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You’ll never look at brunch the same way again! With layers of potatoes, eggs, cheese and sausage, this Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole is an easy recipe for a breakfast potluck or holiday celebration.

Slice of Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole with sausage on a blue and white plate

Y’all…today’s recipe is a total game changer! I had heard about breakfast casseroles in the slow cooker, but I hadn’t been brave enough to try one until now — mostly because I was worried that the ingredients wouldn’t cook evenly or that the casserole wouldn’t have that crispy top that we all know and love.

But guess what? I’m here to tell you that this breakfast casserole with sausage is just as good (if not better) than its oven-baked counterparts!

Overhead shot of Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole with serving spoon

How to make Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole:

Whether you’re serving it as a special post-church Sunday morning treat, or using it as a weeknight dinner, you will LOVE how easily this meal comes together. Just toss the ingredients into the Crock Pot in advance and then forget about it until mealtime!

Ingredients for a breakfast casserole in the slow cooker:

Bag of Potatoes O'Brien

First, brown the sausage in a large skillet until no longer pink. Drain and set aside.

Browned pork breakfast sausage in a cast iron skillet

Next, spray a large slow cooker with cooking spray and place half of the potatoes in the bottom. Add half of the sausage on top, and then sprinkle with half of the grated cheese.

Grated cheddar cheese on cutting board

Repeat the layers, ending with the rest of the cheese on top. Next, in a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, seasoned salt and pepper.

Large mixing bowl with eggs and whisk

Pour the egg mixture evenly over the ingredients in the Crock Pot, and then cover and cook on LOW for about 4-5 hours (or until the eggs are set).

Remove the insert from the slow cooker and place it on a wire rack to cool for about 30 minutes.

Breakfast casserole in Crock Pot on a cooling rack

Slice the casserole into squares, garnish with optional toppings, and serve!

Spoon serving Crock Pot breakfast casserole topped with chopped fresh veggies

What goes with Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole?

You can top the individual slices of casserole with sliced green onion, finely chopped bell pepper, or chopped parsley for a bright, fresh burst of color and flavor.

On the side, try serving the breakfast casserole with any of these easy options:

Front shot of a sausage and egg and cheese breakfast casserole on a plate

Cook’s Tips and Recipe Variations:

  • I used Potatoes O’Brien with onions and peppers, but you can also use a 20-ounce bag of frozen shredded hash browns, thawed. If you use the hash browns, you might want to add some chopped bell peppers and onions to the dish for that extra flavor!
  • I have made this casserole with Italian sausage, too. Just remove the casings from the sausage and brown in the skillet as instructed.
  • I like the classic taste of cheddar cheese here, but you can substitute with an equal amount of Monterey Jack cheese, Pepper Jack cheese, mozzarella cheese, or any other cheeses that you enjoy.
  • For an Italian version of this casserole, try using Italian sausage, 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning, and mozzarella cheese.
  • Make this Crock Pot breakfast casserole vegetarian by omitting the sausage and adding 1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper, 1 onion and 1 (8-ounce) container of sliced mushrooms. Cook the chopped vegetables in a skillet and season with salt and pepper before layering in the Crock Pot.

Slow cooker breakfast casserole on a plate with a fork

What is a good breakfast potluck item?

Try these easy breakfast casserole recipes, too:

Slice of Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole with sausage on a blue and white plate

Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole

4.71 from 17 votes
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 4 hours
Cooling Time 30 minutes
Total: 4 hours 50 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 481 kcal
A delicious and easy breakfast casserole with eggs, sausage, potatoes and cheese -- made in the slow cooker!

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb. bulk pork sausage
  • 1 (28 ounce) package frozen Potatoes O’Brien with peppers and onions, thawed (or substitute with a 20-ounce package of frozen shredded hash browns)
  • 2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated cheddar cheese
  • 12 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 ½ teaspoons seasoned salt (or substitute with 1 teaspoon regular salt)
  • ½ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  • Brown sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink; drain.
  • Spray a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
  • Place half of the potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker. Top with half of the sausage, and then add half of the cheese.
  • Repeat layers one more time, ending with the remaining cheese on top.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, seasoned salt, and pepper.
  • Pour egg mixture evenly into the slow cooker.
  • Cover and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours, or until eggs are set. Turn off the slow cooker, remove the lid, and place the slow cooker insert on a cooling rack. Let stand (UNCOVERED) for about 30 minutes. Slice and serve!

Notes

  • I used Potatoes O'Brien with onions and peppers, but you can also use a 20-ounce bag of frozen shredded hash browns, thawed. If you use the hash browns, you might want to add some chopped bell peppers and onions to the dish for that extra flavor!
  • I have made this casserole with Italian sausage, too. Just remove the casings from the sausage and brown in the skillet as instructed.
  • I like the classic taste of cheddar cheese here, but you can substitute with an equal amount of Monterey Jack cheese, Pepper Jack cheese, mozzarella cheese, or any other cheeses that you enjoy.
  • For an Italian version of this casserole, try using Italian sausage, 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning, and mozzarella cheese.
  • Make this Crock Pot breakfast casserole vegetarian by omitting the sausage and adding 1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper, 1 onion and 1 (8-ounce) container of sliced mushrooms. Cook the chopped vegetables in a skillet and season with salt and pepper before layering in the Crock Pot.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/8 of the casseroleCalories: 481kcalCarbohydrates: 14.9gProtein: 29.7gFat: 32.9gSaturated Fat: 13.6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1.8gMonounsaturated Fat: 5.5gCholesterol: 360.5mgSodium: 1029mgPotassium: 357.2mgFiber: 2.3gSugar: 3.1gVitamin A: 1080IUVitamin C: 38.9mgCalcium: 209mgIron: 3mg
Keyword: Breakfast Casserole in the slow cooker, Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole, slow cooker casserole
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Author: Blair Lonergan

This post was originally published in September, 2015. It was updated in October, 2019.

blair

Hey, I’m Blair!

Welcome to my farmhouse kitchen in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Inspired by local traditions and seasonal fare, you’ll find plenty of easy, comforting recipes that bring your family together around the table. It’s down-home, country-style cooking!

Read More

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Comments

    1. Thanks so much for stopping by, Amy! You’re right — it’s absolutely perfect for a holiday morning when you want something special but you don’t want to have to spend much time in the kitchen!

  1. I make a very similar breakfast casserole dish and it is so yummy. I like to add fresh avocado on top when it comes out of the crockpot

  2. WOWZA! Blair, I need this in my LIFE! Pinning for sure. This breakfast dish couldn’t be easier or more tasty-looking. I can’t wait to try it!

  3. 5 stars
    We love our crock pot. We aren’t adventurous enough to leave it on when we aren’t at home, but we usually set in in the late morning and have it ready for dinner.

  4. Oh my goodness, Blair! This looks absolutely delicious!! I want it for dinner tonight! 🙂 Breakfast for dinner is always a winner in my book!!

  5. The CROCK POT has been an essential tool in our family for over 40 years !! I’ve never tried a breakfast dish tho – this one looks fantastic.

  6. 5 stars
    I have tried this brand of potatoes, but never in a breakfast casserole. Your recipe will make a delicious breakfast for any busy morning. And, I love my Crockpots!

  7. This looks fabulous! I never thought of doing this kind of thing in a crockpot. Thank you so much! And thanks for the chance to win.

  8. 4 stars
    Thanks for the opportunity! This looks delicious and even though it’s so easy, it looks so impressive. Will definitely try this for thanksgiving morning!

  9. We make a breakfast casserole every year for Christmas, it’s very similar to yours…I even use the simply potatoes hash browns. I never thought to make it in my crock pot…..I think I’m going to have to give it a go though. I’m getting ready to have my 15th surgery, (this one on my shoulder) and I’m trying to get things prepared, lol…like that ever happens 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing this with all of us…..have a wonderful weekend!

    1. That’s great, Rita! I always make a similar breakfast casserole for Christmas too, so I’m with you — using the slow cooker will make it even easier. Now that I know it works, this will be my go-to method! Good luck with your surgery!

  10. What a wonderful new way to use my crockpot. Who would of thought.. for beeakfast.. looks delicious. I just started following you’re recipes not long ago. This looks so good and easy it’s the first one I’ll be trying this weekend. GOD BLESS YOU.

  11. 5 stars
    I love this, I am a slow cooker fan, pinning this one for later to my easy meals board! Thank you for sharing!

    1. Hey, Matt! I have no idea about the cheese, since I have never experimented with non-dairy cheese products. I suppose you could leave it out, but it would just be missing that cheesy taste. 🙂

      The milk can easily be substituted with your favorite non-dairy milk. I like Almond Breeze Unsweetened Original Almondmilk as a nice alternative, but soy, cashew, or other similar options would also work!

  12. Just reading the recipe I can smell it cooking and thinking of when I will make it and serve it next.
    I am looking forward to making it….. It makes me hungry right now.

  13. Definitely making this. Love all of these ingredients. Also love the fact that I can eat it…it’s gluten free! Yay!!!

    1. Awesome! I hope that you love it, Sharron! You can’t go wrong with this combination of ingredients!

  14. 5 stars
    My 4 year old son wanted to make breakfast for his dad for Father’s day and my sister gave me this recipe and couldn’t remember the site name. It was easy to put together and he was thrilled to make this for his dad. Thanks for the wonderful recipe and the fantastic memories that it brought along with it.

  15. Wow!! I soooo need this! I hatte to cook and don’t usually bother with a good breakfast. But this idea can work for me. Also yoour other breakfast slowcooker and other meal recipes. All i need is a slowcooker now. Hope I win this one; but I can always look for a bargan one on sale. My single-mom, low, disabled income has me streaching the budget into new dimentions already. Thank you for the time and energy saving healthy recipes for “I hate to cook” moms like me.

  16. I just love the sound of this recipe. I don’t get to see my kids to offen.there mostly out of town. but when then do come, there’s a lot of them. and I no they would just enjoy them, the way they eat. normally when they come I’m having to take forever to cook for everyone, and I never get to visit much because they have to leave right after they eat. and when your alone on a small budget you have to make do.but If had a slow cooker I could plan ahead and make this for them, instead than spend the morning is instead of cooking. the ones iv fun in the past always stops working after the 1 or 2 time. anyone have any ideas on how to pick out good ones?

    1. Hey, Dawn! The good news is that you can get a really decent slow cooker without having to spend too much these days! There are a lot of brands available, and I often notice sales at places like Target. I hope that you (and your family) get to try this meal! 🙂

  17. so, I don’t know if this will work this time.but we will see.I live alone now, but from time to time my kids come from out of town and they eat alot.they would love to have this. sometimes they only have time to have breakfast then go. I never seem to get to spend much time with because when there here. it takes so long to make their food, that by the time it dune cooking they have to go. so they leave right after they eat. and the whole time I’m making their breakfast, I’m losing perishes time that I could be spending with them, I can plan in advance.so instead of cooking .i can be spending my time with them, I had a crockpot in the past.but they only seem to work for 1 to 3 meals at the most before they stopped working.does anyone have any ideas of how to find a good crockpot? I’m on a set income, so, I can afford a lot, but I would still like to get one, for when my kids and grandkids come around theses recipes would be perfect for me to cook for the kids, the way they eat lol. Instead of spending the whole time in the kitchen, I can spend it with them.thank you for shearing.your great recipes.

    1. Hey, Peg! Maybe you have a slow cooker that runs at a hotter temperature? They’re all different, so if you think that yours looks done at this point, you can certainly turn it off early. 🙂

  18. 4 stars
    This looks and sounds sooooo good – and I AM going to nake it – but for sure not very often :'( I mean – seriously? 445 calories per serving and 308 mg cholesterol? That would be OK for young, very active people, but certainly not any kind of heart-healthy for the rest of us :”( I keep trying and trying to find really good food that IS healthy.

  19. 4-5 hours? That means,if I want it for breakfast I have to get up about 3 in the morning to start it! Can it be cooked the day before and refrigerated?

    1. Hey, Susan! This casserole is really ideal for a brunch, since you can start it early when you wake up, go to church, and then come home to a warm, homemade dish mid-day. You could also cook the casserole on HIGH for 2-3 hours, if that timeframe suits your meal schedule a bit better.

      I’ve definitely tested the recipe overnight (8-10 hours on LOW), and while it works, it’s just not my preference. There’s nothing wrong with it, but I think the texture is just a bit overdone.

      You can certainly cook it the day before and then reheat it on LOW or “warm” setting for an hour or two the next day, as you suggested. Alternatively, make an oven-baked breakfast casserole that doesn’t require the slow cooking time. Here are a few other good options:

      https://www.theseasonedmom.com/easy-breakfast-casserole/
      https://www.theseasonedmom.com/overnight-ham-egg-cheese-monkey-bread/
      https://www.theseasonedmom.com/baked-western-omelet/

      Hope that helps, and enjoy!

  20. yummy as is, but the only thing id change is… cook the sausage beyond “no longer pink”. go ahead and put the scald on it. brown it good. brown it almost too much.
    and leave a teaspoon or so of that fat and slap it into the eggs and whip it. that will give u even more flavor and don’t worry about the sausage. it won’t be overcooked.