Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole with Roasted Vegetables

Perfect for a simple family breakfast or a special brunch for guests, this make-ahead breakfast casserole is a wonderfully easy way to start the day.

Dec 19, 2023

I’m a huge fan of make-ahead breakfast casseroles, especially this time of year. They make a perfect, no-fuss breakfast or brunch when entertaining overnight guests. These casseroles are also great on Christmas morning when your attention is turned to more exciting things like opening presents with the family instead of cooking breakfast.

Aside from whisked eggs and some type of starch like cubed bread or potatoes, breakfast casserole recipes often feature sausage crumbles, crispy bacon pieces, and loads of shredded cheese. While sausage, bacon, and copious amounts of cheese provide lots of flavor, they also supply a hefty dose of sodium and saturated fat, along with lots of calories. I lightened up this breakfast casserole considerably by swapping out those ingredients and adding roasted vegetables instead. I know, roasted red bell peppers, mushrooms, and onion don’t taste like sausage and bacon, but this veggie-loaded breakfast casserole is still packed with amazing flavor.

One way to maximize the flavor of this casserole is to let it sit in the refrigerator overnight before cooking. I actually did a test where I assembled the casserole and popped it right in oven with no overnight “marinating” time. I made a second casserole, covered it with plastic wrap, let it sit overnight in the refrigerator, and cooked it the following day. Without question, the casserole that sat overnight before cooking had a lot more flavor.

Another way to really amp up the savoriness of this casserole is to roast the vegetables, which intensifies their flavor. You know they’re done when they begin to brown slightly, and all the moisture released from the vegetables has evaporated from the sheet pan.

One last flavor-enhancing tip is selecting the right cheese. I used a sharp cheddar along with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Because it’s aged longer, sharp cheddar cheese develops a richer, more robust flavor. When using a more intensely flavored cheese, you can cut back on the amount added to a recipe without losing flavor. Adding less cheese helps to cut calories, saturated fat, and sodium. Parmesan cheese adds intense flavor as well, which also means you can add less without sacrificing taste. Also, the flavor of freshly grated Parmesan cheese is far superior to that of the pre-grated Parmesan cheese found on grocery store shelves.

Let me wrap things up by taking you through the assembly process for this breakfast casserole. As you’ll see, it’s really quite simple to put together. Happy entertaining!

Once the shredded hash browns have thawed, place them between and few sheets of paper towel and gently pat them to remove excess moisture.

Vegetables are ready for roasting. You know they're done when they begin to brown and all the moisture has evaporated from the sheet pan.

Start the layering process: place the roasted vegetables on top of the shredded hash browns, then the cheddar and Parmesan cheese, followed by the whisked egg mixture.

To your health,

Darlene

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HASH BROWN BREAKFAST CASSEROLE with ROASTED VEGETABLES

Yield: 8 servings

Serving Size: 1 slice

Prep: 20 minutes

Ready: 1 hour and 10 minutes (not including refrigerator time)

INGREDIENTS

3 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
1 medium red bell pepper
1 small red onion
1 container (8 ounces) whole white mushrooms
2 tablespoons neutral oil (such as canola or avocado oil)
Vegetable oil cooking spray
1 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (1 ounce) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
7 large eggs
3/4 cup 1% milk
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper sauce (such as Frank’s RedHot Sauce)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 to 2 green onions, thinly sliced (green tops only)

DIRECTIONS

Place frozen shredded hash browns on a large plate and allow to defrost at room temperature while preparing other ingredients.
Clean red pepper and onion and cut into cubed pieces. Clean mushrooms and cut into thick slices. Place vegetables in a large bowl, drizzle with oil, and toss to coat. Place vegetables in a single layer on a sheet pan lightly coated with cooking spray. Roast vegetables in a preheated 400-degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and stir vegetables around pan. Return to oven and continue to roast an additional 10 minutes or until moisture released from the vegetables has evaporated from the sheet pan.
Once hash browns are defrosted, place them between a few layers of paper towel and gently press to remove excess moisture. Place hash browns in a 10-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Place roasted vegetables on top of hash browns, followed by cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt, and black pepper. Gently pour egg mixture over layered casserole. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to bake, allow casserole to sit at room temperature for 1 hour before placing in oven. Remove plastic wrap and bake uncovered in a preheated 350-degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with sliced green onion and serve.

Nutrition Information per Serving

192 Calories, 12 g Total fat, 3.5 g Saturated fat, 0 g Trans fat, 167 mg Cholesterol, 415 mg Sodium, 9 g Total carbohydrate, 1 g Dietary fiber, 3 g Total sugars, 0 g Added sugars, 12 g Protein, 9 mcg (45%) Vitamin D, 164 mg (15%) Calcium, 0 mg (0%) Iron, 261 mg (6%) Potassium