This easy Overnight Crockpot Breakfast Casserole is an absolute crowd-pleaser! Shredded potatoes are layered between savory ham, cheese, and eggs. A classic savory crockpot breakfast guests and picky eaters will rave about!
In case you didn't know, overnight crockpot breakfast recipes are my jam. Crock Pot Oatmeal with Apples and Cinnamon and delicious Crock Pot Peanut Butter Oatmeal are perfect for busy weekday mornings.
If you’re searching for an easy, mouth-watering Overnight Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole that feeds your whole family, this is it!
Who can resist shredded potatoes layered with savory ham or sausage, gooey cheese, and fluffy eggs?
This Overnight Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole is the BOMB! It's so good you'll want to enjoy this hot breakfast on Christmas morning. There is never leftover at my house.
It’s loaded with classic breakfast ingredients and cooks overnight, so you wake up to a restaurant-quality meal in the morning, just like our Overnight Crock Pot Oatmeal, buttery Crockpot French Toast Casserole with maple syrup, and Blueberry Crockpot Oatmeal.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Effortless Mornings: No morning rush, just a hot and delicious breakfast.
- Customizable: Swap ingredients to match your taste and dietary preferences.
- Family Favorite: A crowd-pleaser that brings everyone together.
- Nutritious Recipe: Packed with protein and veggies for a balanced meal.
- Versatile: Ideal for brunches, potlucks, and lazy weekends.
Basic Ingredients for a Crockpot Casserole
- Eggs: Free-range large eggs if possible.
- Milk: Adding a little bit of dairy lightens this egg dish. Low-fat or regular milk is fine.
- Spices: To give your casserole a bit of flavor, add kosher salt, black Pepper, and garlic powder to taste.
- Frozen Hash Brown Potatoes: Keep your potatoes frozen, especially if you are cooking overnight. (aka frozen hash browns)
- Ham: Fully cooked and chopped/diced into bite-sized pieces. We love this crock pot ham!
- Onion: Chopped onions add flavor and a little texture. It can be omitted if serving kids or sensitive adults.
- Cheese: Shredded sharp cheddar is our go-to to give this classic breakfast casserole plenty of flavor.
Variations
When cooking for picky eaters, you can serve your casserole as is. However, if you want to add some veggies, try these:
- Broccoli: This veg goes perfectly with the ham and cheese.
- Protein: If you don’t have ham on hand, go for cooked bacon, pork, or turkey sausage. Both are amazing. If you really need a hearty meal, pick two!
- Red onions: Replace the yellow onions with red onions for a slightly different flavor.
- Bell Peppers: Red and green peppers are good choices.
- Spinach: An excellent way to add some color and nutrition.
- Tomatoes: A mild recipe addition that pairs well with onion and spinach.
- Mild Green Chiles: Or if you’re feeling spicy, try jalapeños!
- Other Cheeses: You can use pepper jack, Monterey jack, or a combination of cheeses in the recipe.
Of course, you can mix and match any of these variations, depending on what you and your guests like.
Topping Ideas
It's true; life is just better when toppings are involved. Since this recipe contains classic ingredients, you can choose from many toppings.
If you are hosting a brunch or holiday breakfast, definitely put some of your favorite toppings out so guests can serve themselves. They love that!
- More cheese (because cheese is awesome)
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
- Guacamole or Avocado
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Salsa or Pico de Gallo
- Green Onions
- Chopped Fresh Parsley or Cilantro
- Tabasco or Sriracha (to give it some kick)
How To Make a Breakfast Casserole in Your Crock-Pot
Prep: gather all your ingredients for your crockpot breakfast casserole recipe. Then, grate your cheese and chop your onions and ham, and let’s put this casserole together!
Step 1—Prepare Eggs: Crack your eggs and whisk together the first five ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2—Assemble: Next, grease or spray your crock with non-stick cooking spray. Now, place a third of your frozen shredded potatoes in the bottom of a 5-6 quart slow cooker.
Now, layer with a third of each of the following ingredients: ham, onion, and cheese. Repeat the layers, including the potatoes, twice more.
Step 3—Add Egg Mixture: Pour your egg mixture over the top of your layers.
Step 4—Cook: Cover and cook on LOW heat until the eggs are set and the edges begin to brown, about 5-6 hours. Let stand for about 30 minutes before serving to allow the casserole to set.
NOTE: When cooking overnight, put your casserole on to cook right before you go to bed. It will switch to warm once it’s done but definitely check it as soon as you wake up.
If you are new to using your slow cooker, definitely check out our Crock Pot Beginners Guide. This way, you'll know all the best tips and tricks!
How Long Does A Breakfast Casserole Keep?
If you store your slow cooker breakfast casserole recipe properly in the refrigerator in an airtight container, your casserole will be good for about 5 days.
Thankfully, you can cook this recipe a day ahead of time and reheat it when ready to serve, making it stress-free.
To reheat: Bake in the oven in an oven-safe dish until heated through or microwave a serving for roughly 1 minute.
PRO TIP: Because the shredded potatoes were previously frozen, we don't recommend freezing the casserole again after it has been cooked.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Equipment: This recipe is designed for a 6-quart large crockpot.
- Prep the Crock: Since the egg tends to stick, make sure you use a non-stick spray or some grease (butter, etc.) in your crock insert before adding your ingredients. You can use a slow cooker liner, but they tend to create more waste for the environment, so we don't recommend them.
- Checking Doneness: The casserole is done when it starts to get nice and crispy around the edges, and the egg is thoroughly cooked.
- Crock Pot Cooking: To master cooking with your crockpot, check out our tips for better slow cooking!
More Easy Breakfast Recipes
Grab a jug of orange juice and enjoy one of these yummy breakfasts!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you bet you can bake this Crockpot Breakfast Casserole vegetarian. Simply omit the meat and prepare the recipe as instructed. Add more veggies if you'd like.
If using frozen shredded hash browns, cook your crockpot breakfast casserole on low for about 5-6 hours. The edges will begin to brown, and the egg should be set.
To reiterate, when cooking overnight, put your casserole on to cook right before you go to bed. It will switch to warm once it’s done but check it as soon as you wake up.
It's a good idea to grease the slow cooker to prevent sticking. You can use cooking spray or a small amount of butter.
Love this Easy Overnight Crockpot Breakfast Casserole recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down.
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Printable Recipe
Easy Overnight Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole
Equipment
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 12 large eggs
- 1 cup low-fat milk
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 30 ounce package shredded hash brown potatoes (frozen )
- 2 cups cubed fully cooked ham (about 1 pound)
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Crack eggs and then whisk together the first five ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Grease or spray the crock insert with a non-stick spray and place a third of your frozen shredded potatoes in the bottom of a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Next, layer with a third of each of the following ingredients: ham, onions, and cheese. Repeat the layers, including the potatoes, twice more.
- Pour your egg mixture over the top of your layers.
- Cook covered on low heat until eggs are set and the edges begin to brown, about 5-6 hours. Let stand about 30 minutes before serving. Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Because the eggs tend to stick, make sure you use a non-stick spray or some sort of grease (butter, etc.) in your crock insert before adding your ingredients. You can use a slow cooker liner, but they tend to create more waste for the environment, so we don't recommend them.
- With the recipe itself being mild, we like using sharp cheddar cheese. However, you can use whatever cheese you prefer in the recipe.
- The casserole is done when it starts to get crispy around the edges and the egg is thoroughly cooked.
Laura says
Can you use hasbrown rounds instead of shredded? The store was out of shredded 🙂
Erin Henry says
Although we haven't tried it, hashbrown rounds should work if you break them up a bit! Let us know how it goes, Laura!
Stephanie Lynn Berg says
Can you use cubed potato o'brien instead of shredded hashbrowns?
Erin Henry says
We haven't tried it, but we think potato O'Brien would work just fine. Let us know how it goes!
Jill says
Does this freeze well?
Erin Henry says
Hi Jill, because the shredded potatoes were previously frozen, we don’t recommend freezing the casserole again after being cooked.
Sheri L Roberson says
Can you use bacon instead of ham
Erin Henry says
Yes! Cooked bacon is so good in this recipe! Enjoy!
Kelly says
HI!! Making this this weekend and wondering if you have doubled it? I was planning on it and wondering if I should increase the time and heat?
Erin Henry says
We have not tried doubling the recipe. If you have a large enough crockpot, it can be done. This recipe was made for a 6-quart crockpot. I would perhaps increase the cooking time, but not the temperature.
Karen Lund says
I would suggest using 2 crock pots if you need to double. I just made this last weekend for a group of about 20 and we just used 2 crocks (same quart size) and cooked at the same time. It fills them about 2/3 full when cooked, so not sure you could fit all into one. And we probably had just 2-3 servings leftover. It was a HUGE hit.
Erin Henry says
Thanks for the tip, Karen. Glad your crowd enjoyed it!
Terry says
Can you put this together the night before, refrigerate and just turn crockpot on in AM?
Erin Henry says
Yes, you can assemble the night before, Terry. However, you'll want to give the crock insert time to come to room temp before putting it into the crockpot. If you take the crock insert from the refrigerator to the crockpot, it may crack.
Amy says
1). Can I substitute almond milk for regular milk?
2) can this be done with no cheese - like will it be moist enough?
Erin Henry says
We have not tried this recipe with almond milk, so we are not sure about the results. Without the cheese, the recipe may be too dry.
Lynn says
Could you make this cassarole in the oven instead of the crock pot?
Erin Henry says
We think so, Lynn. However, since we've never done it before, we are not sure about bake time. Maybe 45 - 50 minutes?
Cassie says
We are a senior couple and serving 12 is too much. Any thoughts about cutting recipe in half; i.e., shorter time in crock pot? Also thinking I might add a can of green chiles. Can’t wait to try this!
Erin Henry says
Hi Cassie, thanks for the question. This recipe is made for a 6-quart crockpot. If you have a smaller one, you could likely half the recipe with no problem. If you're using a larger crockpot, stick to the original recipe for the best results. We love your idea of green chilies!
Cassie says
Thank you for the reply. I do have a smaller crock pot (4 qt) so I made a half recipe a couple days ago ( with the green chilies!). Even a 1/2 recipe still makes a lot but we did enjoy it.
Erin Henry says
We hope you enjoyed your leftovers!
Marta says
So easy! I will be making this again. Thank you!
Erin Henry says
We love hearing that, Marta! Thanks for giving the recipe a try!
KC says
This was a very tasty and easy recipe. I substituted ham for ground breakfast sausage and added a dab of red chili flakes and tasted great.
Erin Henry says
Perfect. The extra kick from chili flakes must have been good! Thanks for the 5-star review!
Tessa says
Can I cook this on high for less time? And how long would you suggest?
Erin Henry says
We have not tried cooking the recipe on high, but we estimate about 3 hours. I would keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.
RJO says
Did you end up trying this? I think I'm going to try tomorrow for a church potluck...I don't know if I trust myself to get up before 6am to turn it on 🤣
Stephanie says
Breakfast casseroles are the best! I had never made it in a crock pot before but this was super easy and tastes fantastic!
Erin Henry says
This recipe is so easy! It's the perfect idea when entertaining a crowd!
Allyson Zea says
This was so good and easy in the crockpot!
Erin Henry says
So glad to hear it, Allyson! It's so easy and we just love it!
Laura Reese says
I love making a breakfast casserole, making it in a crock pot is a game changer!
Erin Henry says
We couldn't agree more. This overnight crockpot version is a game-changer!