Freezer Meals 101

Coming up with make ahead breakfast ideas is a great way to provide your family with healthy meals without adding extra work to your busy mornings. This simple Southwest breakfast casserole is one of those easy recipes that will simplify your morning routine. Since this casserole is packed with flavour and made with hash browns, bacon, and eggs, it’s sure to be a hit with everyone in your family.

Our family is a big fan of breakfasts that can be made ahead like our Hash Brown Casserole, Cinnamon French Toast, and Scrambled Egg Bites.

How to Make Southwest Breakfast Casserole:

Ingredients:

• 500 g frozen cubed hash browns
• 1 ½ cups cooked diced bacon
• ¾ cup sour cream
• 1 ½ cups chunky salsa
• 6 large eggs
• salt and pepper 
• 1 ½ cups shredded Tex-Mex cheese

For Day of Cooking:

• avocado slices
• cilantro
• diced tomato
• sliced green onion

Assembly instructions:

1. Combine the hash browns, cooked bacon, and sour cream in a bowl. Spread the mixture into a freezer-safe, greased 9×13 baking dish.
2. Spoon the salsa evenly over the top of the hash brown mixture.
3. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Pour the seasoned eggs over the salsa layer.
4. Top the casserole with an even layer of shredded cheese.
5. Wrap the dish tightly with plastic wrap, then cover with foil and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

1. Thaw the frozen casserole, then remove the foil and plastic wrap.
2. Place the foil back on top of the dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
3. Remove the foil and cook for another 20 to 30 minutes.
4. Garnish with avocado, cilantro, diced tomato and sliced green onion before serving.

How Do You Know a Breakfast Casserole is Done?

There’s nothing worse than cutting into a breakfast casserole only to see that your eggs are still runny! If you’ve had this happen before, you’re probably wondering how to know when your casserole is done. A knife is the best way to check to see if the eggs in your casserole are done. Stick a thin-bladed knife into the center of the casserole dish. If the knife comes out clean, the casserole is done. But if you notice egg on your knife after you pull it out, your casserole needs to cook a little bit longer.

How Long Can Breakfast Casserole Be Frozen?

You can keep this make ahead breakfast in your freezer for up to three months before you need to cook it. To ensure you use your casserole before it expires, make sure to write the name of the dish and the date you prepared it on the foil before you place it in the freezer. It’s also a good idea to write the expiration date on top so you know when to heat it.

Once your casserole has been prepared, you can store leftovers in the refrigerator. Cover the dish or place the leftovers in an airtight container and keep them chilled for up to four days. Leftovers can be reheated in the oven or microwave.

Southwestern Breakfast Casserole Recipe Tips

This quick and easy recipe is perfect for a make ahead breakfast! And since it’s so simple to make, you can easily adjust the recipe to suit your family’s preferences. Try these recipe ideas as you’re preparing your breakfast bake:

• Double the recipe to make two make ahead breakfasts at one time. Since this recipe uses a half a bag of diced hash browns, it’s more time efficient to prepare two casseroles at once. Simply double the amount of ingredients in the recipe, then prepare the breakfast casseroles in two separate dishes. You’ll end up with two delicious breakfasts in the amount of time it takes to make one!
• Serve with tortillas. While this flavourful casserole is great on its own, you could also try serving it with tortillas for a fun way for your family to enjoy their breakfast. Heat the tortillas according to the package instructions, then let your family fill them with the casserole mixture to create their own breakfast burrito.
• Try adding sausage. Bulk up this make ahead breakfast bake with the help of some ground pork sausage. Brown the sausage in a skillet and drain the grease from the pan, then mix the meat into the hash brown mixture to add some more meat and flavour to your breakfast.
• Stir in some black beans. Another great way to increase the servings in your casserole is with the help of beans. Black beans add more protein and fiber to your breakfast, making them a great choice for bulking up the recipe. To add black beans to the breakfast dish, drain and rinse a can of beans and mix it into the casserole with the hash browns.
• Spice it up with peppers. Does your family enjoy eating a spicy breakfast? Add some spice to your southwestern egg casserole with the help of some peppers. Diced green chilies are a simple choice for spicing up your dish. Or garnish your casserole with sliced jalapeño to add some fresh spiciness to your breakfast.

Print

Southwest Breakfast Casserole

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: breakfast casserole

Ingredients

• 500 g frozen cubed hash browns
• 1 ½ cups bacon cooked and crumbled
• ¾ cup sour cream
• 1 ½ cups chunky salsa
• 6 large eggs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 ½ cups Tex-Mex cheese shredded

For Day of Cooking:

• avocado sliced or cubed
• cilantro chopped
• tomato diced
• green onion sliced

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

1. Combine the hash browns, cooked bacon, and sour cream in a bowl.

2. Spread the mixture into a freezer-safe, greased 9x13 baking dish.

3. Spoon the salsa evenly over the top of the hash brown mixture.
4. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Pour the seasoned eggs over the salsa layer.

5. Top the casserole with shredded cheese.

6. Wrap the dish tightly with plastic wrap, then cover with foil and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

1. Thaw then remove the foil and plastic wrap.

2. Replace the foil on top of the dish and bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

3. Remove the foil and cook for another 20 to 30 minutes.

4. Garnish with avocado, cilantro, diced tomato and sliced green onion.