This easy overnight hashbrown breakfast casserole is gluten-free! It’s a Mexican-inspired version with spiced chorizo, pepper jack cheese, and a BOMB chipotle-lime hollandaise sauce that only takes 10 minutes in your blender. It’s a perfect make-ahead recipe for Christmas morning or any special holiday brunch.

I had Christmas morning in mind when I was working on this hashbrown casserole recipe. I wanted it to be easy, easily made the day before, and little prep the day of.

And because it’s Christmas, I wanted it to be a little decadent. Hence, the hollandaise.

Hollandaise seems to be in a committed relationship with eggs benedict (with occasional asparagus flings). Let’s not put such a delicious, versatile sauce in such a tight box. It’s AMAZING on hashbrown breakfast casserole!

(If you’re nervous about making hollandaise, it’s actually quite easy. I’ll show you!)

How to Make Breakfast Casserole with Hashbrowns

There are a lot of variations on the breakfast egg and hashbrown casserole. Basically, you layer frozen hashbrowns, your choice of meat, cheese, and an egg & milk mixture.

It’s a great recipe template for an easy, overnight breakfast if you’re feeding a lot of people. My sister recently made three of a similar casserole to feed everyone brunch after her daughter’s baptism.

My version of this easy breakfast casserole has turkey chorizo, pepperjack cheese, and chipotle peppers mixed into the egg-milk mixture.

I also used cubed frozen hashbrowns (instead of shredded hashbrowns) with the peppers and onions.

Sometimes the cubed frozen hashbrowns are called “southern style”. The cubed hashbrowns with the peppers and onions are often called “O’Brien” or Southwest style.

After layering the potatoes, sausage, and cheese, you pour the egg mixture over the top. I like to move things around with a fork to “mix” it. You don’t need to mix it thoroughly because everything will ooze around when it bakes.

Soooo good, right? Man, I love this recipe.

And no, it’s not too spicy for kids. My kids liked it for the most part. (There’s always one super picky one, right?)

If you’re worried about the heat, use regular monterey jack cheese or omit the chipotles in the egg mixture.

Tip: If you’re prepping this the night before, add 15-20 minutes to the cooking time.

How to Make This Breakfast Casserole Dairy-Free

It’s easy to make this recipe by using almond milk and either omitting the cheese or using grated dairy-free cheese.

The hollandaise will have butter, so maybe omit that, too. I haven’t tried using dairy-free butter to make hollandaise, so I can’t promise it will work.

Hollandaise Sauce isn’t as scary as you think

Now, about the hollandaise sauce. Hollandaise sauce is an emulsion, like mayonnaise. But instead of using oil, you’re using melted butter. (That’s why hollandaise is so rich and amazing.)

It has the reputation of being fussy and difficult to make because it “breaks” easily. Breaking, meaning the emulsion doesn’t come together correctly and it ends up runny.

The solution? Use a blender or food processor. I plan to create another post with more photos shortly, but for now here are some tips:

Tips for making blender hollandaise sauce:

• Make sure you have enough egg yolks in your blender or food processor so that they don’t sit under the blade while it’s moving BEFORE you start adding the melted butter. This recipe calls for 3 egg yolks, which is how many I need to reach the blades of my Blendtec blender. If your yolks aren’t moving around while the machine is running, add another one.
• Drizzle the melted butter SLOWLY while the machine is running. You don’t have to drip, drip, drip it in, but make sure it’s a very thin stream of butter — especially at the beginning.
• Don’t buzz it around too much after you finish adding the melted butter. I’ve had emulsions break after blending it too much. Once you’re done adding the butter, turn the machine off.

Can you make the hollandaise sauce ahead of time?

Yes, actually! I tested this out and it reheated beautifully the next day. I microwaved it in 15-second intervals and stirred it each time.

What to serve with a hashbrown breakfast casserole?

Because of the hollandaise, this breakfast casserole is a little rich. I’d suggest serving it with something fresh — like fresh fruit, sliced avocado, or a light salad for a brunch.

I highly suggest making some Southwest Cabbage Slaw. It would be a perfect side for this and you can prep that the day before as well! It’s only a handful of ingredients and one of the most versatile sides I make.

If you make one of my recipes, be sure to post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Continue to Content

Chorizo Breakfast Casserole with 10-min Hollandaise

Yield: Serves 10-12

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

This easy overnight hashbrown breakfast casserole is gluten-free! It's a Mexican-inspired version with spiced chorizo, pepper jack cheese, and a BOMB chipotle-lime hollandaise sauce that only takes 10 minutes in your blender. It's a perfect make-ahead recipe for Christmas morning!

Print

Ingredients

For the breakfast casserole:

• 2 Tablespoons avocado oil
• 8 ounces of Mexican chorizo
• 1 28-ounce package of frozen cubed hashbrowns with peppers and onions
• 1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
• 12 eggs
• 1 cup milk (any kind)
• 2 teaspoons minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 lime, divided

For the Chipotle-Lime Hollandaise:

• 3 egg yolks
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 cup hot melted butter (2 4-ounce sticks)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13" baking pan with nonstick spray.
2. Heat a medium skillet to medium-high heat and add the oil. Squeeze the chorizo out of its casings and into the hot skillet. Cook, stirring it often until the chorizo is cooked through, there is no more liquid remainind in the pan, and the chorizo starts to form dark, crusty spots.
3. Put the frozen hashbrowns in the baking pan. Top with cooked chorizo and shredded cheese.
4. Whisk together the eggs in a medium bowl or a large glass measuring cup. Add the milk, minced chipotles, sea salt, and the juice from half of the lime. (Save the other half for the hollandaise.)
5. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the hashbrowns as well. Use a fork to shimmy the mixture around a little so the egg mixture reaches the bottom of the pan. It doesn't all have to be mixed together perfectly.
6. Bake, uncovered, for 50-60 minutes until the top center of the casserole is no longer jiggly and it's cooked through.
7. During the last few minutes of baking, make the hollandaise by melting the butter in a small saucepan.
8. Add the egg yolks, salt, chipotles, and the juice from the other half of the lime to your blender or food processor. Turn on the machine and see if the yolk mixure blends while the blades are spinning. If the yolks are sitting under the blades not moving, then add another yolk.
9. While the machine is running, pour the hot melted butter VERY SLOWLY through the hole in the lid (so you aren't covered in butter splatter) until all of the butter has been incorporated. About halfway through this step, you should see the mixture begin to thicken.
10. When all of the butter has been added, turn the machine off and transfer the hollandaise to a serving dish. Taste, and add a little salt or lime if you think it needs it.
11. Serve the breakfast casserole with a drizzle of hollandaise.

Notes

For overnight prep: Assemble the casserole, cover with foil, and refrigerate until you're ready to bake it. Bake for 45 minutes covered. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until the top center is cooked through and no longer jiggly.

You may also prep the hollandaise sauce the day before. Store chilled and covered. To reheat, microwave on high for 15-second intervals and stir each time until it has fully warmed.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Cuisinart FP-8GMP1 Elemental 8-Cup Food Processor, Gunmetal
• 
  Blendtec Total Classic Original Blender - Fourside Jar (75 oz)

Nutrition Information

Yield 12 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 585Total Fat 48gSaturated Fat 20gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 25gCholesterol 305mgSodium 1150mgCarbohydrates 23gFiber 2gSugar 2gProtein 18g

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.