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. Kathy D says:

    Do you have to let it sit in refrigerator for several hours for best result?

    1. Lori Lange says:

      You shouldn’t!

  2. Terri says:

    5 stars
    I Love it and I can make so many variations of.this recipe 5 thumbs up

  3. Joni says:

    5 stars
    This one is a keeper! My hubby and I both loved it! I used hot sausage instead of ham, and O’Brien potatoes instead of shredded, and added a little extra cheese. It was totally baked and set in 1 hour, and it was a big hit for Saturday brunch!

  4. Jammie Wiessner says:

    I made this today for breakfast and ohhhhh my god it was awesome I did add some mushrooms will definitely make again. Thank you for sharing this.

  5. William E Glover says:

    5 stars
    My wife cut the recipe in half for just the two of us. I made it this morning and it was SOOOOO good. We discussed putting a little more onion in the next time. YUMMY

  6. Angie Green says:

    Lori, I need to make the Farmhouse Casserole on Friday but not bake it until Sunday Morning! Will it be ok to keep it in the frig for 2 nights???
    Thanks, Angie Green

    1. Lori Lange says:

      I’m not sure!! That’s a long time to be sitting in the fridge before baking. I really have no idea since I haven’t waited two days before. Good luck!!

  7. Gail Martens says:

    I cannot find frozen shredded hash browns for love not money. Can I use cubed hash browns? It seems to be the only kind I can find unless I shred them myself but it’s already been stated not to do that (shredding fresh potatoes). Any suggestions?

    1. Lori Lange says:

      I’m not sure– I tried to make them with freshly shredded potatoes once and it wasn’t a good result!

    2. Carla says:

      Every time I make this, it’s soupy. What am I doing wrong?

  8. Merrilee Stewart says:

    5 stars
    I made this but halved the recipe as my husband and I would have been eating it forever. It generously fed the two of us for dinner with a half pan left over. I diced up some red pepper because I didn’t have green onions. It was delicious. This one is a keeper.

    1. Jeff Ramsey says:

      Stupid question…If you half the recipe do you adjust cooking time?

    2. Lori Lange says:

      Possibly? I haven’t done that, so I’m not sure.

  9. Charlotte says:

    Made as directed. I am an experienced cook so this looked like it might be worth a try. Once was enough!! It was in the oven for more than 90 minutes and still didn’t set up. The entire casserole was wet and soggy. Maybe if the potatoes were thawed (not suggested in the recipe) it would have turned out differently. Thumbs down on this recipe.

    1. Glenda R. says:

      Charlotte, if you put in in the fridge overnight as suggested the hashbrowns would be thawed. It also gives time for it all to soak in.

  10. Ibita Gomez Thaureaux says:

    5 stars
    Made your Farmers Casserole for Father’s Day Brunch, and making it again tomorrow for a family brunch. It was awesome! Recipe very easy to follow. I added bacon bits on top just as garnish, looked beautiful. Thank you for sharing recipe.