Ham and Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole

Wake up to a warm & hearty breakfast filled with protein! This Ham and Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole is rich, creamy, and loaded with shredded potatoes, chunks of ham, green pepper, eggs, and cheese. You can even make it the night before and bake it up in the morning. A delicious casserole is always a great way to start your day or make it for a cozy weekend morning. 

For a sausage breakfast casserole be sure and try my Sausage Breakfast Casserole. 

Ham and Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole Recipe

I just love casserole recipes because everything bakes up in one pan and it usually has everything you need for a complete meal! This ham and hashbrown breakfast casserole is full of protein with the eggs and diced ham. It also uses a bag of refrigerated shredded potatoes so the prep work is really easy!

Make it the night before and bake up a warm & hearty breakfast. Perfect for a weekday or a cozy weekend breakfast. 

Ingredients Needed

• Butter – This cooks with the diced onion + green pepper to extract all the flavor and to soften the veggies. 
• Diced Yellow Onion
• Diced Green Pepper – You only need 1/2 cup, which is equal to a small green pepper or half of a larger one. 
• Large Eggs
• Heavy Whipping Cream – Also called heavy cream in the store. You can also substitute half & half if wanted. 
• Salt – I use kosher salt
• Black Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Refrigerated Shredded Potatoes – You will find these by the eggs at the grocery store. They are refrigerated, not frozen, which means they will cook faster in the oven. I also think they taste fresher inside casseroles like this one. The brand is Simply Potatoes. 
• Cooked Chopped Ham – Use up leftover holiday ham like this family favorite Brown Sugar Ham that is made in the crockpot. You can also just buy some diced ham at the store, or get some freshly sliced deli ham (from the deli counter) and chop it up. I will vernally use leftover ham from a Holiday dinner or get some fresh sliced deli ham from the counter. I think those taste the best. 
• Shredded Cheese – Colby Jack cheese or Cheddar cheese.

How To Make a Breakfast Casserole with Ham and Hashbrowns

Learn how to make this breakfast casserole with the simple steps below. Be sure and read to the bottom of the post where there is a printable recipe card along with a pin it button so you can save the recipe for later. 

• Preparation : Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish generously with cooking spray. Set aside. 
• Skillet Pan : Add the butter, onion, and green pepper to a skillet pan, over medium heat, and sauté for about 4-5 minutes or until the vegetables are softened. 
• Egg + Potato Mixture : In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs with a wire whisk. Add in the heavy cream, salt, pepper, garlic powder, shredded hash browns, and shredded cheese. Mix together until combined.
• Bake : Dump the casserole into the prepared baking dish. Cook for 45 minutes or until a knife or toothpick inserted into the middle of the casseroles comes out clean.

Breakfast Casserole FAQ’s

• Can I Make a Breakfast Casserole The Night Before?

  • Yes! A breakfast casserole is the perfect thing to make the night before and then it’s ready to bake in the morning. 
  • To make the casserole the night before, prepare the recipe steps 1-4, which is up until the cooking part. Cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap or tin foil and place it in the fridge overnight. In the morning remove the cover, place it inside the cold oven, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Once heated up to temperature set the cook time for about 55 minutes. 
  • The casserole will need to bake for slightly longer if refrigerated overnight. 
  • It’s important to place the casserole inside the cold oven while the oven is preheating. This way you are not putting a cold casserole dish into the hot oven environment. We want to warm up the casserole dish slightly before baking it. 

• Substitution & Variation Ideas

  • Veggies : You can use any onion you like. I use a yellow onion, but you can substitute a white onion or a sweeter Vidalia onion instead. Feel free to use any color of bell pepper, or use another color along with the green pepper for some added color and veggies. You can also add some finely chopped broccoli into the mixture. I recommend using a steam-able bag of broccoli, cooking it according to package instructions, and then chopping it up small. 
  • Garnishes : Garnish the casserole with sliced green onions and serve with a dash of hot sauce.
  • Make It Spicy! : Add some cayenne red pepper or red pepper chili flakes in with the other dried seasons. Use shredded Pepper Jack cheese. Serve with some dashes of hot sauce like tobacco sauce if wanted. You an also serve this casserole with some hot salsa (or mild, medium). 
  • Half & Half : You can substitute the heavy cream with half & half if wanted. This will cut down on the fat in the casserole. 

• How To Store Leftovers

  • Place any leftovers inside a covered container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. 
  • Reheat leftovers in the microwave.

• Can I Freeze a Breakfast Casserole?

  • Yes you can! Cook and cool the casserole completely to room temperature. Double wrap the casserole in tin foil and place it in the freezer for up to 3 months. 
  • Thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating it in the oven at 375 degrees F for about 30-40 minutes, or longer until it’s warmed through. 
  • I do not recommend freezing this breakfast casserole unbaked. 

• Serving Suggestions

  • This is essentially a complete meal with the eggs, ham, potatoes, and other veggies. 
  • I like to serve it alongside some orange juice and cut up fruit like strawberries, oranges, or cantaloupe. 
  • You can also try serving it alongside some sweeter muffins like these No Yeast Cinnamon Roll Muffins or my One Bowl Applesauce Muffins. 

Recipe Tips

Here are a few of my helpful tips for this recipe so that you can have success recreating it in your own kitchen ♥

• Use Refrigerated Shredded Potatoes : It’s important that you are using the refrigerated shredded potatoes and not the frozen shredded hash browns. The shredded potatoes are made by Simply Potatoes, and they are freshly shredded potatoes that are cold and thawed. Not frozen. This ensures that the potatoes will cook thoroughly within the cook time. Frozen potatoes require much more cook time, they usually have to thawed completely anyways, and they need a tad more moisture when baking. 
• Cheese : Any kind of cheese that you prefer can be used when making this recipe. I recommend using Colby Jack or Cheddar, but you can use Pepper Jack for some spice or Monterey Jack cheese is another great choice. For best results shred your own cheese with a grater. Yes, you can use pre-shredded cheese from a bag, but it does not melt as smoothly and I think shredded cheese from a block just tastes better.
• Heavy Cream : This makes the casserole really creamy and rich, but if you want, you can use half & half instead. I have used both kinds in this recipe and it’s delicious either way. I do not recommend using any lower-fat milk below the half & half, which is half cream + half milk. You want the thickness and fat for this casserole which is why I recommend using heavy cream or half & half only. 

More Family Favorite Breakfast Recipes You’ll Love

• Strawberry Oatmeal Smoothie
• Buttermilk Pancakes w/ Buttermilk Syrup
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Baked Oatmeal
• French Toast Recipe
• Buttermilk Waffles
• Egg Muffin Cups
• Easy Cinnamon Roll Casserole
• Peaches & Cream Cinnamon Roll Casserole