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. Penny O'Connor says:

    does it have to be evaporated milk?? or can I use 2%

    1. Lori Lange says:

      I would use evaporated milk… it is more concentrated than regular milk.

    2. Dano Summers says:

      3 stars
      I made this and it was runny in the middle and was burning on top. I cut into the middle, put foil on top and cooked for another 20 minutes. 80 minutes total and it was still a little runny. Next time I will only use 12 ounces of evaporated milk and 6 eggs. I used southwest frozen hash browns and added additional spices so it wouldn’t be bland. Added bacon, mushrooms, green pepper too. Great with salsa on top.

  2. Thom says:

    Made it with O’BRIAN potatoes and sharp chedder…one pan with ham the other with jimmy dean hot sausage….now I’m getting demands too mKe it all the time instead of special occasions LOL….Nope it’s just for Thanksgiving and Christmas mornings….maybe New Years with the Rose Parade????

    1. Lori Lange says:

      great idea!

  3. Chris says:

    Has anyone tried freezing this to save for later?? Thanks!

    1. Lori Lange says:

      I haven’t tried freezing this…

  4. Michelle Coen says:

    I’m looking for a recipe to make in a large roaster, not regular oven or crock pot. I was unsure of temp and times for the roaster, and if I could double the recipe?  

    1. Lori Lange says:

      I’ve never cooked with a roaster before, so I don’t think I’ll be much help!

  5. Crystal says:

    I would love to make this, it looks so good, but I can’t eat eggs, can you make this without the egg?

    1. Lori Lange says:

      Well, it’s an egg casserole… so I think I’d try another recipe because leaving out the egg will not work.

  6. kat jennings says:

    I made it and it turned out great! this time I will use sausage just because I’m not a big fan of ham.

  7. Ro says:

    How long is the baking time if making two 9×13 baking dishes?

    1. Lori Lange says:

      perhaps a little longer than indicated, but not double.

  8. melanie says:

    I am just trying this for the first time and used frozen (not shredded hash browns) so lets hope this turns out 🙂

  9. Debbie says:

    I appreciate constructive feedback. I always read reviews on recipe’s. Often times it’s helped me to avoid making something that could have been a disaster. I look forward to making this particular dish.

  10. rmoore says:

    I just made this. It was yummy. I used bacon instead of ham. I fried the potatoes in bacon grease. This added great flavor.