Ham and Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

This crowdpleasing breakfast recipe is perfect for using up leftover ham after the holidays, but it’s so good that you’ll want to buy a ham steak just to make it.

This is an absolute winner for serving to guests or making for your family for a holiday breakfast.

Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need

Make sure you use frozen shredded hash browns. If you don’t have leftover ham, you can buy and cook a ham steak then dice it up. If you don’t have evaporated milk, you can use cream or half-and-half, but the taste will be a bit different. You can any veggies you want, like peppers or onions, and you can customize the cheeses. As long as the cheeses equal 3 cups total, you can use whatever kind you want.

Equipment

• 9×13 baking dish

Ingredients

• 1 bag frozen shredded hash browns (30 ounces)
• ½ cup butter melted (1 stick plus more for greasing the pan)
• 1 ¼ teaspoons salt divided
• 1 teaspoon pepper divided
• 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• ½ cup mozzarella cheese
• 2 cups diced leftover ham or from a ham steak
• 9 eggs
• 1½ cups evaporated milk 1 ½ cups (1 can – 12 ounce size)
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
• ⅛ teaspoon paprika
• chopped green onions or chives optional garnish

How to Make Ham and Hashbrown Casserole

You can prepare this up to step #4 the night before. Just keep the egg mixture separate and pour it over right before you’re ready to bake in the morning.

Step One: Prep Your Pan

Heat your oven to 400℉ and grease up a 9×13 pan with butter.

Step Two: Bake Hash Browns

Dump those frozen hash browns right in the pan – yep, straight from frozen. Pour the melted butter all over them, then sprinkle with half the salt and pepper. Mix it around and spread it flat. Pop it in the oven for 25 minutes.

Step Three: Add Ham and Cheese

After that’s done cooking, lower your oven to 350℉. Scatter all your cheese and ham right on top. Give it a little stir to mix things in.

Step Four: Make the Egg Mixture

Crack all 9 eggs into a bowl and whisk them up with the evaporated milk and all the seasonings (the rest of the salt and pepper, plus onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika). Pour this whole mixture over everything in the pan.

Step Five: Final Bake

Back in the oven it goes at 350℉ for about 45-50 minutes. Check it at 30 minutes – if it’s getting too brown on top, just cover with foil. You’ll know it’s done when the eggs are set and not jiggly.

Step Six: Cool and Serve

Let it sit for 10-15 minutes before you cut into it (I know, the waiting is hard). Throw some green onions or chives on top if you want to be fancy.

Serving & Storing

Serve with fresh fruit and sourdough biscuits, or serve with something sweeter like jumbo chocolate chip muffins.

Store your leftovers by either covering the baking dish with aluminum foil, or keeping portions in airtight containers. It will stay good in the fridge for 3-4 days.

To freeze, it’s best to cut the casserole into individual portions for easier reheating. Place them in a freezer safe container and freeze for 2 months.

Reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, checking and stirring (if possible) halfway through. Or, heat in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 20 minutes or until heated through. If frozen, thaw overnight first then reheat.

More Breakfast Recipes to Love

These are some of my all-time favorites, and they’re perfect for when you have guests over.

• Apple cinnamon quick bread is delicious in fall and tastes like it came from a bakery.
• This baked omelet in a cast iron skillet is easy with no anxiety provoking flipping!
• Banana muffins with caramel icing are super moist and ready in under an hour.

Printable Recipe