Breakfast casserole with evaporated milk and hash browns

Q: Do you thaw hash browns for casserole?

As with any other ingredients, its recommended to thaw hash browns before cooking. Cooking them frozen will cause the heat to spread unevenly and your hash browns might cook from the outside, while the inside remains frozen. Cooking them frozen might also result in them becoming too mushy and/or watery.

This Farmers Casserole is perfectly seasoned, smells beautiful, and is loaded with savory goodness! It has ham, hash browns, bell peppers, cheese, and plenty of aromatics which makes this Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole a truly wonderful one-dish meal.

Table of Contents Show

Ingredients
Instructions
Freezing And Storing Instructions
More Egg Breakfast Recipes
Why is my breakfast casserole runny?
Why is my hash brown casserole soggy?
Do you thaw hash browns for casserole?
How do you keep breakfast casserole from falling?

It can be whipped up in minutes and a breakfast that will keep you full until your next meal.

Want an easy solution for a busy morning? Make this overnight breakfast casserole!

This dish is sure to become your most requested recipe for breakfast and lazy weekend brunch.

We like to mix all the farmer's casserole ingredients and then chill the dish in the fridge overnight until the next morning.

It does help to achieve the delicious fluffy egg layer and the overall flavor and helps the hash browns to soak up all the liquid before baking.

Use this farmer's breakfast casserole recipe as your base, all the veggies and meats can be swapped for whatever is in your fridge and cheese is totally optional. But we just love cheese and like to add it in and on top of this casserole.

There are so many of you, different readers, here at the Yummy Bowl - some of you like to get straight to the recipe ingredients and instructions, and some of you love reading the full information with tips and tricks that I provide for the recipe.

There is a skip to recipe button in the top left corner along with a clickable table of contents list (just below) that will quickly take you to the part you are more interested in. Enjoy!

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Ingredients
Instructions
Tips
Freezing And Storing Instructions
FAQ
More Egg Breakfast Recipes
Farmers Casserole (Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole)

This hashbrown breakfast casserole along with our popular Breakfast Strata have been our favorite recipes to make when the family is visiting, on easter, thanksgiving, and other special celebrations.

Ingredients

My few comments on the ingredients + don't forget to read the Tips section!

The full recipe and ingredients can be found in the recipe card below this post.

Ham - your favorite ham diced into cubes. Or use breakfast sausage (in this case be careful with the seasonings, as the sausage usually already has plenty of salt, spices, and herbs), ground pork, chicken, or beef. In addition, you can also add cooked bacon to this breakfast casserole.

Bacon tip: To save time, make bacon in the oven while you prep other veggies. Cook the bacon at 400 degrees F for about 18-20 minutes until it’s perfectly golden and crispy. Let it cool down and crumble into the casserole along with other ingredients. Reserve some for garnish on top.

For Vegetarian breakfast casserole substitute meat with cooked lentils, quinoa, cous cous (not gluten free!), mushrooms, or beans even.

Hashbrown - adds texture and bottom crust to this farmer's casserole. Frozen shredded hashbrowns, country-style hashbrowns, both can be used here. You don’t need to thaw these, they go right in the mix and soak up the liquid overnight.

Good melty cheese - is essential! cheddar (any), gouda, swiss cheese, Monterey Jack Cheese, Colby and for added flavor Pepper Jack Cheese.

Evaporated milk - is what I used but regular milk is fine too. Evaporated milk is more concentrated and creamy which helps with the texture. However, as we are making this an overnight breakfast casserole, regular milk is okay and will not make your casserole watery.

Green chile breakfast casserole - In this casserole I added some slcied jalapenos on top right before baking. But you can substitute this with green chiles and for added heat, stir in one finely diced green chile in the casserole mixture before baking.

Instructions

Spray an 8 x 11 inch or a square baking dish (9 x 9 inch) with non-stick cooking spray.

Add shredded hash browns to the bottom of the prepared dish. Spread out evenly with a spatula.

Top with diced ham, bell pepper, green onion, and jalapeno. You can sprinkle cheese on top or stir it into the potato mixture.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, evaporated milk, and spices. Pour egg mixture over casserole.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge overnight. Take out from the fridge and bring to room temperature (about 30 minutes before baking)

In a preheated oven to 350 degrees F, bake this hearty breakfast casserole for 50-55 minutes.

You will know that the casserole is done when it’s golden in color and the sides pull away slightly from the pan edges.

The center should be fully cooked and tested with a toothpick. It should not be liquid.

Remove the farmer's casserole from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley and slice into portions.

Although I love eating freshly made food, this farmer's breakfast casserole tastes even better the next day. Makes a delicious cold snack too!

Tips

Great fridge cleaner - this is a kind of recipe that doesn't require any specific and complicated ingredients or seasonings. Use what you have: a good amount of vegetables, a hearty combination of meat, and your favorite seasonings.

I have added jalapeno for a little spicy kick but this can be left out completely or swapped to red chili flakes.

You can double the recipe and bake it in a larger casserole dish (9x13 inches). The baking time will need to be adjusted (bake for longer).

This casserole should not end up watery or soupy. If it did, you have missed the recipe instructions, and ingredients, and not let the casserole sit overnight to absorb all the liquid.

Make it a little healthier - to make this dish more healthy, you can add fresh potatoes or sweet potatoes in place of hash brown. Dice the potatoes small and bake these in the oven prior. Drizzle with olive oil and some seasoning, toss to coat, and bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees F.

Chilling the farmer's casserole before baking -you don’t necessarily have to chill this casserole but I highly recommend it. Because chilling helps the hash browns to soak up all the flavors, and liquid. And your casserole is flavorful and doesn’t end up all liquidy.

Freezing And Storing Instructions

This breakfast bake can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

For freezing the breakfast casserole, slice it into serving portions and wrap it in plastic, individual freezer bags, or transfer it to a disposable aluminum pan.

Freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat in the oven at 350 F until warmed through. Or in a preheated air fryer.

FAQ

Should I thaw frozen hash browns before cooking?

For the best result, this breakfast casserole should sit overnight in the fridge. This time will allow the hashbrowns to thaw and soak up all the flavors and liquid. You definitely don’t need to thaw frozen hash browns first.

Why is my hash brown casserole soggy?

There can be various reasons why your hashbrown casserole turned out soggy.
It may be due to not refrigerating the mixed ingredients overnight;
Not following the ratios as instructed in the recipe;
Using low-quality hash browns or in some cases cubed hashbrowns, but both shredded and cubed hashbrowns can be used in this recipe.

Can I use fresh shredded potatoes instead of frozen?

You definitely can use fresh shredded potatoes in a breakfast casserole instead of frozen. The main thing here is to shred the potatoes and then let them sit in a large deep bowl with cold water for at least 30 minutes. The thick white substance left in the bottom of the bowl is starch that you’ll have to pour out.

Can breakfast casserole be frozen?

For freezing the breakfast casserole, slice it into serving portions and wrap it in plastic or transfer it to disposable aluminum pan. Freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat in the oven at 350 F until warmed through. Or in a preheated air fryer.

More Egg Breakfast Recipes

ALL BREAKFAST recipes.

Easy Breakfast Casserole with Bacon (Breakfast Strata)
Waffle Omelette
Salmon Avocado Eggs Benedict (Eggs Royale)
Healthy Vegetable Breakfast Frittata

I hope you'll enjoy this Farmers Casserole recipe, please leave a rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo of your food and tag me on Instagram @theyummy_bowl. I love seeing your creations!

Thank you for reading,

Love,

Julia

15 oz frozen shredded hash browns
9 oz ham diced
½ cup green onions diced
½ cup red bell pepper diced
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded or good melty cheese
1 medium jalapeno peppers sliced
4 eggs
12 oz can of evaporated milk whole, 2% or fat-free
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder

Spray a 8 x 11 inch or a square baking dish (9 x 9 inch) with non-stick cooking spray.
Add shredded hash browns to the bottom of the prepared dish. Spread out evenly with a spatula.
Top with diced ham, bell pepper, green onion, and jalapeno. You can sprinkle cheese on top or stir it into the potato mixture.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, evaporated milk, and spices. Pour egg mixture over casserole.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge overnight. Take out from the fridge and bring to room temperature (about 30 minutes before baking)
In a preheated oven to 350 degrees F, bake this hearty breakfast casserole for 50-55 minutes. You will know that the casserole is done when it’s golden in color and the sides pull away slightly from the pan edges. The center should be fully cooked and tested with a toothpick. It should not be liquid. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley and slice into portions.
Although I love eating freshly made food, this farmer's breakfast casserole tastes even better the next day. Makes a delicious cold snack too!

Nutrition Facts

Farmers Casserole (Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 398 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Fat 20g31%

Saturated Fat 9g56%

Trans Fat 0.01g

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Monounsaturated Fat 7g

Cholesterol 188mg63%

Sodium 904mg39%

Potassium 748mg21%

Carbohydrates 26g9%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 28g56%

Vitamin A 1281IU26%

Vitamin C 32mg39%

Calcium 398mg40%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe has been inspired from Downshiftology.

Why is my breakfast casserole runny?

Why Is My Breakfast Casserole Runny? The key to a breakfast casserole that is moist and delicious but not runny is to make sure you have the proper ratio of bread, eggs, and milk. If there is too much liquid for the bread to absorb, the result could be a runny casserole.

Why is my hash brown casserole soggy?

Drain thawed frozen hash browns of any excess moisture otherwise it can make your casserole soggy. Don't use just shredded potatoes. You can make your own hash browns but you must soak the shredded potatoes and dry them very well (see instructions in post). Still, frozen hash browns are optimal because they are drier.

Do you thaw hash browns for casserole?

As with any other ingredients, it's recommended to thaw hash browns before cooking. Cooking them frozen will cause the heat to spread unevenly and your hash browns might cook from the outside, while the inside remains frozen. Cooking them frozen might also result in them becoming too mushy and/or watery.

How do you keep breakfast casserole from falling?

This breakfast casserole is a bit denser, which some people prefer. For a puffy egg casserole, you can prevent falling by cooking at a lower temperature, as with this recipe.