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. Bobby Johnson says:

    I basically followed the directions but added red peppers. I baked this for over an hour and it seemed done but the bottom was a little soft. It was excellent though, but am thinking maybe I should have placed the dish in oven bottom.

  2. Melissa says:

    can this be frozen before cooking

    1. Lori Lange says:

      I have not tried that.

  3. Wendy says:

    In this casserole, can you brown the hash Brown’s before putting the casserole together

    1. Lori Lange says:

      sure, but not necessary

  4. Tracy says:

    5 stars
    I’ve made this recipe for years. It was in a Tast of Home cookbook. The only difference was the condensed milk. One can is enough. I don’t understand the need for 24 ounces of milk. I use one can and 10 eggs and it always sets up. If you want to make it without refrigerating overnight, just bake the hashbrrowns in greased dish for 15-20 minutes before adding the additional ingredients, you can then finish back in the oven.

    1. Jazz says:

      she used evaporated milk, not condensed milk

  5. Ann says:

    Made this for today’s Mother’s Day brunch. It was a success.

  6. ClancyCat says:

    I was reading the reviews and saw the Soupy stuff–and at first, I thought “maybe they used the wrong kind of milk,” but after some thinking–is it possible that the folks who had the soupiness factor did NOT allow the casserole to sit overnight and absorb the liquid? I have never made this, I freely admit it (although I’m going to, this weekend), but I make stratas, quite a bit and they will do this–come out like seasoned savory soup–if you do NOT allow them to soak overnight or even longer. Any chance that’s it?

  7. danny says:

    what type of evaporated milk did you use? and what was the size of the can ? Thank you

    1. Lori Lange says:

      Hi There, the complete recipe is at the bottom of the post. Two 12-ounce cans evaporated milk (can use whole, 2% or fat free)

  8. Joan says:

    5 stars
    delicious! Easy to make. Added red and green bell peppers.

  9. Alison says:

    I have a question – do the frozen hash browns go into the baking dish still frozen or thawed? Thank you!

    1. Lori Lange says:

      They can be frozen!

  10. DJ says:

    I’ve seen and tried similar recipes. I suspect this stands out from all the others. Is there a vegetarian substitute for bacon or ham. I’m sure both are awesome additions, but some guests don’t eat pork or meat. Others mentioned bell pepper, jalapeno, mushrooms, additional onion. I can’t think of a good substitute except smoked paprika, green chilies or meaty mushrooms.