This Farmer’s Casserole recipe is a very popular breakfast recipe.  It’s the perfect recipe to serve when you have a house full of guests or relatives.  Watch the short video showing you how to make Farmer’s Casserole, then scroll to the end of this post to print out the recipe so you can make it at home.

Overhead shot of Farmer's Casserole in a white casserole dish

What is a Farmer’s Casserole?

Farmer’s casserole is a delicious breakfast casserole that is made up of a few simple “farm-friendly” ingredients.  It calls for hash browns, eggs, cheese, ham, green onions and evaporated milk.  It’s all baked together to create a baked breakfast casserole.

I have made this recipe many times for Thanksgiving morning, Christmas morning, Easter brunch, kid sleepovers, family gatherings and more. It’s the kind of recipe that everyone enjoys so much, and it’s a very popular recipe here on the RecipeGirl site!

Change things up by adding in a tablespoon of Dijon mustard, mixing in sauteed bell peppers and using a combination of cheeses.

Some of my readers have mentioned that they also enjoy making this for dinner.  Leftovers eaten the next day are delicious!

Farmer's Breakfast Casserole in a white casserole dish

Is Farmer’s Casserole Gluten Free?

Since my Mom has to eat gluten-free these days, I was super happy to find that I could make this breakfast casserole completely gluten free.

I use Ore-Ida shredded hash browns for this recipe if I need to make it gluten-free. If you don’t need to worry about that, just use whatever hash browns you can find!  Evaporated milk is naturally gluten-free, so you don’t have to worry about that.  Check the label on the ham you buy to make sure it’s gluten-free.

Overhead shot of Farmer's Casserole in a white casserole dish with a gray napkin and green onions

Can you use regular milk instead of evaporated milk in Farmer’s Casserole?

I don’t recommend using regular milk.  Evaporated milk is more concentrated and creamy.  It works best in this recipe.  You can locate evaporated milk in your market’s baking aisle.  Those who have used regular milk find that the casserole turns out too watery.

Can you use fresh potatoes instead of frozen hash browns in Farmer’s Casserole?

I don’t recommend using fresh potatoes for this recipe.  When you grate the fresh potatoes, they will immediately begin to oxidize and turn an unappetizing grey color.  Frozen hash browns work great for this recipe!

If you are looking for more recipes to serve with this recipe, you might enjoy adding Banana Coffee Cake and Fruit Salad with Lime Syrup to the menu.  Champagne Brunch Punch also looks very good!

Overhead shot of Farmer's Casserole in a white casserole dish
4.25 from 102 votes

Farmer's Casserole

Just a great breakfast casserole, and it's super easy to make!
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total: 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
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Ingredients

  • 6 cups frozen, shredded hash brown potatoes
  • cups shredded Jalapeno Monterey Jack Cheese (can sub cheddar or Swiss)
  • 2 cups diced, cooked ham (or Canadian bacon)
  • ½ cup sliced green onions
  • 8 large eggs, beaten (or 2 cups egg substitute)
  • Two 12-ounce cans evaporated milk (can use whole, 2% or fat free)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper

Instructions 

  • Grease a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Arrange potatoes evenly in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with cheese, ham, and green onion. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over potato mixture in dish.
  • At this point, you can cover and refrigerate until ready to bake (several hours or overnight). When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the center appears set. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. If baking after casserole has been chilled, you will need to increase baking time to 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Notes

  • Add Tabasco for a bit of a kick.
  • Serve with a good dollop of sour cream.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 268kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 155mg, Sodium: 288mg, Potassium: 547mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 465IU, Vitamin C: 11.1mg, Calcium: 286mg, Iron: 1.9mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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4.25 from 102 votes (68 ratings without comment)

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152 Comments

  1. Becky Patrick says:

    I made this for my Bunco group today and it was a big hit!!!
    I had to cook it longer, but cooked it in the church oven so temperature may not have been accurate. I’m adding this to my recipe box!

  2. Elizabeth says:

    Want to thank you for this wondeful recipe! I made this (2 pans) for church last Sunday, what a hit, several requests for recipe and several requests to “do it again”. I did add 1\2 can of diced green chilies. Did not want to add too much because of the children. Everyone came back for more. Thank you again for your superb recipes!!

  3. blossom says:

    Can you use fresh potatoe ? Would I have to cook it longer ?

    1. Lori Lange says:

      I have not tried this recipe with fresh potatoes.

  4. Elsie says:

    Have you tried this in a no meat version? I think it would be good, but thought I would post. I enjoy your site and recipes. Thanks.

    1. Lori Lange says:

      I have not- I’ve only tried the recipe as written.

  5. Hillary says:

    This sounds great! I may add a teaspoon of dried mustard to give it a little something-something. I like the idea of adding hash browns. Most of the egg casserole recipes I’ve seen have bread.

  6. Oli says:

    Loved this for a holiday breakfast dish. Quick warning, though: I chose to grate my own potatoes instead of use frozen, and they oxydized very quickly. That turned them a greyish brown color that looks unpleasant. Frozen is definitely the way to go.

  7. christine says:

    can i use regular milk instead of evaporated?

    1. Lori Lange says:

      Evaporated milk is more concentrated and creamy. Regular milk might make the casserole too watery.

  8. Carmin says:

    Try O’brien hash browns with onions and peppers in them if you think it is bland! A super easy fix.

  9. Pauline Barker says:

    I had to change some of the measurements viz 3 quarts = about 2.9 litres.
    350f changed to approx 180c.
    I also added some frozen peas, corn and carrot to the mixture and a bit of chilli

    It was yummy!

  10. Megan says:

    Has anyone used soy or almond milk with this? How did it turn out?

    1. Lori Lange says:

      I haven’t tried it.