This lightened up overnight slow cooker breakfast casserole is perfect for a delicious, hearty and super satisfying make-ahead brunch dish that will have everyone going back for seconds!
This post first appeared on Real Housemoms, where I am a contributor.
This morning came way too early after our Halloween fun last night!
Our neighborhood does a cul-de-sac get together and pizza party in the late afternoon. The adults sip a beverage, the kids run around like crazy and we all nibble on some good eats.
Once the sun goes down and we're sick of the nagging, we all embark on the trick-or-treating for the night.
M (age 7) was Hermione Granger from Harry Potter this year and J (age 5) was Ironman. He's VERY into superheroes right now.
We had such a fun night and hopefully, we'll all be able to get through our days without too many yawns. (Or sugar crashes. 😂)
But moving on to the food, because I've been waiting and waiting to share this recipe with you!
First, who else here loves some breakfast and brunch foods? 🙋♀️
I hope you have both hands raised in the air, waving wildly.
No matter the time of day, I’m always in the mood for eggs. And potatoes. And cheese.
So this overnight slow cooker breakfast casserole brings together some of my favorites and is the perfect thing to make when you’ve got family in town or friends coming over for brunch.
Hello, Christmas morning breakfast! 🎄
I especially love that it’s ready to go and waiting for me in the morning. 👍
It lets me focus on getting everything else tidied up and ready to serve. And the delicious smells will usher your whole family to the kitchen to dig in!
I’ve also made my version on the healthier side. You know me... 😉
I use turkey sausage and skim milk and you could also use reduced fat cheese here if you prefer. Don’t worry though, this is still crazy satisfying!
Notes and substitutions for overnight slow cooker breakfast casserole:
- You can use turkey sausage like I do here — either hot or mild — or substitute pork sausage. You could even try it with diced ham or cooked, crumbled bacon.
- Feel free to switch up the cheese as well. Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack would be great instead of the cheddar.
- I’ve used both but prefer the diced hash browns here, as they seem to hold up better in the slow cooker.
- Like it spicy? Feel free to add in some red pepper flakes or diced jalapeño.
- If you don’t want to be fussing with this much at night before bed, you can chop the veggies and cook the sausage earlier in the day. Then you just need to layer everything in the crock pot and turn it on!
And you know me, don’t forget the toppings! I’m all about the toppings! ❤️
Extra shredded cheese, diced tomatoes or salsa, sour cream or Greek yogurt, diced avocado, chopped green onions, chopped fresh cilantro or parsley and hot sauce all work great with this.
They also add a great freshness and brightness to the dish after it’s cooked all night.
Need some brunch side dishes to round out your meal? Check out my overnight cheesy grits casserole, which is a Southern favorite and my mixed greens and fruit salad, which is great for a fresh, healthy option at the table.
You can also check out all of my healthy muffin recipes, which are great to make ahead and have out for everyone to munch on first thing.
And no brunch is complete without a fun drink! My poinsettia cocktail and champagne brunch punch are both really pretty, festive options!
So whether you’ve got family in town, overnight guests, holiday visitors or just want a fantastic breakfast that cooks itself, I hope you give this overnight crock pot breakfast casserole a try!
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
P.S. You may also want to check out my make ahead healthy sausage breakfast casserole and my individual breakfast casseroles for some more brunch time deliciousness!
Overnight slow cooker breakfast casserole
Overnight slow cooker breakfast casserole is perfect for a delicious, hearty and super satisfying make-ahead breakfast or brunch dish!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. frozen bag hash brown potatoes (diced or shredded, see notes)
- 1 cup onion, diced small
- 1 ½ cups bell pepper (any color or a mix), diced small
- 1 lb. turkey sausage (hot or mild), cooked and crumbled (see notes)
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 12 large eggs
- ¾ cup milk of choice (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Optional toppings:
- Extra shredded cheese, diced tomatoes or salsa, sour cream or Greek yogurt, diced avocado, chopped green onions, chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, hot sauce, etc.
Instructions
- Place the frozen hash brown potatoes in the bottom of your slow cooker. (I don’t use cooking spray or a liner bag, but you can if you’re worried yours might stick.)
- Place the chopped onion and peppers on top of the potatoes.
- Next, layer the cooked sausage in the crock pot and top with the shredded cheese.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and remaining ingredients (but not the toppings).
- Pour the egg mixture over the other ingredients in the slow cooker.
- Put the lid on and cook for 8-9 hours on low.
- Serve with desired toppings and enjoy!
Notes
I’ve used both but prefer the diced hash browns here, as they seem to hold up better in the slow cooker than the shredded ones. If you are using thawed hash brown potatoes, this will probably cook in 7-8 hours.
You can use turkey sausage like I do here — either hot or mild — or substitute pork sausage. You could even try it with diced ham or cooked, crumbled bacon.
You can switch up the cheese as well. Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack would be great instead of the cheddar.
I use skim or 2% milk, but you could use a milk substitute or use half-and-half for a richer dish.
Like it spicy? Feel free to add in some red pepper flakes or diced jalapeño.
And if you don’t want to be fussing with this much at night before bed, you can chop the veggies and cook the sausage earlier in the day. Then you just need to layer everything in the crock pot and turn it on!
The toppings are optional but really help make this casserole look gorgeous and bring a bright, fresh taste as well.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 453Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 288mgSodium: 1063mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 28g
Laurie
I'm confused, because this doesn't look like it's being served out of a crockpot dish? Was that dish sat in the bottom of a large crockpot? Or transfered afterward? But if so, how does it look so nice? Help me understand.
Kathryn
Hi Laurie, I transferred the casserole from the slow cooker to a serving dish after it finished cooking so it would look prettier for serving - and for the photos! Adding the toppings helps cover any areas that are broken up and less than perfect looking. Hope that helps!
Kris
What size slow cooker did you use?
Kathryn Doherty
I have a 6.5 quart slow cooker. I hope that helps!
Linda
This looks amazing. If I wanted to bake in the oven would it turn out and cook the bottom layer of hashbrowns?
Kathryn Doherty
Hi Linda! I have not tried this recipe in the oven, but I imagine a few adjustments might be needed (number of eggs, liquids, etc.) Here's a baked version from a blogger friend of mine that you could compare with and make a mash-up of these two recipes: https://amindfullmom.com/easy-hashbrown-breakfast-casserole/ I hope that helps!
Linda
Thank you so much for responding. I'm going to try it this weekend!
Beukema Connie
Can I double this recipe. I have a 8qt crockpot. Would the cooking time change?
Kathryn Doherty
Hi there! So my slow cooker is a 6-quart and I'm not sure how you might need to adjust the cooking time if you doubled the entire recipe; and whether it would all still cook through properly with those amounts. I'd hate for the whole thing to get ruined! I did however just publish this week a recipe for my oven baked hash brown breakfast casserole and you could easily make that in two casserole pans to serve a larger crowd. (And it can be prepped in advance.) It might be a safer route: https://www.familyfoodonthetable.com/hash-brown-breakfast-casserole/ Hope that helps!
Brit
Hi, would I be able to leave out hashbrowns? If so I'm assuming it would affect the cooking time? Sorry I'm new to this lol.
Kathryn Doherty
Hi Brit! I haven't tried this without the hash browns, so I'm not sure how the cooking time and consistency might be different. Would love to hear if you try it though!