Sausage Hash Brown Casserole

Do you like making breakfast casseroles on Sundays so there are plenty of leftovers for weekday mornings?  If you said ‘yes’, then this sausage hash brown casserole is for you!

This casserole is loaded with potatoes, sausage, cheese, eggs, and a special ‘secret ingredient’. This stick-to-your-ribs recipe is made for a crowd and is even better as leftovers.

I first had this dish while staying the weekend with my family up in Muskegon.  It was such a great weekend visiting with family and lots of great food.  On Sunday morning, we woke up and my stepmom made a big breakfast the main dish was this sausage hash brown casserole.  It was so good!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• How to make sausage hash brown casserole step-by-step
• Tips & Variations
• Storage
• Breakfast recipes to start the morning
• Sausage Hash Brown Casserole

While I was gobbling this down, I asked my stepmother what was all in it so that I could make it once we got home.  She said the first few ingredients and then she said ‘French onion dip’.  What?  Do you mean like chip dip?  Yes!  Even though it’s not something that I would have thought of, I now can’t imagine a savory breakfast casserole that isn’t a combination of creamy sour cream and French onion dip.

Ingredients

This easy hashbrown casserole with sausage has a secret ingredient-

• Frozen hash browns that have been thawed. It is very important to make sure to thaw these before using them in this recipe, otherwise, they will not cook properly.
• Cooked and crumbled pork breakfast sausage. Make sure that it is cooked, you do not want to add raw sausage to this casserole.
• Eggs, milk, and seasonings. Makes a fluffy egg center.
• Sour cream mixed with a surprise ingredient, French onion dip. The secret ingredient!
• Shredded Colby jack cheese. I like this cheese but you can use cheddar cheese, sharp cheddar, or even pepper jack.

Visit YouTube for a video of how to make this
Sausage Hash Brown Casserole

How to make sausage hash brown casserole step-by-step

Start by defrosting the hash browns according to the package directions.

While the hash browns are thawing, in a pan on the stovetop cook the breakfast sausage over medium heat until cooked all the way through.  Should take around 8-10 minutes.

Remove the sausage from the pan and place it on a plate with a few paper towels.  *Depending on how fatty your sausage is, there may be some grease that needs to drain off.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 dish.

In a bowl whisk the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and Spanish paprika.

To that, add the containers of sour cream and French onion dip. Stir to combine.

Now add the thawed hash browns to the bowl followed by the egg mixture.

Finally, add the cooked sausage, chopped onion, and half of the shredded cheese.

Stir it all together so that everything is all combined well. 

Pour the mixture into the greased baking pan and spread it evenly.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Cover the pan with foil and bake for 50 minutes.

Tips & Variations

• Do not skip defrosting the frozen hash browns. If you try to cook them frozen your casserole will take about…5 hours to cook. 
• Save time and swap out the pork sausage for cooked smoked sausage. Eckrich is a popular brand that has different varieties like Polish kielbasa, cheddar, or 4-pepper that would work great in this breakfast casserole.
• Need this recipe for an even bigger crowd?  Double the ingredients and bake in a large foil 20×12 baking pan.  Add 20 additional minutes to the baking time.

Storage

Add the leftovers to a covered container and refrigerate. Eat within 3 days. This reheats great in the microwave or you can bake it in the oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes,

Since this contains dairy products, I do not recommend freezing this recipe. Frozen hashbrowns can last up to 4 months in the freezer. Breakfast sausage can be frozen in a freezer bag (press down into a thin layer) and frozen for 3 months. I like to buy sausage in bulk when on sale.

Breakfast recipes to start the morning

Cut into 12 pieces and serve with a big bowl of fruit, biscuits, and jelly. And here you are……

From our home in the Bottom Left of the Mitten to yours ~ Enjoy!

Originally published in July of 2018. Updated post in August of 2021 with new photos, same great recipe. 

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Last Updated on March 28, 2023 by Erin@BottomLeftoftheMitten