Ham and Cheese Hash Brown Brunch Bake

Course Breakfast, Casserole, Main, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword egg-bake-with-hash-browns-and-ham, ham-and-cheese-hash-brown-brunch-bake

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Resting Time 20

Total Time 1 10

Servings servings

Calories 335kcal

Author Melissa Sperka

Thaw the Hash Browns: Spread the frozen hash browns in a single layer on a paper towel lined sheet pan. Thaw completely then dab with another paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange thawed hash browns in the bottom of the baking dish.
Arrange ham over the potatoes. Sprinkle ham with green onions and 3/4 cup shredded pepper jack cheese.
In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, half and half, sour cream (or yogurt), Parmesan cheese, garlic salt, pepper, mustard, onion powder and nutmeg.
Pour the custard evenly over the ingredients in dish. Top with remaining 3/4 cup shredded cheese. Dot the top with butter.
Bake for 1 hour or until the center is set when gently shaken. (Check at 45 minutes and lay foil on top to prevent over browning, if needed) You can check if the hashbrowns are tender with a toothpick or a knife.
Rest on the counter for 5-10 minutes, cut into squares and serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of green onions, if desired.

Hashbrowns - To keep this brunch bake simple I begin with frozen O'Brien potatoes. These are simply country style hash browns with green and red bell peppers and onion already in the mix making prep a cinch. You can use plain hash browns, if preferred.
Ham - You can use any cubed ham for this recipe. Leftover holiday ham works wonders for a round two meal, too! You could also replace the ham with bacon or cooked breakfast sausage.
Garlic Salt - You can use plain table salt and garlic powder or granulated garlic.
Add Bell Peppers - If you're unable to find O'Brien hash browns, can easily adapt adding diced red bell pepper and green bell pepper to classic cubed hash browns. You could also add jalapeno pepper for spice.
Cheese - I use pepper jack cheese in this recipe for a hint of spice. You can adapt using sharp cheddar cheese, colby jack cheese, mozzarella, swiss, gruyere or any flavor of cheese that you enjoy.
Sour Cream - I really love the rich texture that sour cream lends to the egg custard. In a pinch, you could use plain Greek yogurt, either will work.
Stand Time - Once baked, allow the casserole to sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting into squares and serving. It will give you the cleanest slices.