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.
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!
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.
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!
Farmer's Casserole
Ingredients
- 6 cups frozen, shredded hash brown potatoes
- 1½ 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can this Farmer’s Casserole be put together and go directly into a freezer and baked later?
I have not tried freezing it, but it can certainly be prepared the night before and then baked the next morning.
Lori-just want to verify the evaporated milk is 2- 12 ounce cans. It seems like a lot more milk than most egg recipes I have tried. I am in a quest to find a great egg casserole and am looking forward to trying this one!
Yes! My recipe calls for more eggs and hash browns than other recipes you’ll find for Farmer’s Casserole.
Awesome for breakfast, brunch or dinner! I love that you list recipes to pair with main dishes! Sometimes the hardest thing is finding a side!
What a great classic to have when family and friends are coming over! I love how easy this is too!
Question on the “6 cups”…. Do you just use the whole bag of shredded hashbrowns? I think the OrIda bags are around 30 ounces. Thanks!
I’m not sure as bag sizes vary- to be safe, I’d measure out the 6 cups!
I want to make this because it sounds delicious. I am wondering if you can make it in a casserole style crockpot like overnight or maybe in the morning before leaving the house & having it ready for dinner that night. What would you think?
I’ve never tried making a breakfast casserole in the crockpot, so I’m not sure!
What about replacing ham with bacon and sausage?
sure!
This is such a hearty breakfast – perfect for lazy weekend mornings!
I can’t wait to make it again! Really delicious!
I love this for when I have a house full of people – always a hit!