What are Refrigerated Hash Browns?

Refrigerated hash browns are fresh potatoes that have been shredded. You can usually find them in the dairy case near the mashed potato products. They take less time to prepare than frozen hash browns. The O’Brien variety we call for in this recipe has added bell pepper and onion, which adds flavor and color without the need for additional ingredients and prep time.

How to Make Sausage-Hashbrown Casserole without Eggs

If you are looking for a terrific cheesy hash brown recipe without eggs, our top-rated cheesy potato casserole , made with cream of chicken soup, has amazing flavor without the eggs. Or try creamy ham and potato-casserole . It’s made with cubed frozen O’Brien potatoes, ham, and sour cream for a dish that’s as equally comfortable on the breakfast table as it is for dinner.

Kitchen Tested

Overnight Country Sausage-Hash Brown Casserole

Name: Overnight Country Sausage-Hash Brown Casserole
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 9 h 25 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 package (16 oz) bulk hot pork sausage; 10 eggs; 1 1/2 cups milk; 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard; 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper; 1 bag (20 oz) refrigerated O’Brien hash browns (about 4 1/2 cups); 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (6 oz)

Prep time:20 min
Total time:9 hr 25 min
Ingredients:7
Servings:8
Calories per serving:350

By Pillsbury Kitchens(Opens in a new tab)Updated 10/07/2024

Overnight Country Sausage-Hash Brown Casserole

Prep time:20 min
Total time:9 hr 25 min
Ingredients:7
Servings:8
Calories per serving:350

This quick and easy breakfast casserole is a satisfying all-in-one egg bake. Filled with cheesy hashbrowns and sausage that’s perfect when you want a relaxing morning with the family, because it’s made the night before. Baking all the components of a hearty breakfast together in one dish means less time spent than if you were to make eggs, sausage, and hash browns all separately. Because it’s assembled the night before, it’s a great sausage-hash brown casserole to serve for a holiday breakfast or brunch. It’s ready to serve once all the presents have all been opened or when you’re in the mood to start your lazy weekend morning.

This dish comes together quickly, starting with refrigerated hash browns, so there’s no thawing frozen the frozen kind first. The seasoned, shredded potatoes combined with spicy sausage adds a lot of flavor to the dish without the need for a grocery cart full of extra seasonings. Everything gets mixed together and poured into your casserole dish except hold back some of the cheese. It gets added just before baking, so the egg bake has a beautifully cheesy top, that just calls you to take a bite.

How to Make Sausage-Hashbrown Casserole

Learn how easy this make-ahead hash brown casserole for a crowd is to prepare. Refer to the recipe for all the specific details:

Spray the Casserole Dish

We prefer to use a 13x9-inch casserole dish, so that each serving gets the maximum the cheesy goodness on top. You can, however, use any shaped 3-quart casserole you have in your kitchen. Spray to lightly coat the bottom and sides.

Cook the Sausage

Use a small skillet to cook the sausage. Break up any clumps with a spoon, until it is no longer pink. Drain sausage to remove the grease, so the casserole won’t taste greasy when baked.

Mix the Ingredients

Beat the eggs, milk, mustard, and pepper in a large bowl using a whisk, to break up the eggs quickly. Stir in the refrigerated hash browns, along with most of the cheese. Hold back the remaining cheese to add just before baking. This will keep the cheese on top verses sinking in. Cover and place in the refrigerator.

Pour into the Dish and Refrigerate

Refrigerating the mixture allows you to do all the prep ahead, giving you a break in the morning. And as the mixture sits, the starch released by the potatoes helps the dish set-up when baked.

Uncover, Top with Cheese, and Bake

Uncover the casserole, add that remaining cheese and bake.I no time you’ll have a moist, cheesy, and as enticing to look at as it is to eat.

Cool and Serve

Let the baked casserole stand for 10 minutes, for the egg bake to set up so the pieces come out of the dish intact. Cut the casserole down the center lengthwise, using a sharp knife. Cut the casserole in half crosswise, and then make 2 additional cuts crosswise, to cut the casserole into 8 equal-sized pieces. Use a small cookie spatula to remove servings from the dish.

Sausage-Hashbrown Casserole Variations

You can try any of these suggestions on how to change up the cheesy sausage and hashbrown casserole, based on what you already have in your kitchen or your family’s preferences:

Swap the Sausage: Go for what’s on sale or the type of sausage your family loves. You could use bulk ground hot Italian turkey sausage, breakfast sausage, chicken sausage, chorizo, or andouille sausage. Or, if you have non meat eaters, try plant-based bulk sausage, instead. You could also just skip the sausage altogether; however, it does add heartiness and flavor to the dish while bulking up the servings.

Spice it Up: Tweak the flavor of the dish by changing the style of mustard. Try spicy brown mustard for an added kick or honey mustard, for a touch of sweetness. You can also add herbs for additional color and flavor. Since the casserole is made ahead, use dried herbs, such as basil leaves or Italian seasoning. If you love the look and flavor that comes from fresh herbs, chopped Italian parsley, green onions, or chives could be used without them turning dark during the storage step. Other fresh herbs are not recommended, as they can turn dark during the refrigeration of this dish.

A New Cheese, Please: Use a cheese that tempts your tastebuds or that’s been in your fridge, looking for a little love. Swap an equal amount of any shredded cheese that has a nice melty quality when heated. Try a Mexican cheese blend, spicy jalapeño, Monterey Jack, or even Swiss cheese would be delicious in this breakfast casserole.

How to Store Overnight Country Sausage-Hash Brown Casserole

Any leftover baked hash brown casserole should be refrigerated within 2 hours of baking it, to avoid any potential bacteria from growing, which could cause food-borne illness. You can cover the leftovers right in the dish they were baked in or transfer them to a food-safe storage container or plate and cover. Refrigerate the leftovers no longer than 4 days. We don’t recommend freezing the baked casserole, as the eggs and hash browns can get watery during the thawing and reheating stages.

To reheat refrigerated leftovers, place a serving on a microwavable plate. Cover loosely and microwave on medium-high (70%) 1 minute to 1 1/2 minutes or until the center reaches 165 °F when tested with an instant-read food thermometer. We do not recommend reheating the baked casserole in the oven, as it would dry out before the center would be hot enough.

Frequently Asked Questions

There are a few reasons your casserole may have become soggy. If you used too small of a casserole dish, the mixture won’t be able to bake as it needs to in the time given. This will cause it to remain more liquidly in the center, rather than a set mixture when served. Or, if you’ve used frozen hash browns rather than refrigerated hash browns, the casserole may become soggy when baked, due to the level of moisture that’s in frozen hash brown potatoes. Remember, don’t just bake by time, but bake until the center is set for it to be the correct texture when served.

We tested this recipe specifically to offer the convenience of making it the night before, to take the pressure off getting your breakfast or brunch on the table the next day. It’s a terrific one to use for the holidays, when you need all the assistance in the kitchen as you can get. But there might be times you really want to enjoy this dish without having to plan for it in advance. We haven’t tested it like this, but based on all the recipe testing we do, we’d suggest you make these adjustments to the recipe: Reduce the milk to 1 1/4 cups. Start checking to see if the center of the casserole is set at 40 minutes. It could take as little as 40 minutes or as much as 60 minutes for it to set. Since the casserole wasn’t refrigerated overnight, the starch from the potatoes won’t have a chance to mix with the egg and milk mixture, which could change the bake time. Let us know how it turns out!

Overnight Country Sausage-Hash Brown Casserole

Prep time:20 min
Total time:9 hr 25 min
Ingredients:7
Servings:8
Calories per serving:350

Ingredient

1 package (16 oz) bulk hot pork sausage
10 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 bag (20 oz) refrigerated O’Brien hash browns (about 4 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (6 oz)

Instructions

Step 1
Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray. In 8-inch skillet, cook sausage over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes or until no longer pink; drain.

Step 2
In large bowl, beat eggs, milk, Dijon mustard and pepper with whisk until mixed well. Stir in hash browns, 1 cup of the cheese and the cooked sausage. Pour mixture in baking dish; cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 12 hours.

Step 3
Heat oven to 350°F. Remove dish from refrigerator, uncover and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until center is just set. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Tips

Serve this hearty dish on your brunch buffet along with bacon, fresh fruit salad and cinnamon rolls.

Nutrition Facts

Calories
350
Total Fat
22g
Protein
20g
Total Carbohydrate
17g
Sugars
3g

Servings: 8

Serving Size: 1 Serving

Amount Per Serving Calories : 350

Nutrition Facts
Food Component / Nutrient	Amount	% , Daily Value*
Total Fat	22g	34%
Saturated Fat	9g	45%
Trans Fat	0g	% Value Not Available
Monounsaturated Fat	8g	% Value Not Available
Polyunsaturated Fat	2&½g	% Value Not Available
Omega-3	0g	% Value Not Available
Cholesterol	280mg	94%
Sodium	500mg	21%
Total Carbohydrate	17g	6%
Dietary Fiber	1g	4%
Soluble Fiber	0g	% Value Not Available
Insoluble Fiber	0g	% Value Not Available
Sugars	3g	% Value Not Available
Protein	20g	% Value Not Available
Vitamin D	Value Not Available	25%
Calcium	Value Not Available	25%
Iron	Value Not Available	6%
Potassium	420mg	12%
Vitamin A	Value Not Available	15%
Vitamin C	Value Not Available	4%
Vitamin E	Value Not Available	6%
Thiamin	Value Not Available	8%
Riboflavin	Value Not Available	30%
Niacin	Value Not Available	8%
Vitamin B6	Value Not Available	8%
Folic Acid	Value Not Available	8%
Vitamin B12	Value Not Available	25%
Pantothenic Acid	Value Not Available	15%
Phosphorus	Value Not Available	30%
Magnesium	Value Not Available	6%
Zinc	Value Not Available	15%
Manganese	Value Not Available	4%
Selenium	Value Not Available	45%
Copper	Value Not Available	2%
Beta-Carotene	Value Not Available	% Value Not Available
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Exchanges

Starch 1,
Fruit 0,
Other Carbohydrate 0,
Skim Milk 0,
Low-Fat Milk 0,
Milk 0,
Vegetable 0,
Very Lean Meat 0,
Lean Meat 0,
Medium-Fat Meat 1,
High-Fat Meat 1&½,
Fat 1,
Fruits 0c,
Vegetables 0c,
Grains 0oz-eq,
Meat & Beans 2oz-eq,
Dairy ½c,
Fats & Oils 0tsp

Carbohydrate Choice

Carbohydrate Choice1

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