Gluten-Free Breakfast Casserole

This gluten-free breakfast casserole is loaded with ham, eggs, hash browns, sharp cheddar, and red bell pepper in every slice. The hash brown base means there’s no bread to swap out and no gluten-free bread cube substitute needed. It comes out golden on top with crispy edges and a cheesy, savory center.

The ham is already cooked so there’s almost no prep involved. A quick sauté with the bell pepper and green onion, toss everything together with the hash browns and cheese, pour the eggs over the top, and it goes straight into the oven. About 10 minutes of hands-on work total.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• It feeds a crowd. Don’t stand over the stove top and cook a bunch of eggs and potatoes in a skillet when you’re entertaining for brunch. Breakfast casserole is so much easier to make with just about 10 minutes of active preparation and will feed up to 12 people! You can focus on your friends and family instead of staying in the kitchen.
• It’s easy to make ahead . Breakfast casseroles are easy to make and can be prepared in advance, making them a great option for busy mornings when you don’t have a lot of time to cook.
• It’s gluten-free. This recipe is completely gluten-free, making it a great choice for anyone with gluten sensitivities or celiac disease who still wants to enjoy a tasty breakfast dish.

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

• Ham – I buy a cooked ham steak from the refrigerated section and cube it into small pieces. Leftover holiday ham works great here too. Since the ham is already cooked, all it needs is a quick sauté to get a little color on it. If you’re gluten-free, check the label because some brands add gluten in the flavorings. Smithfield ham steak is labeled gluten-free and widely available in many US grocery stores.
• Shredded Hash Browns – Thaw your hash browns before adding them to the casserole. I let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Use 16 oz (about half a standard 30 oz bag). I weigh mine because you can pack more into a cup when they’re thawed. Ore-Ida is labeled gluten-free.
• Red Bell Pepper – Adds sweetness and color. I sauté it with the ham and green onion for a few minutes so it’s tender before it goes into the casserole. Yellow or orange bell pepper works too.
• Green Onion – Adds a mild onion flavor to the casserole. You can use both the white and green parts of the green onion. I like to add some additional green onions on top as a garnish for added color, texture and flavor.
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese – I shred a block of cheese rather than using pre-shredded. Pre-shredded cheese has a coating that can affect how it melts. The cheese is divided: 1 1/2 cups gets mixed into the hash brown mixture and 1/2 cup goes on top before baking.
• Eggs – 12 large eggs (50g each) bind the casserole together and give it structure. If you use medium eggs, you may need a couple extra.
• Spices – I used a combination of salt, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic pepper. Ham is not pre-seasoned like some breakfast sausages are, so the spices are important to flavor the overall dish. Do not skimp on the spices, but feel free to change it up and use your favorites.

Variations

• Meat: Bacon or breakfast sausage both work in place of ham. Cook them all the way through first and skip the olive oil since both have enough fat to sauté the vegetables.
• Cheese: Monterey jack, pepper jack, swiss, or gouda all work. A mix of two cheeses is good too.
• Vegetables: Mushrooms, spinach, or diced onion are all easy swaps or additions. Sauté them first so they don’t release moisture into the casserole.

Use Leftovers

If you have leftover ham from the holidays, this is a great way to use up the leftovers. You’ll want about 1 lb of ham chopped up into small pieces. If you have other leftover meats, like sausage or bacon, feel free to add them to the casserole, too!

Recipe FAQs

Yes. Assemble everything up to the point of baking, cover the dish with foil, and refrigerate overnight. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking.

I don’t recommend it. Frozen hash browns release water as they bake and will make the casserole watery. Let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or thaw in the fridge overnight.

Generally all of the ingredients in breakfast casserole, like ham, eggs, cheese, and hash browns, are gluten-free. However, you may need to look for specific brands of hash browns and ham to ensure that your casserole is gluten-free as some brands can contain gluten.

Expert Tips

• Sauté the ham and vegetables before assembling. A few minutes in the skillet gives the ham some color and softens the bell pepper, which means more flavor in the finished casserole.
• Mix everything right in the skillet if it fits. Add the hash browns and cheese to the ham and vegetables in the skillet to save yourself a bowl. If it doesn’t fit, mix everything together directly in the baking dish.
• Don’t stir after pouring in the eggs. Just make sure the liquid is evenly distributed across the pan. The eggs will settle into all the gaps as it bakes.
• Tent with foil if the edges brown too fast. The casserole is done when the center is no longer jiggly and the top is golden brown. If the edges are getting ahead of the center, cover loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.

Storage Instructions

• Storage: Store leftover casserole in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
• Freezer Option: Cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap then foil. Freeze whole or in individual slices for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. You can also freeze individual slices of casserole in the same way.
• Reheat: Reheat a full casserole in the oven at 350F for 30-40 minutes, until the breakfast bake is heated through and the cheese is melted. Since the casserole is already baked, cover the dish with aluminum foil to prevent it from browning too much during reheating. You can also reheat individual slices in the oven, which will be much quicker to heat through. Alternatively, you can warm individual slices in the microwave for about 2 minutes for a quick breakfast in the morning.

Serving Suggestion

This is what I make when we have family staying over for the holidays or when I’m hosting brunch and want everything done before anyone wakes up. I’ll put this casserole in the center of the table with my gluten-free cinnamon rolls or a plate of gluten-free chocolate chip muffins for something sweet alongside it.

If I want a little more on the table, my chocolate chip coffee cake is easy to slice and serve and can be made the day before too. A pitcher of cranberry mimosas rounds everything out.