Easy Breakfast Casserole with Sausage, Hashbrowns and Eggs

Thanksgiving week. The apartment is the staging area. The fridge is full. The counter is covered. The oven is about to begin its annual three-day marathon. This year: the biggest Mitchell Thanksgiving since before the pandemic. Mama, Kevin (with green bean casserole), Amber and Darren and the twins, Terrence, me, Chloe, Jayden, Elijah. Eleven people. ELEVEN. In 850 square feet. The apartment is going to be standing room only, and half the room will be standing in the kitchen because that's where the food is and Mitchells go where the food is.

Wednesday: all-day cook. Mama arrived at 6 AM. She brought the potato salad (sacred, pre-made, overnight rested). She brought the rolling pin. She brought herself. And this year, she brought something new: a photograph. Earline's photograph — an old black-and-white, from the 1960s, a woman standing in front of a farmhouse in Alabama with an apron on and a cast iron skillet in her hand. I've never seen this photo. Mama kept it in her Bible. She pulled it out and taped it to the kitchen wall, next to the stove, and said: "She should be here for this." She should be here. Earline, who started the food, who wrote the cards, who gave the skillet, who taught the cornbread. She should be here for the biggest Mitchell Thanksgiving. Mama put her on the wall and now she IS here. In a photograph and in the food and in the skillet that hangs above her image. She's been here the whole time. We just made it official.

Chloe made the pecan pie. Her card. Her technique. Her pie. It went into the oven and she watched through the glass with the same intensity as last year and the year before. The watching is part of the recipe. The vigilance is an ingredient.

Kevin arrived Wednesday night with the green bean casserole. He carried it like a bomb — two hands, careful, the walk of a man who has never transported a casserole and is terrified of a culinary disaster. The casserole was in a brand-new baking dish (he bought one — $12 at Walmart, his first baking dish, his entry into the equipment of cooking). He set it on the counter and said: "If it's bad, don't tell anyone." I said: "If it's bad, nobody will know because nobody pays attention to the green bean casserole." This is true. The green bean casserole is the wallpaper of Thanksgiving — always there, rarely noticed, essential to the aesthetic. Kevin's casserole could be mediocre and it would still serve its purpose: presence. Being there. On the table. A dish from a man who brought it. That's enough.

Turkey brined. Dressing prepped. Pies assembled. Earline on the wall. We're ready.

Kevin’s green bean casserole made me want to put a casserole recipe right here — because that moment of him carrying that baking dish across the threshold like it might detonate deserved to be honored. If you’ve got a houseful of Mitchells (or your own version of eleven people in 850 square feet), Thanksgiving morning needs something that feeds everybody without a second cook standing at the stove. This easy breakfast casserole with sausage, hashbrowns, and eggs is exactly that: you can assemble it the night before, slide it in while the turkey brines, and have something warm and real on the table before the main event even begins. It’s also the perfect first casserole — Kevin, this one’s for you.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 55 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes | Servings: 10

Ingredients

1 lb breakfast sausage (pork or turkey)
1 bag (20 oz) frozen shredded hashbrowns, thawed
8 large eggs
2 cups whole milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup diced green onions (optional, for topping)
Non-stick cooking spray

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish generously with non-stick cooking spray.
Cook the sausage. In a skillet over medium heat, cook sausage, breaking it into crumbles, until fully browned and no pink remains, about 7–9 minutes. Drain excess fat on a paper-towel-lined plate.
Layer the hashbrowns. Spread the thawed hashbrowns in an even layer across the bottom of the prepared baking dish, pressing them gently to fill the pan edge to edge.
Add the sausage layer. Scatter the cooked sausage evenly over the hashbrowns. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheddar over the sausage.
Make the egg mixture. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper until fully combined and slightly frothy.
Pour and top. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the casserole. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese.
Bake. Bake uncovered for 50–55 minutes, until the center is set (a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean) and the top is golden and slightly puffed. If the edges begin to brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
Rest and serve. Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Scatter green onions over the top if using. Cut into squares and serve warm.

Make-Ahead Note: Assemble through Step 6 the night before, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. In the morning, remove from the fridge while the oven preheats and bake as directed, adding 5–10 minutes to the bake time.

Nutrition (per serving)

Easy Breakfast Casserole with Sausage, Hashbrowns and Eggs — Because Kevin Bought a Baking Dish and Now There’s No Going Back