Make-Ahead Christmas Morning Casserole
A make-ahead hash brown, sausage, and cheddarbreakfast casserole built the night before and baked straight from the fridgeon Christmas morning. Feeds a crowd and holds up well for leftovers.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground breakfast sausage
- 1 bag (30 ounces) frozen shredded hash browns,thawed
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cups diced yellow onion
- ½ tsp ground mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Butter, for greasing the dish
- Crispy fried onions, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Brown the sausage in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it up as it cooks, then drain and cool slightly.
- Grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter and spread the thawed hash browns in an even layer on the bottom.
- Top with the cooked sausage, diced onion, and shredded cheddar.
- Whisk together the eggs, milk, ground mustard, salt, and pepper, then pour evenly over the dish, pressing down gently.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
- The next morning, set the dish on the counter while the oven preheats to 375 degrees, about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Cover loosely with foil and bake 35 minutes.
- Uncover, top with crispy fried onions if using, and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until the center is set and the top is golden.
- Rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Do not skip the overnight refrigeration step, since the hash browns and sausage need that time to fully absorb the egg mixture for an even texture. Let the dish sit at room temperature briefly while the oven preheats rather than baking it fully cold.