Christmas morning breakfast can be difficult to pull off when there are so many other things going on. Dad is holding the video camera, recording the kids opening their gifts. Mom is picking up the scraps of wrapping paper to throw away while keeping tabs on recycling the bows. When the excitement is over, the children excitedly play with their new toys as mom and dad sneak away for one more hour of sleep.
Then, it’s time to Skype with out of town family to say “Merry Christmas” and by the time that is finished, there’s not much time to cook up breakfast AND prep everything that’s needed for Christmas dinner. So, why not have breakfast ready the night before? You can do just that with your slow cooker and this recipe.
All you need to do to get this breakfast favorite together is quickly cook up some breakfast sausage then layer it in a crock-pot with frozen hashbrowns, cheese and onions then top with an egg mixture. Let it cook overnight on low for 6 to 8 hours, or while everyone is hustling about in the morning on high for 4 hours and serve as a brunch. Easy peasy and ready to please your family!
Below is the basic version I make. You can definitely dress it up a little more with any of your favorite add-ins…maybe bacon or ham instead of sausage, or try some veggies? Then, serve it as is, or top it with a scoop of salsa, hot sauce, ketchup, you name it! The important thing is, breakfast is served!
- 2 lbs frozen shredded hashbrowns
- 1 lb breakfast sausage , browned and drained
- 1/2 cup yellow onions , diced (or 6 green onions, chopped)
- 2 to 3 cups shredded cheese , mixture of cheddar and mozzarella preferred
- 12 large eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- More salt and pepper to season the hashbrown layers , to taste
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Lightly grease the insert to a large (6 quart) slow cooker with nonstick spray. Layer 1/3 of the hashbrowns on the bottom, then lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with 1/3 of the cooked sausage, then 1/3 of each the onions and cheese. Repeat layers two more times, ending with the cheese.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and seasonings. Pour over the layers in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. (Edges may brown.)
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Source: Adapted from Family Fresh Meals
I adore breakfast casseroles and have no idea why I only think about them this time of year!
I am LOVING this! My mom and I were talking about make one or two breakfast casseroles for Christmas morning, but this is PERFECT! Easy to dump it all together and let it cook while we sleep! I just made an executive decision about Christmas brunch 🙂
thanks i think i will do this we have a few coming for breakfast.
Update: Made this for Christmas morning and it was a massive hit. I fried up the sausage and shredded the cheese on Christmas Eve morning to save time that night. Before I went to bed I layered everything in the crock-pot, went to bed, and woke up to the smell of maple sausage (what I decided to buy). Amazing! The casserole was great – very tasty and hearty. It was so helpful to have a warm breakfast ready and waiting, no messing up the kitchen on Christmas morning!
Thanks, Michelle! I think the choice of using maple sausage was an excellent one! 🙂
Hi Nikki! I was surprised just now to find Penny on a Platter while looking for casserole recipes to try! I am staying with Audrey currently in IN. While her hubby is back in MI working on his internship in Ionia. We see our guys on weekends but enjoy the time together trying new recipes, and this crockpot casserole is one we will have to try this weekend! Thx again!!
I made this but it came out too dry. I used cubed hash brown potatoes and everything else as instructed. I cooked on low for 6 hours. I was very disappointed because it should not have been so dry. Any suggestions?
It’s probably because you used cubed hash browns. Sorry, I should’ve been specific in the recipe to use shredded. Fixing that now!
If I cut this recipe in half so you recommend the same cook time?
I would say a little less time, but wouldn’t know for sure as I haven’t tested it myself.
How many will this feed??
Hi Dawn,
10-12 servings, as noted at the beginning of the recipe. 🙂
Could you substitute in Egg Beaters for some of the eggs? Would using ham chunks instead of sausage create a problem? Looking to make this for Mother’s Day Brunch! 🙂
Hi Brooke, I’ve never used Egg Beaters so not sure. Ham would be just fine though! 🙂
Hi I just wanted to know if you are supposed to let the hashbrowns thaw and pat dry, or just add frozen?
Hi Shonda,
I usually add them frozen, but have also done it thawed. If you use thawed (doesn’t have to be patted dry) then cook for 1-2 hours less. Hope this helps! 🙂
Hi, Could I mis the hash browns with the cheese instead of layering it separately ? Thanks alot, Bridget
Sure!