Transform your leftover ham into a show-stopping breakfast casserole that’s hearty enough for any meal with this irresistible combination of crispy hash browns, savory ham, melted cheddar cheese, and sautéed vegetables. This upgraded classic hash brown casserole version goes beyond simple comfort food by incorporating bell peppers, onions, and ham to create a satisfying meal that works equally well for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
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Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
This ham and hash brown casserole succeeds because it balances multiple textures and flavors through strategic layering and proper cooking techniques. The hash browns provide a substantial starchy foundation that becomes crispy on the edges while remaining tender inside. Sautéing the vegetables before adding them develops deeper flavors and removes excess moisture that could make the casserole soggy. The cream of celery soup acts as both a flavor enhancer and binding agent, creating cohesion without the heaviness of dairy-based sauces.
Why You Should Try This Ham and Cheese Hash Brown Casserole
This is one of those perfect easy recipes for evenings when you’ve had a long day at work and have no time (or motivation) to cope with the details of anything more complex. This cheesy hash brown casserole recipe simply involves chopping and sautéeing a couple of veggies, adding some canned soup, dumping everything into a pan, sprinkling on some cheese, and baking it up. What could be simpler?
Also, this cheesy hash brown potato casserole recipe is a little lighter in fat content because it doesn’t contain any sour cream. However, it is so tasty you won’t even miss the sour cream.
Breakfast Casserole With Ham and Hash Browns – Ingredients You Will Need
This ham hashbrown breakfast casserole tastes great and involves just a few basic ingredients you probably already have on hand:
Potato Foundation
- Frozen hash browns – Convenient base that provides consistent texture and eliminates prep work
- Thawed or frozen options – Both work well depending on preference and timing
- Quality matters – Choose hash browns without excessive additives for best flavor
Protein Component
- Cooked ham – Provides savory, smoky flavor and substantial protein content
- Leftover ham perfect – Excellent way to use holiday or dinner leftovers
- Dicing consistency – Uniform pieces ensure even distribution throughout casserole
Vegetable Aromatics
- Yellow onion РCreates sweet, savory foundation when saut̩ed properly
- Bell pepper – Adds color, crunch, and mild pepper flavor that complements ham
- Fresh vegetables preferred – Better texture and flavor than frozen alternatives
Creamy Binding Elements
- Cream of celery soup – Provides creamy texture and subtle celery flavor without heaviness
- Alternative soups work – Mushroom or chicken cream soups offer different flavor profiles
- Lighter than sour cream – Maintains richness while reducing fat content
Cheese and Fat Components
- Sharp cheddar cheese – Delivers strong cheese flavor that stands up to other ingredients
- Butter for saut̩ing РCreates proper base for vegetable cooking and adds richness
- Cheese staging important – Half mixed in, half on top for optimal texture and appearance
How to Make This Cheesy Hash Brown Potato Casserole
This hash brown casserole is so easy to make and is a great way to use up any leftover ham. Here are the steps:
- Sauté the onions, bell peppers, and ham in butter.
- Combine with the hash browns and soup.
- Transfer into a casserole dish and sprinkle over half of the cheese.
- Cover and bake for 45 minutes at 350°F.
- Add the remaining cheese and bake uncovered for about 15 more minutes.
A hashbrown casserole is done when the edges are crisp, and it is brown from the top. You can also test with a knife – if it comes out clean, your casserole is done.
How to Serve This Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole
This ham and hashbrown breakfast casserole is a hearty meal all by itself. However, you can serve it with a veggie side, such as green beans or broccoli. Biscuits are also a great choice.
As a bonus, this ham and hashbrown breakfast casserole tastes just as good reheated for a microwaved leftover lunch.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Make-Ahead Option:Â Assemble the casserole completely, cover it, and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking. If starting from cold, add 10-15 minutes to baking time.
- Refrigerator Storage: Cool completely before covering with plastic wrap or transferring to airtight containers. Store up to 3 days in refrigerator.
- Freezer Storage: Wrap tightly or store in freezer-safe containers for up to 2-3 months. Allow to cool completely before freezing.
- Thawing Process: Move frozen casserole to refrigerator overnight for safe, even thawing.
- Reheating Methods: Cover with foil and reheat in 325°F oven for 30 minutes until heated through. Individual portions can be microwaved for 2-3 minutes.
Favorite Casserole Recipes
- Broccoli Rice Cheese Casserole
- Broccoli Tater Tot Casserole
- Chicken Dressing Casserole
- Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Cream Corn Casserole
- Creamy Tuna Casserole
- Dorito Taco Casserole
- Ham and Egg Casserole
- Mexican Rice Casserole
- Sausage Casserole
Popular Ham Recipes
Check out more of my easy casserole recipes and the best breakfast recipes on CopyKat!
Ham and Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped bell pepper
- 2 cups diced ham
- 2 pounds frozen hash browns
- 10 ounces condensed cream of celery soup
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese grated, divided use
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Sauté the onions, bell peppers, and ham until the onions are softened and translucent.
- Combine the frozen hash browns, sautéed ham and vegetables, and condensed celery soup in a large bowl. Stir until the hash browns are coated.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared 9×13-inch pan. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the casserole and cover it with foil. Bake for approximately 45 minutes.
- Remove the foil, add the remaining cheese, return to the oven uncovered, and cook for 15 more minutes. The cheese should begin to brown when the casserole is ready.
What is the difference between dried onions and chopped onions flavor wise
I think dried onions tend to give a milder flavor.
this sounds good, i can see myself serving this with sunday dinner. thank you for sharing!
This is one of those great recipes for evenings when you’ve got no time (or motivation) for wrangling the details of a complex recipe. This is simply chopping + sautee’ing a couple of veggies, then dumping all the store-bought ingredients into a pan and baking it up.
Tastes great, and is very satisfying. (Made mine with a can of cream of chicken soup, since we always have those in the cupboard.) As a bonus, it tastes just as good reheated for a microwaved leftover lunch.
I am a big fan of recipes like this. I don’t always like putting a lot of effort into a meal. This dish also tastes very good reheated. Which means it is a great dish to bring to work and heat up.
Thanks for this recipe (and video) for glorified hash brown casserole. It looks like quite a delicious dish.
What’s the purpose of adding the soup – flavor or consistency? I’m not a fan of using canned soup in my cooking so I’m wondering why it’s added so I can come up with a substitution.
It gives the casserole some something to help it all stick together, and adds some flavor. If you don’t like this, you may want to add a simple white sauce that is flavored with onion or something like this.
Sounds good, except for the soup. Absolutely hate Cream of Celery soup. I’m assuming Cream of Chicken or C of Mushroom would do?
You can use any creamed soup you would like in this recipe. I suggested a few in the video.