Holiday magic that works any time of the year! Put all the ingredients in before you go to bed and wake up to a delicious, hot breakfast.
The combination of hash browns and cheddar cheese makes a delicious breakfast for special occasions.
Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- Start it at night and it's ready for you the next morning.
- Great for overnight guests and picky eaters because everyone loves it!
- You can assemble it 12 hours ahead of time and refrigerate until you're ready to start the slow cooker.
Crockpot recipes are great on busy mornings, but they're even better for Christmas morning breakfast.
This overnight crockpot breakfast casserole handles all the cooking time for you, so you won't miss a festive minute of the whole family gathering joyfully around the tree.
No time for the slow cooker? Try this cheesy breakfast burrito casserole that's done right in the oven!
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
Slow cooker breakfast recipes are easy to adapt, so you can make something your entire family will love! Here are some ideas:
- I prefer to use regular sausage, but for a hearty breakfast that's just a touch lighter on the calories, swap in some turkey sausage.
- Ground sausage gives the best texture in my opinion, but you could thinly slice some breakfast sausage links and use those for faster prep.
- Stir in bacon bits—it takes a great breakfast to a perfect breakfast!
- Some people like to use frozen tater tots instead of shredded potatoes.
- No Pepper Jack? Monterey Jack is good in this breakfast Christmas casserole, too.
- Add a can of diced green chiles to the green peppers mixture for spice!
- Garnish with green onions or parsley for a delicious herbal flavor.
- Don't forget your favorite toppings. Serve with hot sauce, pico de Gallo, a scoop of sour cream, ketchup, or even some maple syrup for a sweet touch.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Whisk the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl.
- Lay ⅓ of the potatoes on the bottom of the crockpot.
- Spoon ⅓ of the sausage, red and green bell peppers, and diced yellow onions on top of the potatoes.
- Top with cheese, repeat layers twice, and pour egg mixture over top.
You'll also want to try this super easy leftover pizza breakfast casserole! You can assemble it the night before and bake in the morning.
🥫 How to store crockpot breakfast casserole leftovers
This crockpot breakfast casserole recipe usually doesn't yield any leftovers. The delicious smells wafting out of the kitchen by 7 AM means everyone is ready to scarf down breakfast!
However, if you do have leftovers, spoon them into an airtight container. Like most egg bake recipes, the leftovers will last for about three days in the refrigerator.
Microwave individual servings until just warm for an easy breakfast, days after the festivities have ended.
I don't suggest freezing. The eggs can become watery and tough.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Spray the crockpot well with nonstick cooking spray, because the cheese and potatoes tend to get all crispy around the edges. It's yummy but can stick if not greased well.
- Use a slow cooker liner if you prefer no clean-up at all. Just be careful not to cut the liner and accidentally serve it stuck to the bottom of your breakfast casserole!
- Drain off the excess fat if you're browning the sausage yourself. Breakfast meat tends to have a lot of extra grease, and you don't need that in the casserole.
- Beating the eggs with a whisk is the key to fluffy eggs. Try to incorporate as much air as possible into the eggs.
- Want breakfast now? Prepare as directed, layering the ingredients into a large skillet. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 30 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked all the way through.
👩🍳 FAQs
Oh, you are in for a treat! Classic breakfast casserole is made of layers of potatoes, sausage, and cheese, then it's all covered with an egg and milk mixture, which bakes up to savory perfection. The best thing about crockpot breakfast recipes is that they taste just like eating all of the wonderful breakfast foods, without a ton of stressful prep work!
You can! Thankfully, there's a little bit of lee-way when it comes to eggs out of their shells. After prep, cover the crockpot dish with plastic wrap or the lid and put it in the fridge until later that night.
I don't love how this Crockpot Christmas casserole comes out when the crockpot cook time and temperature have been altered. However, see the Things to Know section to cook this recipe in a cast iron skillet, instead.
📚 Related recipes
- Ready in less than an hour, Monte Cristo Casserole is ideal for holiday brunch or whenever you're craving a spicy, sweet, smoky, hot breakfast.
- Though it's often a potluck dish, we love Hashbrown Casserole for brunch! There's nothing better—except when it's topped with an over-easy egg and served alongside some crispy bacon! Yum.
- Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal is a delicious breakfast casserole that's great for feeding a crowd or freezing and saving for when the sweet brunch cravings hit!
- You're going to need some toast with this and the best toast ever is made with this simple English muffin bread.
- Mock Devonshire Cream
- Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
- Blueberry Blue Corn Pancakes
- Easy Green Chilaquiles
🍽️ Serve with...
Both of these dishes can be made ahead!
Southern Fried Apples are a delicious side dish for just about any brunch! Cinnamony, buttery, and sweet.
Easy Christmas Danish are so pretty on the table! They're festive plus they're baked in the shape of a pull-apart Christmas tree! Or, try these fluffy sour cream cinnamon rolls.
🥄 Restless Chipotle recommends
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You'll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
📞 The last word
I love sitting around on Christmas morning, drinking a creamy coffee, and watching the kids & grandkids open presents. It's so much more fun than listening to all the commotion and laughter while I'm working to get breakfast on the table!
This breakfast casserole might change your life. 🙂
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Crockpot Christmas Breakfast Casserole
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 12 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 2 pounds hash brown potatoes
- 1 pound bulk breakfast sausage, cooked
- ½ cup onions, diced
- ½ cup bell peppers red & green , diced
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese , shredded from a block
- 1 ½ cups pepper jack cheese, shredded from a block
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, if you use regular table salt use half as much
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Spray the inside of the crock with no-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Mix the two shredded cheeses together and set aside.
- Mix the cooked sausage, onions, and peppers and set aside.
- Beat the eggs until well blended.
- Whisk in milk, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Layer ⅓ of the potatoes in the bottom of the crock.
- Next sprinkle with ⅓ of the sausage mixture.
- Top with 1 cup of mixed cheese.
- Repeat 2 more times to have a total of 3 layers.
- End with cheese mixture.
- Pour the egg mixture over the top.
- Cook on low for 8 hours.
Notes
- Spray the crockpot well with nonstick cooking spray, because the cheese and potatoes tend to get all crispy around the edges. It's yummy but can stick if not greased well.
- Or, use a slow cooker liner if you prefer no clean-up at all. Just be careful not to cut the liner and accidentally serve it stuck to the bottom of your breakfast casserole!
- Drain off the excess fat if you're browning the sausage yourself. Breakfast meat tends to have a lot of extra grease, and you don't need that in the casserole.
- Beating the eggs with a whisk is the key to fluffy eggs. Try to incorporate as much air as possible into the eggs.
- Want breakfast now? Prepare as directed, layering the ingredients into a large skillet. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 30 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked all the way through.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
First published December 7, 2022. Last updated October 31, 2023, for editorial improvements.
Katie Rowland
The casserole made a hearty, savory breakfast. The left-overs reheat well in the microwave. My only suggestion would be to decrease the hash brown potatoes to 1 pound instead of 2.
Ashley
This wasn’t very good. Texture was weird, cheese got chewy, it all got watery in the bottom of the crockpot. Lacked flavor. My kids like egg bakes but wouldn’t eat this. Now have to choke down what we can of the leftovers, most will prob get thrown out. Going back to tried & true recipes in the future.
Shelley
Made this for Christmas breakfast today- was great! Modified for my family, used two packages of sausage, used tator tots, omitted peppers, subbed onion powder for onions, used two 2 cup pkgs of shredded cheese and added an extra cup of milk as my vintage weather rectangular crockpot runs hot— even on heat/cook setting “1”. Was done nicely, (not soupy, even with the extra liquid). Everyone liked this.
Next time I might add 3-4 extra eggs.
Robyn
I love all the ingredients in this recipe and prepared overnight for Christmas morning. I followed the recipe exactly, with some extra seasoning, and my family found it pretty bland. We had to season heavily to eat and the kids weren’t fans. I like crispy hash browns, which these definitely aren’t. I’m glad others enjoyed! It simply wasn’t our taste at all and the leftovers will not be eaten.
Richard Gamble
I did not make this, yet, but have had variations of this recipe over the years. This one looks much better because it has peppers and you can almost never go wrong cooking things in the crock pot. But, I would definitely say to have 8 people over to eat it all while it's right out of the crock pot because the refrigerated leftovers are never quite as good as the fresh, hot meal.
Tedi
I’m definitely making this for Christmas breakfast! Only question I have is are the hashbrowns frozen or thawed
Marye
either way.
Judi Schafman
Oh that looks sooo good. May try this on Christmas morning instead of my old recipe
Pam
In our newspaper today, there were recipes to make breakfast casseroles that you refrigerate overnite. This one is better-it cooks while you're sleeping! I don't have
company for breakfast, but will have for "brunch" and this will be perfect!
Thanks
Pam
Forgot the rating!
Lisa Ekiyor
This is absolutely the best crockpot breakfast meal I’ve made yet !
I made this for my employees for a breakfast treat !! Easy and delicious I’ll be making it again for Christmas morning! Thank you ♥️🎄
Vicky Avens
I believe this is one of the best crockpot breakfast! The layering is perfect. I am going to try the skillet next because I like crispy hash browns!
Laurie L Kearnes
I've already bought all the ingredients and this is my plan for breakfast tomorrow. Thanks for an easy recipe for the busy morning.
Robin Frazier
I love Breakfast casseroles for dinner. I think I'll use sweet Italia sausage and make it for dinner on the 26th.
Clay W Willingham
This casserole has saved Christmas lunch many times, it's not only delicious but it makes the whole house smell so good! It's been requested by seven of the guests staying here for Christmas again. Sure makes my life simpler.
Janet Martin
I've been looking for a great CHRISTmas breakfast casserole, and this Crockpot recipe will fit the bill perfectly! I like the addition of the Pepper Jack cheese, as l love a little spice in my food. I'm off to the grocery store so l can prepare this recipe this CHRISTmas morning!
Sue Turcsany
Have made similar breakfast casseroles but always baked in the oven. Didn't really think that eggs would work well in the crockpot, but if you say it does, I'll give it a try---looks delicious and easy.
Sherri Rochester
Cannot get any more simpler than this yummy sounding meal! Simple meals more time to spend enjoying your family!
Leslie
I learned a breakfast casserole in th1980's, It has been my go-to. However, this recipe is much more flavorful. Your recipe will be my new go-to.