Sausage Breakfast Casserole With Hash Brown Crust
It was early in the morning on a weekend, and I was still making my way through Alice’s cookbook. The smell of sizzling sausage was slowly filling our little apartment. Outside, it was cold, with more snow in the forecast.
As I stirred together Alice’s breakfast casserole, I found myself thinking about her and wondering who she might have made this for. Maybe it was her family gathered around the table, or a church potluck after Sunday service. She was active in her church and cooked for different charitable organizations throughout her life. Maybe it was simply an ordinary morning at home on her farm, surrounded by fruit trees and daily life.
It has been decades since Alice first made this recipe and yet here we were in my kitchen, continuing something she had started. I remembered reading that Alice’s obituary mentioned the food she made, and I don’t think it was the food itself that mattered most. It was how her cooking made people feel.
Isn’t it interesting how that’s what lasts? A breakfast casserole on a cold Saturday morning, a kitchen filled with warmth, a simple meal shared with someone you love. That’s part of why I love making my way through these old recipe collections. They aren’t just instructions. They’re glimpses into everyday lives, the quiet, steady care of women who showed their love through food and gathering.
So, without further ado, here’s Alice’s breakfast casserole with a few of my tweaks. Perfect for a cold winter morning.
Homestyle Sausage & Egg Breakfast Casserole with Hash Brown Crust
Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish.
In a bowl, mix hash browns, melted butter, and pepper.
Press firmly into the bottom of the baking dish to form a crust.
Bake 30–35 minutes, until the hash browns begin turning golden brown and the edges look crispy. You’ll want to keep an eye on these. The baking time really depends on how dry your hash browns are. In my case, I should have baked these a little longer…)
Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
In a skillet over medium heat, cook sausage until browned. If using onion, add it to the skillet and cook until softened.
Drain, but leave about 2 tablespoons of sausage drippings in the pan.
Sprinkle flour over the sausage mixture and stir for about 1 minute.
Slowly whisk in 1 cup milk, cooking until the mixture thickens into a light gravy.
Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
In a large bowl whisk together eggs, sour cream, dry mustard, paprika, and black pepper.
Stir in the shredded cheese.
Spread the sausage gravy mixture evenly over the hash brown crust.
Pour the egg mixture over the sausage.
Bake at 350°F for 35–40 minutes, or until the eggs are set in the center.
Allow the casserole to rest 10 minutes before slicing.
Sausage Breakfast Casserole with Hash Brown Crust
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 400°. Grease a 9×13 baking dish. In a bowl, mix hash browns, melted butter, and pepper. Press firmly into the bottom of the baking dish to form a crust. Bake 30–35 minutes, until the hash browns begin turning golden brown and the edges look crispy. Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350°.
- In a skillet over medium heat, cook sausage until browned. If using onion, add it to the skillet and cook until softened. Leave about 2 tablespoons of sausage drippings in the pan.
- Sprinkle flour over the sausage mixture and stir for about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in 1 cup milk, cooking until the mixture thickens into a light gravy. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl whisk together: eggs, sour cream, dry mustard, paprika, and black pepper. Stir in the shredded cheese.
- Spread the sausage gravy mixture evenly over the hash brown crust. Pour the egg mixture over the sausage.
- Bake at 350°F for 35–40 minutes, or until the eggs are set in the center.
- Allow the casserole to rest 10 minutes before slicing