Ham, Egg & Cheese Casserole
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Filled with ham, melted cheese, and hashbrowns, this ham, egg, and cheese casserole recipe is the perfect low-carb and protein-rich breakfast to make the morning after a big holiday feast.
Hey friends! Today I’m sharing a recipe from my second book, Come Home To Supper (page 155). This ham, cheese, and egg casserole is a favorite for a low-carb and protein-rich supper, weekend brunch, or breakfast for a group over the holidays or any celebration. Christmas and Thanksgiving morning will be here before you know it!
It’s overflowing with all the good stuff you need to make the perfect brunch. This includes ham (the perfect recipe to make with ham leftovers), cheddar cheese, golden hashbrowns, and eggs, of course. Fortunately, it’s also one of the easiest casseroles to make – just what you want after a big celebration. Simply combine the ingredients and cook in the kitchen appliance of your choice.
I’m using my Instant Pot to make my ham, cheese, and egg casserole. However, it is a slow cooker or oven recipe as well. Instructions for the different cooking methods are in the printable recipe at the bottom of this post. I’ve had tons of people ask me for Instant Pot recipes since I first mentioned having one, so here we go!
Recipe Ingredients
- Onion
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Frozen cubed hash browns
- Diced ham or meat of your choice
- Milk
- Eggs
- Salt and pepper
How to Make Ham, Egg, and Cheese Casserole
Layer 1/3 of frozen hash browns, 1/3 of onions, 1/3 of ham, and 1/3 of shredded cheese in your insert. Repeat this two more times until it is all used up.
Beat eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together and pour over layers.
Instant Pot Instructions
The instant pot has several settings. Personally, I’m just tossing all this in and using the slow cooker setting.
I press “slow cooker” and then press “adjust” until it goes to the “less” light on the display screen.
I now have it slow cooking on low. From there I use the plus or minus sign to move the time up to 7 hours. If you want to cook this on high, just press “slow cooker” and it is automatically on high. Then adjust your time to anywhere between 3 to 4 hours.
You could probably adapt this recipe for a pressure cooker, but I usually reserve pressure cooking in my instant pot for roasts, chickens, stews, dried beans, boiled eggs, and potatoes.
Dig in!
Storage
- Store breakfast casserole leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To freeze this ham, egg, and cheese casserole, wrap it up tight and freeze it unbaked for up to 3 months (learn how to freeze a casserole the right way!). To bake, completely thaw in the refrigerator for 24 to 36 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking and then follow the baking instructions as shown above.
Recipe Notes
- You can chop the onions yourself and shred the cheese if you like but I just love buying these frozen chopped onions for a great shortcut on the days when I just want to make my life a tiny bit easier.
- This breakfast casserole recipe is wonderful with crumbled turkey breakfast sausage. I recommend the Jenn-O brand because that is our favorite. Another option is bacon, of course.
- See the Instant Pot I have by clicking here.
- Want to add more flavor? Opt for a teaspoon of Dijon mustard added to the egg mixture or a teaspoon of Italian seasoning. You could also add some fresh herbs, like chopped fresh parsley, chives, thyme, or rosemary.
- If you’d like to add vegetables, opt for thinly diced bell pepper, zucchini, or mushrooms. Another option is spinach, which pairs perfectly with the casserole.
- You can use any cheese in this recipe or a combination. Other options include Swiss, Colby, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, and Gouda.
- If you decide to oven bake your casserole, you can also add layers of cubed bread (I recommend between 4 to 6 slices of bread cut into pieces). They just won’t crisp up as well in the Instant Pot.
- Serve your ham, , and casserole with salsa, hot sauce, or sour cream and chives.
You might also enjoy these Instant Pot recipes:
Ingredients
- 1 bag frozen cubed hash browns 32 ounces
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1-2 cups cooked ham or crumbled turkey breakfast sausage
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 10-12 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Spray the insert of a slow cooker, instant pot, or 5-quart Dutch oven with nonstick cooking spray. Place 1/3 of hash browns in the bottom. Top with 1/3 onions, 1/3 ham, and 1/3 cheese. Repeat two more times.1 bag frozen cubed hash browns, 1 large onion, diced, 1-2 cups cooked ham or crumbled turkey breakfast sausage, 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper until well blended. Pour over the ham and potato layers.10-12 large eggs, 1 cup whole milk, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper
To make in the oven
- Bake, uncovered, at 325 for 90 minutes, or until the eggs are set.
To make in the slow cooker
- Place the crock in the slow cooker, cover with the lid, and bake on low 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
To make in an Instant Pot
- Place the insert in the Instant Pot. Press "slow cooker", then "adjust" until the light comes on under "less". Adjust the time using the plus and minus sign to get it to 7 hours. If you'd like to cook it faster, press "slow cooker", don't adjust to less, then adjust the time to 3-4 hours.
Nutrition
how big of a crock pot, christy?
I have made this in my crockpot for a youth Disciple Now weekend and it was a huge hit! I threw it all in the crock pot around midnight — we hosted the girls and stayed up a little late. it was perfect by breakfast. I offered tortillas and hot sauce (for the guys). The crock pot was scraped clean and the youth preferred it over all the other breakfast goodies.
Thanks for posting this yesterday! We are having our daughters and their families home this weekend and this will be our Sunday AM breakfast before church!!! Now I can help get the granddaughters ready and visit instead of be in the kitchen!
I’m so excited you have an instant pot!! It’s my new favorite time saver!! I have recently made your chocolate cobbler in it! And you are right, it adapts to you!!
Jennifer or Christy….where can I find the chocolate cobbler recipe? I didn’t think I ever missed your posts, but maybe I missed that one….just love all your recipes and posts.
https://www.southernplate.com/2008/07/how-to-make-chocolate-cobbler.html
I’d love to know how this was converted for the Instant Pot. I just got one and I’m not intuitive when it comes to converting my own recipes. Thank you!!
I love short cuts when cooking but I never put my onions or potatoes in the fridge or freezer because that cold temperature converts the starch to sugar. I am aware that you limit sugar in your diet and hope this suggestion will help you in doing that. I love your recipes and stories.
Hmmm. Nope. Science is a wonderful thing to learn.
Hi Christy. My question is about the Instant Pot; although, I do want to try your recipe (it looks delicious). I want to purchase an Instant Pot; however, it looks threatening. I know very little about pressure cookers. Is it easy to figure out? Also, every time I make a dish similar to your Ham, Egg, and Cheese Casserole, whether in the oven or crock pot, it literally burns the outside and the inside is dry. For that reason, I have stopped making them. Does that happen in the Instant Pot?
If you are using dark pans or nonstick ones, it’s best to lower your oven temp by 25 degrees. Also you could shorten your cooking time, if the recipe calls for 30 mins. Just it in 15 mins to see how it’s doing. Hope this helps 🙂
Sorry I forgot all my words, just check it in 15 mins. and see how it’s doing. If it needs longer do five minutes at a time until it’s done.
Hi Tammy! My crock pot has a dark insert and I always cook it on low. Whenever I made it in the oven I would use a clear 9×13 baking dish. I am thinking that maybe I should cook all the ingredients except the hash browns and eggs before assembling and baking. Any thoughts? Thanks.
I’d like the potato salad recipe for the instant pot. Thanks
Hey Christy,
Is it just my imagination, or do you have a green egg layer out in your coop? We have one Easter Egger that does.
Yes! We have two Easter Eggers, one lays blue and the other green 🙂 LOVE My hens!
I am thinking about doing a low carb version with broccoli in place of the hashbrowns. Have you tried any low carb variations?
Thanks! 🙂
I think broccoli or even just a bunch of chopped bell peppers would be really nice. Also you might want to use heavy cream in place of the milk, maybe 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup water, that is if you are eating LCHF.
Could you omit the hashbrowns altogether and not use anything? I am eating LCHF but don’t want to put broccoli in.
If you haven’t tried the riced cauliflower it is a great sub for anything calling for potatoes.
I use also in place of grits.
Cauliflower is turning out to be one of the wonders in my kitchen. I’m amazed at how versatile it is!
Can you cut the recipe in half if you don’t have that many people to feed just my husband and myself
sure can! I vary sizes a lot these days as the kids have gotten older and you just never know if you’re feeding two or an army!