Layers of shredded hash brown potatoes, fried sausage, and scrambled eggs topped with creamy white sauce and cheese equals a delicious and hearty Gold Rush Breakfast Casserole you will love!
To us, breakfast is a very important meal of the day!
Who doesn’t like a good breakfast to start their day off on the right foot?
I don’t know about you all but at times we get tired of having the same old versions of eggs for breakfast: fried or scrambled eggs with a side of toast, and maybe bacon or avocado if we have it on hand! It’s easy and quick to make, for sure.
However, with a little planning and working ahead, we’re here to tell you, you can have a delectable Gold Rush Breakfast Casserole that is well worth the time and energy it took to prepare!
This casserole is a crowd pleaser making it a perfect meal solution for a family or guests or in our case, just the two of us.
Ingredients
Shredded cooked potatoes or hashbrowns – you can cook and shred your own potatoes or even easier you can buy the pre-cooked and shredded hashbrowns!
Ground sausage – common and regular mild sausage is our preference.
Eggs – we get farm fresh brown eggs from my parents.
Milk – whole milk.
Dried parsley
Salt
Onion powder
Shredded cheddar cheese – we always recommend shredding your own cheese. (It tastes better and it’s better for you!)
The lovely White Sauce Ingredients
Salted butter – regular salted butter.
Flour – any kind of flour, we used all-purpose.
Milk – here again, whole milk.
Salt
Sour cream – full fat sour cream.
How to make Gold Rush Breakfast Casserole
Without further ado, let the fun begin!
First of all, grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Take the shredded potatoes and spread them in the bottom of the baking dish, creating the first layer.
In a non-stick or cast iron skillet or frying pan, fry the ground beef until fully cooked.
Transfer to a colander or strainer to drain off the excess grease then add to the baking pan on top of the shredded potatoes.
Next you’re ready to scramble the eggs. Add the eggs, milk, parsley, salt, onion powder to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer or immersion blender. Dump into the same skillet or frying pan you used to fry the sausage and scramble until just set. They will cook more when being baked in the oven so try to avoid over-scrambling them and don’t worry if they’re still a little runny. Spread on top of the sausage layer.
Sprinkle with half the shredded cheese.
Last but not least, it’s time to make the white sauce which is a key part of Gold Rush Breakfast Casserole in our opinion!
Start by melting the butter in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour once all the butter is melted, and keep whisking until smooth and bubbly. Now whisk in the milk and cook and keep stirring until thickened. Once the mixture has thickened, remove from heat and add the salt and sour cream and stir to incorporate.
Spread the white sauce mixture evenly on top of the casserole and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. Enjoy!
Store leftovers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Variations and Notes for Gold Rush Breakfast Casserole
Planning to make Gold Rush Breakfast Casserole ahead of time? You can refrigerate this a day or two before baking but just know it may take up to an hour or a little more to fully heat!
Freezing this before baking alters the textures somewhat so it’s not recommended.
If sausage isn’t your thing you can use cooked and chopped bacon or diced ham instead. Or better yet, add all three if your whole family likes meat like we do!
Instead of using bought shredded potatoes or hash browns, you can cook and shred your own potatoes to use for the bottom layer.
Gold Rush Breakfast Casserole
Layers of shredded hash brown potatoes, sausage, and scrambled eggs topped with creamy white sauce and cheese equals a delicious and hearty breakfast you will love!
Ingredients
- 1 pound shredded potatoes
- 1 pound ground sausage
- 8 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tbsp. parsley
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
White Sauce
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Layer the shredded potatoes in the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Fry the ground sausage in a non-stick skillet or frying pan until fully cooked. Drain off the excess grease in a colander or strainer then spread sausage on top of potato layer.
- Combine the eggs, milk, parsley, salt, and onion powder in a mixing bowl and beat using an electric mixer or immersion blender.
- Using the same pan you used to fry the sausage, scramble the egg mixture until just set. Spread on top of the sausage mixture. Sprinkle half the shredded cheese on top of the eggs.
- For the white sauce: in a saucepan, melt the butter, then whisk in the flour until smooth and bubbly. Whisk in the milk and cook and stir until mixture has thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the salt and sour cream. Spread on top of the casserole evenly and top with remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
If planning to make this ahead of time, make and refrigerate a day or two before baking then bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes (an hour or a little more in total) to heat thoroughly.
Freezing this casserole before baking is not recommended since it alters the textures somewhat.
Substitutions:
You can cook and shred your own potatoes instead of using bought shredded potatoes.
The meat can be substituted with cooked chopped bacon or cooked diced ham (or use all three!).
Cheddar cheese is what we use but obviously you can use your favorite or what you have on hand.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 719Total Fat: 58gSaturated Fat: 25gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 301mgSodium: 1320mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 24g
Nutrition information isn't always accurate.
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- Kitchenaid electric hand mixer
- Kitchenaid immersion blender
- bamboo cooking utensils (similar to the ones we use every day!)
- stainless steel measuring spoons
- Pyrex glass bakeware
- Demeyere saucepan
- Zwilling frying pans
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Have you tried Gold Rush Breakfast Casserole?
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As always…
Thank you so much for visiting our small town. Stay awhile and explore!
’til next time,
Julie
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