Martha’s Breakfast Casserole
This Breakfast Casserole is an easy tried and true recipe from Martha made with simple ingredients like eggs, hashbrowns, sausage, and cheese. Potatoes and sausage make this a hearty breakfast casserole.
Use a hot sausage for a little kick. This easy recipe for egg casserole is a great freezer meal. We like to make this for Christmas breakfast the night before so it’s all ready the next morning.
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BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
This Breakfast Casserole comes from Martha, not Martha Stewart although she’s pretty darn close. Martha has been a second mom to my husband growing up.
He loves her and her cooking so when I was searching for the perfect breakfast casserole recipe he said he wanted one just like Martha’s.
INGREDIENTS
- HASHBROWNS – any shredded potato hash browns will work here.
- BREAKFAST SAUSAGE – I like Jimmy Dean sausage. You can also sub crispy bacon, ham, or turkey sausage.
- COTTAGE CHEESE
- DRIED ONION
- LARGE EGGS – this casserole is loaded with one dozen eggs. I wouldn’t recommend egg whites.
- GREEN CHILES
- CHEDDAR CHEESE – a medium or sharp cheddar give this sausage breakfast casserole a kick. Really all kinds of cheese are good in this.
- ADD INS – green or red bell peppers, mushrooms. hot sauce, green onions. This is easily adapted to anything you like.
- TOPPINGS – top with sour cream, salsa, or guacamole.
So we tracked down her recipe. We’ve tried many other breakfast casseroles and we always come back to this recipe. We eat this every Christmas morning along with these cinnamon rolls.
HOW TO MAKE HASHBROWN BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine everything but the eggs in a large bowl and pour egg mixture into a greased 9×13 casserole dish.
- Bake at 350 uncovered for 60-70 minutes until set and slightly brown on top. Cover with aluminum foil if getting too brown. It can be refrigerated overnight before cooking in the morning.
OVERNIGHT BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
The great thing about this recipe is that it can be made the night before and baked in the morning for those busy mornings or a weekend breakfast.
FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS
This can also be made ahead and frozen (raw) and brought out for guests. When frozen cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. 1st hour covered, 2nd hour uncovered.
OTHER BREAKFAST RECIPES:
- Crockpot Breakfast Casserole
- Healthy Oatmeal Pancakes
- French Toast Roll-Ups
- Jelly Roll Pancakes
- Overnight French Toast Casserole
- Cheesy Baked Eggs
- Confetti Bacon Hash Brown Casserole
- Fluffy Pancakes
- Martha’s Breakfast Casserole
- Blueberry Croissant Puff
- French Toast Recipe
- Banana Muffins
- Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Bake
Martha’s Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 (30 ounce) bag of shredded hashbrowns, thawed
- 1 lb cooked sausage, bacon, or cubed ham, (pick you favorite, we like sausage)
- 1 (16 ounce) container small curd cottage cheese
- 12 large eggs
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles
- 1 tablespoon dried onion (or 1 teaspoon onion powder)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine everything and pour mixture into a greased 9x13 pan.
- Bake at 350 uncovered for 60-70 minutes until set and slightly brown on top. It can be refrigerated overnight before cooking in the morning. Serve with sour cream, salsa, or guacamole.
- *This can also be made ahead and frozen (raw) and brought out for guests. When frozen cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. 1st hour covered 2nd hour uncovered.
- Store leftover casserole in an airtight container in the fridge.
I’m sorry, but I would love to rate this dish a whole lot better. It ‘looked’ really good but when I was making it, I thought “wow, that is A LOT of potatoes in here”. I used both hot and sweet sausage from the meat market (loose). I just felt like it was bland, very very heavy, and it sat in my stomach. Husband described as same. Didn’t use Jimmy Dean sausage, maybe I should have?? This one just wasn’t for me, but loved some of your other recipes.
Sorry Karen. We love it. Not sure what went wrong.
In the recipe you state mix everything but the eggs. So do you mix everything and spread in greased pan? Do you add the egg to the pan first? Can you give a little clarification? Thanks! Look forward to making this.
Sorry. That’s how I used to make it is pour the eggs on top. Now I just mix it all together.
This was the easiest and best breakfast casserole ever. Prepped the day before and just cooked it an extra 15-29 minutes. Served with salsa, hot sauce and sour creamy. It’s a keeper!! Thank you!!
Thank you!
How many servings is this casserole?
16 servings.
Can I make this the night before and let it sit in the fridge? Would I increase cook time?
Yes, increase the cooking time by 10-20 minutes.
Do you need to add salt?
Usually the meat is salty enough on its own.
I misread about freezing it raw and cooked it before freezing. Will it be ruined?
Nope you can do it either way.
Hi! As for sausage do you buy a package of ground sausage and just fry it up then add it? Thanks
Yes, ground sausage that you brown.
This is probably a silly question, but do you use small curd or large curd cottage cheese?
I use small curd.
why can’t this recipe be printed?
I was able to print it. What browser were you using?
This is probably a silly question but under instructions #2, it says to mix well. You mix the eggs well in with the other mixture already in the baking dish? Or you mix the eggs well?
Sorry. I got the instructions from Martha. I always just pour the eggs on top and don’t mix anything. Sorry for the confusion.
Would ricotta work? Or sour cream?
What can u substitute for the cottage cheese? I’m not a big fan of it…
Gina,
I HATE cottage cheese too but you cannot even tell it’s in it, I swear. Once it cooks, it’s non-existent.
This looks so yummy! My husband loves breakfasts like this so I’m planning to make it for him for Father’s Day. We have a small family though, so I was wondering if you’ve ever tried freezing a portion of it after it’s been cooked?
Sure! You can do that.
I usually use sage flavored sausage when I am making breakfast casseroles. The sausage adds a real nice kick of flavor.
This is so good! I made it for our large family today and have leftovers for another breakfast! I have tried MANY of these at MOPS meetings an church brunches. I am partial to the ones with more flavor, like this one, and I like the hashbrowns too. We used sausage as well. Thanks again for another great recipe! We had creamy chicken enchiladas last night with black beans and Cilantro Lime Rice. And, Barbacoa tomorrow!
Do you throw out the hash browns first?
Judy,
I thaw them out just enough so that I can stir them in with the other ingredients.
Probably a silly question, but can you just refrigerate it overnight? With the raw eggs? (My hashbrowns are still frozen). So if I put it in the fridge overnight, cook tomorrow for how long? Covered or not?
@Dee Dee,
Yes, you can refrigerate it overnight with the eggs and cook it as normal in the morning uncovered.
Oh wow!! Our Bible study ladies take turns bringing a dish to share each week and I take a similar breakfast casserole to share when it’s my turn. The slight difference is I add a small jar of pimentos. I did it originally to add some color, now I add it for the extra flavor.
Your addition of cottage cheese intrigues me. Will add it next time around. Can’t wait!! Thanks for the inspiration! Pinning this recipe and will blog about it later when I try it. Of course, linking back to you.
Thanks again!
I used ground beef and real bacon pieces for the meat. I also melted cheese on top at 6 minutes before done, then sprinkled bacon pieces on top. I cook twice a year since my husband is the cook of our home. This was a winner for me! My family had seconds!
@jana&widmar,
Nope. No need to cook the hashbrowns. Just throw it all together and then cook it!
Christy
Do you cook the hash browns first?
Yes. I cooked mine first, browning them up in a skillet. It makes the end result tastier.
Do you cook the hash browns first?
@Danielle,
In a 9×13 pan. It makes a ton!
Christy
This looks yummy! What size pan do you cook it in?
what a great idea! This would be perfect to take to a brunch 😀