Ultimate Crockpot Breakfast Casserole for Lazy Mornings
Start your morning with a warm and comforting breakfast everyone will look forward to. This Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole is a cozy addition to any breakfast table. It brings a hearty and satisfying feel to the first meal of the day. The inviting aroma makes the kitchen feel warm and welcoming.
This recipe is perfect for relaxed weekends, holiday mornings, family breakfasts, and casual brunch gatherings. It also makes a wonderful choice when you are feeding a crowd. The comforting appeal makes it easy to serve for special occasions or everyday mornings.
If you love hearty breakfast recipes that bring everyone together, this casserole deserves a spot in your collection. It is filling, inviting, and wonderfully comforting.
You can serve it when you want a breakfast that makes the whole morning feel a little more special.
Why You’ll Love This Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole
Here are a few reasons why we love this slow cooker recipe so much.
- (Almost) dump and go. The only hands-on step of this recipe is warming up the soup so it mixes in more easily with the other ingredients. Otherwise, you can just dump it all in and go.
- Great for breakfast & brunch. This savory casserole is perfect for both breakfast and brunch. I’m a big fan of making it on the weekend when we’re all having a lazy morning.
- Easy to customize. I’ve included several different variations below to help you make this slow cooker breakfast casserole your own. My favorite thing to do is switch up what type of sausage I’m using!
What You’ll Need
This crockpot breakfast casserole is made with just a handful of simple ingredients. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Mushroom Soup: Classic condensed cream of mushroom soup is a fast and easy way to make this casserole extra creamy.
- Milk: Whole milk or 2% is fine in this recipe.
- Hash Browns: I use defrosted frozen hash browns for the ultimate easy prep.
- Smoked Sausage: Depending on your taste, you can use a spicy sausage or a mild breakfast sausage. Either way, slice it up, and you’re good to go!
- Yellow Onion: A diced yellow onion adds tons of flavor to this recipe, but if you need to make things even easier, you can substitute half a teaspoon of onion powder.
- Cheese: I use shredded cheddar cheese, my go-to! It melts perfectly and has a good, strong flavor. Feel free to sub in any melting cheese you like, though—Colby jack, mozzarella, pepper jack, gruyere, gouda are all great options.
- Herbs: Parsley and thyme.
Variation Ideas
This is a great recipe to customize for different occasions.
Skip the hash browns. If you want to make a low-carb version of this breakfast casserole, try swapping in broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, or any combination of your favorite veggies. If carbs aren’t a problem, try making this casserole with day-old bread, cut into 1-inch cubes, or even leftover cooked pasta.
Add some eggs. Feel free to mix in some eggs following our directions. You’ll want to make sure the eggs are beaten with a whisk before adding them in.
Try a different protein. Want to make it with leftover ham? No problem! Just replace the sausage with an equal amount of cooked, diced ham, and you’re good to go. You could even use bacon or a specialty sausage like chicken sausage.
Add some veggies. I also like to add veggies to this dish from time to time. Cooked veggies are best, so that they don’t release too much water into the casserole. From spinach and bell pepper to broccoli to butternut squash, you can stir in just about anything, and let the crockpot do the rest!
How To Make Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole
Here’s a rundown of how to make this crockpot breakfast casserole. You can find the printable version of the instructions in the recipe card below.
- Heat the Soup and Milk. Simmer your cream of mushroom soup and milk together for a few minutes just to heat it through. This helps the ingredients blend and cook with a good texture.
- Combine the Ingredients. While the soup and milk heat, place the hash browns, sausage, and onions in the slow cooker, along with one cup of cheese. Pour over the warmed soup and stir to combine.
- Cook. Finally, top the whole thing with the remaining cheese and the herbs, cover, and cook as directed. Done!
Tips and Tricks
Before you get started on this yummy breakfast “bake,” let me share a few helpful tips. These ideas will guarantee a tasty and family-pleasing result!
- Grease the Slow Cooker Insert: You don’t have to do this, but I find that greasing the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray helps to keep the potatoes from getting burned or too crispy around the edges. Alternatively, use a slow cooker liner.
- Soup Substitutions: If you want to avoid using condensed cream of mushroom soup, feel free to substitute a homemade version, or any other creamy soup that you love (cream of onion, celery, etc). If the soup is not condensed, you may want to omit the milk in the recipe so things don’t get too liquidy.
- Skip the Crock Pot: You can also assemble this casserole in a greased baking dish, and store it overnight in the fridge (cover first with foil). Bake it, uncovered, the next morning at 350°F for 45 minutes to an hour, until done. Make sure the interior of the casserole reaches 160°F for food safety!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Fridge. To store leftover casserole, place portions in food storage containers and refrigerate. Leftover breakfast casserole will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheat. To reheat, microwave for 30 seconds at a time until hot all the way through, or bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes.
Crockpot Sausage Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 10.5 ounces condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup milk
- 32 ounces hash browns 1 frozen bag, defrosted
- 14 ounces smoked sausage diced
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon parsley
Instructions
- In a sauce pan, simmer cream of mushroom soup and milk for about 2-3 minutes.
- In the slow cooker, place hash browns, sausage, onion, and 1 cup of the cheese.
- Pour in cream of the mushroom mixture and stir.
- Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and herbs on top, cover, and cook on high until potatoes are soft, about 3 hours. Serve hot and enjoy.