Veggie-Loaded Breakfast Casserole
A super simple veggie loaded breakfast casserole that’s easily customizable! I loaded mine with shredded potato hash browns, tons of fresh veggies, and a big dash of hot sauce! You can add crumbled sausage, shredded chicken, or anything else you please!
FRI-YAY!
I am so excited to be bringing you one of my all-time favorite breakfast casseroles. It’s loaded with shredded potato hash browns and tons of sauteéd spinach, bell peppers, and mushrooms. Not only is it a cinch to whip up, but it’s also totally customizable! Be it sausage, ground chicken/turkey, shredded rotisserie chicken, or meatless – with tons of veggies like I made it. The options are endless.
Once you’ve got your protein picked out, grab your favorite cheese and start shredding. Mozzarella, swiss, and sharp cheddar are just some of the cheeses that will pair well with this casserole.
BUT BUT BUT! More reasons to make it –> you can MAKE IT AHEAD and just bake it off in the morning. How good would this be for Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas breakfast? A nice hearty and veggie loaded casserole that’ll keep you and the little ones going all day long.
How to make a veggie breakfast casserole:
I kind of debated whether I should actually call this a ‘breakfast casserole recipe’ as it’s more of a guideline that can easily be adapted to your family’s breakfast casserole needs.
Did I mention it makes a ton? Like 10-12 servings! The hubby and I enjoyed this casserole for a couple of days but it’s one of those that actually tastes better with time. And yeah, you bet it was dinner the next day. But loaded with veggies and eggs, it’s hearty and keeps you full for hours afterward.
I spiced mine up with a whole ¼ cup of Franks hot sauce. And it gave the casserole so much flavor. If you’ve got little ones, you can cut the hot sauce back to a couple of tablespoons or leave it out altogether. But even with the ¼ cup added into the breakfast casserole, I still splashed on a little more before gobbling it down!
Let’s talk about the breakfast casserole recipe.
It’s super simple, I promise.
I sautéed the veggies separately in a skillet before layering them in. If you decide to use any kind of protein, just sauté it before adding it into the casserole.
So it starts like this – just spray a 9×13 casserole dish down with a good coating of cooking spray. We want the hash browns on the bottom to get nice and colored. Then add in the hash brown, pack them in firmly. Next, whisk the eggs, salt and pepper, milk, and if you’re using it, hot sauce, in a bowl and set it aside. Saute and add your protein +veggies on top of the potatoes and drizzle on your egg mixture. Top it with your favorite cheese and that’s it! Let it all bake up for 45 minutes and you’ve got a perfect breakfast casserole that’s great for brunch or lazy Saturday mornings.
Sometimes I like to assemble the casserole from the night before and let it come to room temperature for about 20 minutes while I enjoy a cup of coffee and bake it off in the morning.
Lazy Saturday morning breakfasts are my favorite part of the whole week.
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Veggie-Loaded Breakfast Casserole
A super simple veggie loaded breakfast casserole that's easily customizable! I loaded mine with shredded potato hash browns, tons of fresh veggies, and a big dash of hot sauce! You can add crumbled sausage, shredded chicken, or anything else you please!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 8-10 mushrooms, sliced
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ red onion, diced
- 2 bell peppers, diced
- 2 cups packed baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 20 ounces shredded potatoes, thawed
- 10 eggs
- ⅓ cup half and half or milk (see notes)
- ¼ cup hot sauce (more or less to taste)
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheese (see notes)
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the mushrooms and sauté them for 4 minutes or until they start to brown. Add a small pinch of salt along withe onions and garlic and let cook for 2 minutes. Remove to a plate. Add the second tablespoon of oil, if needed, and sauté the peppers for 1 minute. Add in the baby spinach and allow it to wilt, remove from heat, set aside.
- Generously spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Lay the shredded potatoes in the bottom of the dish and press to make sure they are spread out evenly. Add the veggies (both the mushrooms and the pepper mixtures) over the potatoes, set aside.
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375ºF if you are baking the casserole immediately.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, half and half, hot sauce, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the prepared veggies. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and another small pinch of salt and pepper.
- Bake the casserole, uncovered, until the cheese melts, and the top gets in and golden, 45-50 minutes. Allow the casserole to cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- TO MAKE AHEAD - prepare the casserole as directed, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or as required (not to exceed 24 hours) and allow it to come to room temperature for 20 minutes before baking.
- The half and half can be replaced with any nondairy milk such as almond, soy, cashew, etc.
- OTHER ADD INS - I kept this recipe vegetarian, but you can certainly add in browned sausage, ground turkey/beef, shredded chicken or ham. The cheeses I recommend for this casserole are cheddar (mild or sharp), mozzarella, and pepper jack, or swiss).
IS THIS A GOOD CHOICE FOR YOU?
*Please note: the nutritional facts calculated are an estimate based on the ingredients I’ve used. If you’d like a more accurate count, please calculate them using the ingredients/brands you’ve used to prepare the recipe. The nutritional facts provided are for 1/12th of the recipe, assuming you use ⅓ cup milk and cheddar cheese.
I manage a bed & breakfast in ATL, this is one of our favorite breakfast dishes to make for our guests. They always love it! Perfect for vegetarian people!
This is AMAZING! I made it for a breakfast meeting at work and people were practically licking the pan. I added chorizo sausage, so i left out the hot sauce because I felt the chorizo had enough seasoning. Will definitely make this again!
I love this recipe!! Made it exactly as written but added chopped fresh tomatoes on top before I added the cheese. My husband could not stop telling me how good it was. I used seasoned Simply Potatoes (shredded) on the bottom as directed. Froze the leftovers in small squares wrapped in wax paper, and took one out this morning for a quick, nourishing breakfast and put it in the microwave for a few minutes, and it tasted just as good, if not better, than yesterdays. Not watery at all. This is the best recipe I have! So healthy, too. What I love about it is I can add any vegetable I desire. I have decided to keep these little squares in the freezer all the time for a quick breakfast when we are on the run. Maybe even add bacon the next time. Thanks so much for sharing.
I read your comments about freezing, but can I freeze it unbaked or should I bake it and then just reheat it? Sounds delicious.
I would freeze once baked and then just reheat it!
If making this for the next day, would I prepare it all the way through step four, i.e. pour the egg mixture over the veggies, add cheese, and then refrigerate? Or better to add the egg mixture right before baking the next morning? Thank you.
You could do it either way. Personally, I find that the acid in the hot sauce turns my veggies an unappealing color if it sits in the egg mixture, so I usually just keep the egg mixture (prepared) but separate. In the morning I just pour it in, sprinkle with cheese and continue to step #5. Hope you enjoy it!
Just curious… do I need to use store bought hash browns or can I just shred potatoes to make this?
What temp does this bake at?
Love this recipe and want to try out for a brunch I am hosting. I just wanted to clarify if you used Did you use frozen cooked hash browns or raw shredded potatoes? I am in the Middle East and it is very difficult to get either of these, so would need to make it first.
The kind I used were raw shredded potatoes! You could even shred your own if you can’t find them easily in a store near you.
I made this recipe today for a potluck and it was a hit! I didn’t have Frank’s hot sauce so I used a combo of Tabasco and Sriracha and I used the entire 28 oz. bag of shredded potatoes. I am already thinking about when I can make it again.
THIS WAS DELICIOUS! Any tips to prevent it from being watery?
I would maybe cook the veggies in smaller batches on a higher heat setting, or in a larger pan (if you have one.) You can also drain the veggies on a paper towel or in a large sieve before adding it to the casserole dish!
I made this for an Easter breakfast potluck and it was great. The fact that you can do the prep work the night before was even better. It only takes a minute to whisk up the eggs so I took Marzia’s suggestion in the comments to just add the egg mixture in the morning right before baking. I wanted smaller portions since it was a potluck, so 15 squares was perfect (3 x 5). I love mushrooms and I ended up going with 12oz and I used 5oz of baby spinach. Using 1 red bell pepper and 1 green one looked pretty cool. I think I will be making this recipe for years to come.
This was a huge hit this morning — used spinach, mushrooms, green onion, asparagus, and added some bits of chicken sausage, otherwise straight recipe, and it’s AMAZING. Oh, and sriracha as the hot sauce portion. This is so adaptable, most definitely a keeper for me. Thanks!
Made this recipe (no tweaks) for a group of 14 women that are all “seasoned cooks” and they all raved
About how great it was. love the versatility of your creation.
Thank You.
anyone tried this with tater tots on the bottom?
Yes! Worked great
Can you use egg beaters instead ? trying to cut the cholesterol
Anybody made it with cubes hash browns? Can’t find shredded so wondering if the cubes will work.
Yes, I made it with the cubed potatoes and it was delicious!
I have morning guests eating at various times. Can I make it in a crockpot?
Unfortunately, I’m not sure if this can be made in the crockpot, I haven’t tried it before. If you decide to give it a go, Patty, I’d love to know how it went for you!
This was delicious!! I made it the night before for an early breakfast with family. I used zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers, and mushrooms. My 2 yr old granddaughter was going to be eating it so I used onion powder instead of onions and left the hot sauce out. My daughter-in-law who is a bit fussy loved it and had 2 pieces. My new go to breakfast casserole for sure.
Has anyone used the vegan Just Eggs instead of regular eggs?
KG did you use Just Eggs? How did it come out?
Made this with potatoes obrien (diced potatoes with onions & peppers already in.) Nevertheless, I also sauteed the mushrooms with an onion and 1/2 bell pepper & garlic. Added 2 diced Roma tomatoes seeded, 16 oz pkg of grated cheddar jack, thawed-out frozen spinach. Lots of hot sauce & tabasco added to the egg mixture. Best breakfast potato bake I’ve ever made. Son & I thoroughly enjoyed. Served with some salsa on the side. Thank you!
Has anyone had problems with this sticking to the pan? I used oil as we don’t have cooking spray and it destroyed the coating on my pan so badly I had to throw the pan out! Wondering if it got too hot in the pockets under the hashbrowns. (Little bubbles of coating lifted right off.) We enjoyed it and I’d like to make it again but I don’t want to ruin a brand new pan.
Hi. I put parchment paper down on the bottom of my pan before starting assembly and it helps avoid casserole stick. Hope that works for you!
I make breakfast casserole every year on Christmas and this is the best yet!
Hi, could you add corn flakes for a crunchy topping? Going to make it on Saturday for a birthday brunch.
It was delicious but could not possibly fit in a 9×13 casserole dish with 20 oz. of hash browns! I used about 12 oz. and it was still filled to the brim. But yummy all the way!
Can you roast the veggies before, instead of having them sauteed?
Can I bake this in a glass 9X13 pan or a 9 X 13 cake pan? making it this morning.
Hi Richelle! A glass pan would be the best option of the two to ensure it cooks in approximately the same amount of time as mine 🙂
This was a hit. It look beautiful and scrumptious. I threw in a little cooked sweet potato also. Will make this again!
Could diced bread be used rather than frozen hash browns? If so, how much would you recommend?
I cooked the hash browns and veggies and shredded the cheese last night and layered them according to directions and then refrigerated them overnight. This morning all I had to do was the egg mixture and the cheese. It came out wonderful. Other than greasing the dish with combo of oil and butter, I did everything else the same. (I don’t like spray on grease).
I served this to my daughter and son-in-law for breakfast with a side of bacon and coffee cake. It was a big hit. I’ll halve the recipe for just me and my husband. This is a great dish to serve to company, for sure. Thank you for sharing it.
Omg, this recipe is THE BOMB!!! It’s so filling & just delicious, that I try to make it once a week. My hubby drives around in a service vehicle all day, so I like to heat a piece in the micro & wrap it in foil then he has hot breakfast whenever he’s ready to eat. The leftovers truly ARE better with time, but it typically never lasts longer than a few days. SO YUMMY!!! Thank you for sharing! God bless. :)))