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Wake up to a delicious Crockpot Breakfast Casserole! This easy, overnight recipe combines eggs, sausage, potatoes, and cheese for a warm, hearty start to your day. Perfect for holidays or busy mornings!
Featured with this recipe
- Your Make-Ahead Morning Hero
- Why Crockpot Breakfast Casserole is a Game-Changer
- Breakfast Casserole Ingredients
- How to Make Crockpot Breakfast Casserole
- Tips for Cooking Breakfast in a Crockpot
- Easy Variations to Make It Your Own
- Great Reviews About this Casserole
- Questions About Crockpot Breakfast Casserole
- How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- What to Serve with Crockpot Breakfast Casserole
- More Breakfast Recipes You Will Love
- CrockPot Breakfast Casserole Recipe
Your Make-Ahead Morning Hero
If you’re looking for a foolproof breakfast recipe that’s easy, hands-off, and downright delicious, let me introduce you to Crockpot Breakfast Casserole. It’s one of my favorite ways to start the day—perfect for holidays, busy mornings, or anytime you want to wake up to a warm, hearty meal without lifting a finger. With tender potatoes, fluffy eggs, savory sausage, and melted cheese, this breakfast casserole checks all the boxes for flavor, convenience, and crowd-pleasing appeal.
And let’s be honest—there’s something magical about waking up to the smell of breakfast already cooking. It makes mornings feel extra special, and your family (or guests) will think you’ve been up early whipping up a feast. Spoiler: You’ll have done all the work the night before!
Why Crockpot Breakfast Casserole is a Game-Changer
Here’s why this recipe has become a staple in my house:
- Hands-Off Cooking: Prep everything the night before, set your slow cooker, and go to bed.
- Feeds a Crowd: This casserole is perfect for family gatherings, brunches, or meal prepping for the week.
- Versatile: You can customize it with your favorite ingredients (or whatever’s in your fridge).
- Perfect Texture: The eggs cook up fluffy, and the layers of cheese, sausage, and potatoes make every bite irresistible.
Whether it’s Christmas morning, a busy Sunday, or just an average weekday, this recipe makes breakfast easy and stress-free.
Breakfast Casserole Ingredients
Take your breakfast to the next level with this crockpot breakfast casserole! Easy ingredients with simple ingredients that cook together perfectly. The best crockpot breakfast casserole is a crowd-pleaser!
- Sausage – Add protein to this chopped sausage. Cut the sausage into even bite-sized chunks.
- Eggs – This is the base of the breakfast casserole. Eggs are filled with nutrients and are a great source of protein.
- Milk – Adds creaminess and moisture to the egg mixture. Milk helps the eggs fluff up and become lighter.
- Potatoes – Frozen diced potatoes with red and green bell peppers.
- Tomato – Slice and chop the tomato into small pieces that are added to the crockpot.
- Cheddar cheese – Give this crockpot breakfast casserole that gooey cheesy texture with shredded cheddar cheese. Shred the cheddar cheese for it to slowly melt throughout the breakfast casserole.
- Seasonings: A pinch of salt and pepper is all you need to tie it together.
How to Make Crockpot Breakfast Casserole
Making this casserole is as easy as layering the ingredients and letting the slow cooker do its thing. Here’s my step-by-step process:
- Cook the Sausage
- Brown your sausage in a skillet until it’s fully cooked. Set it aside to cool while you prep the other ingredients.
- Mix the Eggs
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. This mixture will hold everything together.
- Layer the Ingredients
- Spray your Crockpot with nonstick cooking spray (or use a liner for easy cleanup). Layer the potatoes, sausage, tomatoes, and cheese in the slow cooker. Then pour the egg mixture evenly over the top.
- Cook Low and Slow
- Cover and cook on low for 6–8 hours. By morning, you’ll have a perfectly cooked, golden-brown casserole ready to serve.
- Serve and Enjoy
- Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before slicing into it. This helps it set and makes serving a breeze.
Tips for Cooking Breakfast in a Crockpot
Here are a few tips I’ve picked up to ensure your casserole turns out perfectly every time:
- Grease the crockpot – Make clean up even easier! Grease with nonstick cooking spray, and butter, or use a crockpot liner to keep the breakfast casserole from sticking to the sides.
- Layer – Make sure to layer the ingredients individually. This will help the structure of the breakfast casserole hold together and be stable as well as cook properly.
- Evenly distribute – When pouring in or placing the ingredients, try to evenly distribute the ingredients in the slow cooker breakfast casserole. Each bite will have a little bit of all the ingredients. This will help the ingredients from being overcooked or undercooked.
- Cooking time – Cooking times can vary depending on the size of the crockpot.
- Don’t overcrowd – Try not to overfill the crockpot with ingredients. If it is overcrowded then the ingredients will not be able to cook properly.
- Toothpick trick – Check to make sure the crockpot breakfast casserole is done by inserting a toothpick into the middle of the slow cooker. If the toothpick comes out clean, the breakfast casserole is cooked properly.
- Let it rest – Before serving, let the breakfast casserole sit and let the flavors enhance for a few minutes before cutting and serving.
Easy Variations to Make It Your Own
This recipe is super customizable. Here are some ideas to match your tastes or what you’ve got on hand:
- Potatoes – I love using the Potatoes O’Brien because they are already chopped and they come with red and green bell peppers. This just speeds up the process for me and makes this recipe even easier. However, you can use any frozen hash brown variation. You can even use fresh grated potatoes, but the casserole will cook up a lot quicker with fresh as opposed to frozen.
- Meat – I like using sausage links because it is what my family prefers, but you can use any breakfast meat you have on hand! It just needs to be cooked first. Feel free to use sausage, bacon, turkey bacon, or ham. If meat isn’t your thing, you can use meat substitutes, or no meat at all!
- Veggies – If you have got it in the fridge, it can go in this recipe (almost, haha). We’ve used peppers, onions, green onions, mushrooms, spinach, kale, green chiles, zucchini, tomatoes, and asparagus, just to name a few. If you can find it on an omelet bar, chances are it will taste delicious in this recipe!
- Cheese – Cheddar is an obvious breakfast choice, but you can change it up! Any cheese that melts well will work. We’ve used Swiss, mozzarella, pepper jack, Monterey jack, and Colby jack before. They’ve all been great!
- Toppings – Everyone in my family likes topping this casserole with something different. We’ve tried ketchup, sour cream and salsa, sriracha, avocado, chives, cheese, and Tobasco, just to name a few. Whatever you top this with, we know you will love it!
Popular Combinations
- Denver Style – Cubed ham, green peppers, onion, and cheddar cheese are a classic and traditional omelet choice!
- California Style – Bacon, tomatoes, peppers, onion, topped with lots and lots of avocado. This is always a favorite!
- Meat Lovers – Bacon, sausage, and ham are every meat lover’s dream.
- Mushroom and Swiss – Spinach, mushrooms, and Swiss cheese are simple and tasty.
- Garden Delight – Peppers, onions, tomatoes, asparagus, mushrooms, and spinach give this veggie breakfast a healthy twist.
- Italian – Pancetta, red bell peppers, and mozzarella are all classic Italian ingredients.
- Southwest – Green chiles, jalapenos, pepper jack cheese, top with avocado, salsa, and sour cream for a complete southern taste!
Great Reviews About this Casserole
“This Crockpot Breakfast Casserole is a perfect make-ahead breakfast recipe! We had this for breakfast/brunch today and it was such a hit! I’m so glad I found your site when I was looking for a good recipe, I’m looking forward to more new great recipes.”
-Natasha
Questions About Crockpot Breakfast Casserole
Yes! This is a great option if you are short on time. It is best to cook on low for 8 hours, but you can instead cook on high for 2 to 3 hours. Just make sure the sausage and eggs are cooked through before serving.
We used a medium-sized slow cooker. If you have a larger Crockpot, you can double the recipe and it will fit.
Yes! Place all the ingredients into the crockpot and cover to store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When ready to cook, let the crockpot warm to room temperature, place in the crockpot warmer, and start the time on low for eight hours.
Yes, this breakfast casserole does not contain any gluten.
Yes, just use a dairy substitute like almond milk in place of the milk. Then either leave out the cheese or use a dairy free cheese.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Learn how to properly make ahead or store the crockpot breakfast casserole! It is so easy to plan for and feed a crowd. Use your leftovers throughout the week or freeze them for a later time. All great options for having this breakfast casserole recipe more than once!
- Refrigerate: Store slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Wrap portions tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Warm leftovers in the microwave or oven until heated through.
What to Serve with Crockpot Breakfast Casserole
For a big breakfast or brunch, you can also pair it with our Make Ahead Breakfast Parfaits, our rich Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake, or a batch of the BEST Blueberry Muffins. But for most occasions I opt to serve it with some fresh fruit or a smoothie.
- Fresh Fruit: Strawberries, melon, or citrus fruits are a great way to balance out the richness.
- Smoothies: A fruit smoothie is a great way to add some fiber and vitamins to your breakfast!
More Breakfast Recipes You Will Love
If you’re like me and love a good breakfast or brunch spread, you’ve got to try some of these other favorites! Whether you’re hosting a crowd or just treating yourself, these recipes are guaranteed to be a hit. Check out our list of 25+ Breakfast Ideas.
CrockPot Breakfast Casserole
Video
Equipment
- Crockpot Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 12-15 breakfast sausage links
- 12 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 pounds potatoes o’brien (hash browns with diced onions and peppers)
- 1 tomato diced
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Brown sausage links in a large skillet until cooked through and cut into pieces. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. Add salt and pepper.
- Spray the crockpot with cooking spray and layer the cut-up sausage, potatoes O'Brien, tomatoes, and cheese. Pour the egg mixture over the top. Stir everything together.
- Cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours. The oval crock pots like the one shown may cook faster than the typical round crock pots. Try to aim for the 6-hour mark if using one like this.
Nutrition Information
This Crockpot Breakfast Casserole is one of those recipes that simplifies your mornings and delivers on flavor every time. It’s hearty, customizable, and so easy to make. Whether you’re hosting a holiday breakfast or just want a no-stress meal to start your day, this casserole has you covered.
Give it a try, and let me know how you like it! Don’t forget to share your favorite variations and toppings—I’m always looking for new ideas to try. Happy cooking!
I’m going to try bacon instead of sausage. So would I need to cook the bacon before placing in crockpot or could I use the microwave bacon? And do I need to break it up in pieces to put in the crockpot, sounds delicious! Thank you!!
Definitely precook the bacon.
Can I used pre cooked sausage links instead of the ones that need to be browned on the skilet?
Sure! I’m sure that would be fine!
This sounds really good and can’t wait till our hog comes to make this.
Has this receipe ever been halfed. It sounds like it makes a lot and I would love to try it but cut it in half. Thanks.
Yes you can but it will cook faster. Just adjust your times and check on it every hour or so
Sounds and looks delicious!! Could I program my crock pot to switch to warm after 6 hours? Or would the dish dry out? How long do you think it could sit on warm safely? Would love to make it for Christmas morning. Guess I could assemble, store in the fridge and wake at 1 am to put in the crock pot.
Thanks for the great recipe!!
I don’t know how long it would stay good on warm. I am guessing a few hours on warm would be ok.
Do you think this would work with chicken apple sausage or some other type of chicken sausage?
This sounds great, I am going to try it this weekend!
Sure! Why not? Come back and let me know how it turns out.
Hmm…. got back from the store and noticed the bag of potatoes o’brian I got is only 1 lb… I didn’t see any bigger bags at the store. Is 2 lbs. the correct amount?
I used a 2lb bag but you can use a 1lb and it should still be fine.. Or two 1 lb bags works too
Looks great! Did you thaw the potatoes first or toss them in frozen?
I kept em frozen
I’ve enjoyed this many times…not cooked in a crock pot though. Sounds amazing. Using bacon also sounds good. Thanks so much for sharing!
I was wondering about the texture of the eggs. Are they kind or hard or soft?
They aren’t runny at all.. I would say they are on the well done side.
What size crockpot are you using?
It’s a 6 quart.
That sounds delicious. I’ll have to try it.
I usually do overnight oatmeal for the work week mornings, this will make a nice switch.
Do you think you could cook and freeze in sections?
I wouldn’t. Eggs really don’t freeze well.
I freeze eggs all the time and they freeze well and this probable will to.
I noticed that if we want to double it you said to use two crock pots? Why?
Can’t I just double it and add time? Just asking I am not crock pot friendly….lol !
If you can double it and make it fit in one crock pot, by all means go for it. We have a big crock pot though and I think if we doubled it, it would be close to overflowing… I would only maybe add an hour or two for cooking it if I kept it in one crock pot. It’s not the cooking I would worry about.. It is making it all fit.
For food safety, it’s best not to fill your crock pot above 3/4 full. Having too much in the pot will make heating the food take too long to get to temperature and bacteria (that’s naturally in the food) will grow before the temperature can prevent it. Two crock pots would be best. You don’t want to serve food poisoning with your meal. A longer cooking time would not solve this problem, since it’s a matter of the heat getting to the center of the food quickly.
Never mind, I just saw that part. I was focusing on the ingredients and totally missed the cooking time. Sorry guys!
How many hours do you set this for??
I am the worst at cooking sausage link. I think I’ll be cooking half a package of sausage (crumbling beforehand) instead, add some bacon, and fresh herbs. This looks great!! Can’t wait to try it!
A trick to cooking links is to start them in some water and let the water boil out of the frying pan (like pre cooking bratwurst). Once the water is gone just brown the links.
This is how my DH cooks his sausage links and I’ve been criticizing him about that method, but guess this makes sense. Basically you’re steaming the sausage links first, then browning them off. Sausage links don’t agree with me anyhow; but bulk sausage fried, I have no problem with digesting it.
I always cook my sausages (like my bacon) in the oven….put them on parchment paper and cook at 300 til browned….so easy and a lot less mess. I always cook the full pkg then wrap what isn’t used in paper towels and refrigerate.
If i was to double this would it over flow in the crockpot? Im cooking this for co-workers and need to serve aboit 12?
uh yeah.. I would do 2 crockpots!
I’m with your dad-ketchup-yum!
This looks amazing! Do you think it would work to add bacon?
Absolutely! I have made it with bacon and it is awesome
Everything works when you add bacon!