches, although I’m not sure if that’s your issue with them. And for the life of me, I can’t remember what it was about eggs that caused the problem. I love eggs and seriously eat them all the time, because easy and cheap!
This looks fabulous!
Thanks, Steph!
Take out the meat & this sounds amazing. I never thought to add hashbrowns in a dish like this!
You could easily skip the meat or replace with it sauted baby bellas and it would be delicious.