Description
Sausage, Egg, and Cream Cheese Hashbrown Casserole is a breakfast dream! My easy, cheesy recipe for a comforting, make-ahead meal. So good!
Ingredients
Scale
- Base Ingredients:
- 30 oz (approx 850g) frozen shredded hashbrowns, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 lb (450g) breakfast sausage
- Creamy Goodness:
- 8 large eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
- 4 oz (113g) cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups (225g) shredded cheddar cheese
- Flavor Foundations:
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 red or green bell pepper, diced
- Seasoning & Finishing:
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
- Prep the Players:: First things first, get those hashbrowns thawed if you haven’t already. I usually pull them out of the freezer the night before and stick them in the fridge. When you’re ready to start, press as much liquid out of them as you can with a clean kitchen towel. Seriously, this step is critical for crispy hashbrowns! While you’re doing that, dice your onion and bell pepper, and mince that garlic. You want everything ready to go before the cooking chaos begins.
- Brown the Sausage & Veggies:: Grab a large skillet and get it hot over medium-high heat. Toss in your breakfast sausage and break it up with a spoon. You want it nicely browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Once it’s done, drain off most of the grease, but leave a tiny bit for flavor – trust me! Then, add your diced onion and bell pepper to the skillet with the sausage. Sauté them until they’re softened, about 5 minutes, then stir in the minced garlic for just a minute until it smells fragrant. Don’t let it burn, that’s a mistake I’ve made before, and burnt garlic is just sad.
- Whip Up the Creamy Egg Mixture:: In a big mixing bowl, whisk together your large eggs, whole milk, and that lovely softened cream cheese. I like to use a fork to really break up the cream cheese and get it smooth. Don’t worry if there are a few tiny lumps; they’ll melt right into the casserole anyway. Season this mixture generously with salt, black pepper, and that smoked paprika. Give it another good whisk until everything is well combined and looks delightfully creamy. This is where the magic really starts to happen!
- Assemble the Casserole:: Now for the fun part! In a large bowl, combine your squeezed, thawed hashbrowns with the cooked sausage and vegetable mixture. Toss it all together gently to make sure everything is evenly distributed. Then, pour about half of your creamy egg mixture over the hashbrown and sausage blend. Stir it again, making sure every single hashbrown strand gets coated in that eggy goodness. This step ensures an even flavor and texture throughout the Sausage, Egg, and Cream Cheese Hashbrown Casserole.
- Layer and Top with Cheese:: Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Spread the hashbrown mixture evenly into the prepared dish. Pour the remaining egg mixture over the top, making sure it seeps down into all the nooks and crannies. Sprinkle a generous layer of shredded cheddar cheese all over the top. I like to use a bit more than the recipe calls for, because, well, cheese! This top layer will get wonderfully golden and bubbly.
- Bake to Golden Perfection:: Pop your assembled Sausage, Egg, and Cream Cheese Hashbrown Casserole into a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for about 35-45 minutes. You’re looking for that beautiful golden-brown top and a casserole that’s set in the middle. If it starts getting too brown on top before it’s cooked through, just loosely tent it with foil. Once it’s done, pull it out, let it rest for 5-10 minutes, and then dive in! The smell alone is enough to get everyone out of bed.