4.79 from 23 reviews

Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole

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a slice of an egg casserole on a speckled plate with milk in the background

Creating this Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole

Growing up, on Thanksgiving or Christmas morning my family never really did a sit down for a formal breakfast. We usually just sat around the Christmas tree with our cocoa and snacked on this monkey bread.

It wasn’t until recently my mom started making this slow cooker breakfast casserole and we’ve all become obsessed. She makes it the night before and it’s hot & ready for us in the AM. With the holiday’s being so busy and having a group of people over, this casserole makes the morning a breeze. 

Other easy holiday breakfast ideas we love: Eggs Benedict Casserole, Breakfast Sausage Casserole, Overnight Spinach and Artichoke Egg Bake and these Egg Quinoa Muffins.

a slice of breakfast casserole with hot sauce and chives on top

This Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole is:

  • Satisfying and comforting
  • So easy to make
  • Freezer friendly
  • Great for Christmas morning or hosting brunch
  • Amazingly adaptable
  • A delicious slow cooker breakfast (Is there anything the slow cooker can’t do?!)

Ingredients you’ll need to make a Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole

Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients.

  • Eggs – eggs are packed with protein. 6 grams per large egg! They are an excellent source of eight essential nutrients there and are only 70 calories per egg. 
  • Hash Browns – I like using frozen hash browns for this recipe for ease. However, you can also use a baguette broken into pieces ( 4 cups bread)
  • Ham – Ham is a good source of protein, selenium, phosphorus and zinc. It’s also a popular item to have around during the holiday season, so if you have leftovers, this breakfast casserole is a great way to use it up. 
  • Sharp Cheddar Cheese – or a white cheddar is also delicious too!
  • Bell Peppers – I just love the combination of eggs and bell peppers, but bell peppers also add a nutrition benefit: antioxidants. These antioxidants may help improve our immune function, great for this time of year for fighting off colds. 
  • Milk – As we know milk is a rich source of calcium. I prefer cow’s milk since it is fortified with Vitamin D. 
ingredients needed to make a casserole for breakfast with ham, eggs and bell peppers

Other ingredients needed include:

  • Garlic Powder
  • Green Chilies
  • Onion
  • Dijon Mustard
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Garnish ideas: green onions, avocado, hot sauce, chives

How to make Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole

Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe instructions.

  1. Chop onion and bell peppers and saute until vibrant and tender. Add in salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Stir in green chilies towards the end. Stir and remove from heat.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and mustard together. Set aside.
  3. Grease bottom of a slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
  4. Place half of all of the ingredients in the first layer: half of the bag of hash browns, cubed ham, onions and bell pepper mixture and cheese.
  5. Repeat the layers again with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheese. 
  6. Pour the egg mixture over all of the ingredients in the slow cooker. 
  7. Cook on low for 7-9 hours. Garnish with diced green onions, avocado, hot sauce, etc.
step by step photos making a breakfast dish in the slow cooker

Tips & Variations

  • Keep the hash brown frozen, no need to thaw them. I love the nice volume they add to the fluffy, slow cooked baked eggs!
  • Sautéing the bell peppers and onions rewards the overall dish with a layer of deep, caramelized flavors. Sure, you could just plot it all into the slow cooker, but I think this small extra step is totally worth it! ?
  • How to know when the casserole is done: when the eggs look set, around 7-9 hours on low. You can use a knife to check the middle to see if it’s done.
  • Reheat the casserole in the microwave or in the oven until warmed through. (400°F for 15-20 minutes should do they trick!)
  • Use different types of cheese if desired but be aware of moisture content. If you use mozzarella cheese instead of cheddar, it’s best to make sure it’s low moisture so the casserole doesn’t get soggy.
  • Add more seasonings if desired and saute different veggies (like mushrooms, spinach or broccoli).
  • Make it spicy with a hit of red pepper chili flakes or your favorite hot sauce.

FAQ

Can I freeze the leftovers?

Yes! Cover well with plastic wrap and then with aluminum foil and freeze for 2-3 months. 

What if I don’t have ham?

There are other meat options you can use: bacon, variations of sausage, shredded chicken, ground beef or left over turkey.

How long does this breakfast casserole last?

 It will last for 3-4 days in your fridge. 

a slice of breakfast casserole on a white speckled plate with chives on top

Breakfast for dinner... yay or nay?

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

a slice of an egg casserole on a speckled plate with milk in the background
4.79 from 23 reviews

Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 7 hours
Total: 7 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 12 slices
This easy slow cooker breakfast casserole is made with frozen hash browns, vibrant bell peppers, ham, eggs and cheddar cheese! It’s perfect for Christmas morning or holiday brunch and is a total crowd pleaser!

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 orange bell pepper, diced
  • 1 small white onion, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 1, 4 oz. can diced green chilies
  • 12 large eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 30 oz. shredded hash browns, frozen
  • 1 lb. cooked ham, diced (or breakfast sausage)
  • 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Optional garnish ideas:

  • diced green onions (optional)
  • chives (optional)
  • hot sauce (optional)

Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions 

  • Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add in onions and bell peppers and saute until vibrant, stirring occasionally. Add in garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir. Right before the veggies are cooked, stir in the green chiles then remove from heat.
    1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 red bell pepper, diced, 1 orange bell pepper, diced, 1 small white onion, chopped, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, 1, 4 oz. can diced green chilies
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, milk and mustard together. Set aside.
    12 large eggs, 1 cup whole milk, 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • Grease the bottom of a slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Place half of all of the ingredients in the first layer: half of the bag of frozen hash browns, diced ham, onion/bell pepper mixture and then cheese.
    30 oz. shredded hash browns, frozen, 1 lb. cooked ham, diced (or breakfast sausage), 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
  • Repeat layers again with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheese. 
  • Pour egg mixture over all of the ingredients in the slow cooker. 
  • Cook on low for 7-9hours. Garnish with diced green onions, chives, hot sauce etc. before serving.
    diced green onions, chives, hot sauce

Video

Notes

Great use for leftover ham, or can use breakfast sausage!

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 241kcal (12%)

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

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Traci W.

I made this for my in-laws, and it was a huge hit! It was almost gone by the time breakfast was over. It may be better as a breakfast-for-dinner, however – I got up at 3AM to start the slow cooker, lol!

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Kelly

The flavor of this casserole was awesome. I used ham. And I love the ease of putting it together at night and waking up to a casserole for breakfast. But mine was definitely not pretty. I don’t know what part I might have done wrong but you can see by my picture it didn’t look close to the recipe pictures. It didn’t have that layered look (I didn’t stir it in the pot). But other than appearance, it tasted great!

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Lauren Beers

How would you make this in the oven?

Chelsie Wiebe

Worked perfect for Christmas morning ! I hate having to cook on Christmas for a ton of people — this wes ready right when we got up and fed us all right away!

Chelsie

Worked perfect for Christmas morning ! I hate having to cook on Christmas to feed a crowd and this was a great fit because it was all ready the minute we woke up 🙂

Ryan

OMG Yum! Might have to be a Christmas morning special!!!

Margo

Hi!
If I were to use ground sausage, should I brown it before, or let it cook with the rest?

Whitney

Quick question – once you pour the egg in, do you mix it with all the ingredients? or just let it? THANKS!

Samantha

This is exactly what I’m looking for!! I am wanting to make it for a large group. Could it be doubled and cooked in the same pot? Would that affect anything like the cook time or how it would turn out?

Lisa | Garlic & Zest

This is just the kind of thing my family loves for the weekend – and the hash browns put it over the top for me! Good info on the probiotics too. I’ve never used supplements before, but it sounds interesting.