I’ve been eating and making this Ham Egg and Cheese Bake since I was a kid, and over the years I’ve perfected it for weekend brunches and family breakfasts. It’s a reliable, from-scratch recipe that’s easy, comforting, and designed to work every time.
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This post was originally posted on 02/14/2017 and updated on 5/19/2025.
One reader, Melanie, commented: "⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Have made this a couple of times for our construction crew and it is a really big hit every time! I did it with ham the first time, bacon the second time. I am currently making it again, but with bacon, green peppers and onion. I have been prepping it completely the night before and just throwing it in the oven in the morning and I have not had any issues with it being runny."
Another reader, Amanda, wrote: "Made this for a church pot luck. The pan was empty. I would make it again. Very good and easy."
Why We Love This Easy Egg Bake
- Simple, Familiar Ingredients: Uses pantry and freezer staples like hashbrowns, cheese, ham, eggs, and milk. Nothing fancy or hard to find.
- Minimal Effort: Just a few quick steps, and no complicated prep, chopping, or extra dishes.
- Family Tradition: It’s a time-tested recipe that’s been perfected over generations, offering real homemade comfort.
- Crowd-Pleaser: Perfect for family gatherings, holidays, brunches, or even casual weeknight dinners. Everyone loves it.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: Easy to prep the night before and bake fresh in the morning, saving time on busy days.
- Versatile: You can swap the ham for sausage, bacon, or veggies to suit different tastes and dietary needs.
- Feeds a Crowd: Makes a big panful, ideal for feeding a hungry group without doubling the recipe.
- Comfort Food Classic: Warm, cheesy, and savory. Everything people crave from a homemade breakfast or brunch dish.
Egg Bake Casserole Ingredients
- Frozen Hashbrowns
- Shredded Co-Jack Cheese
- Diced Ham
- Large Eggs
- Milk
- Salt
- Black Pepper
Substitution Suggestions
- Hashbrowns: Instead of hashbrowns you can use frozen country style potatoes or diced hashbrowns with the onions and peppers.
- Co-Jack Cheese: Substitute your favorite cheese or use a combination of cheeses. Sharp cheddar, pepper jack, and Monterey jack are some of my favorites.
- Ham: I prefer ham in this dish to any other breakfast meat because it's my favorite. However, any breakfast meat like bacon and sausage are really good in this recipe too! Pre-cook the meat prior to assembling the egg bake.
How to Make Ham Egg and Cheese Bake
- First, preheat oven to 350°F and grease a deep 9x13 baking dish.
- Next, add the frozen hashbrowns to the bottom of the dish. Season them with salt and black pepper.
- Now, layer half of the cheese on top of the seasoned hashbrowns followed by the diced ham. Spread the ham out into an even layer.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs until smooth and pour it over the ham and hashbrowns.
- Then top with the remaining shredded cheese.
- Lastly, bake in preheated oven for 55-65 minutes, until golden brown and a butter knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let rest for 10 minutes, then slice and serve!
Easy Egg Bake Variations and Add Ins
Veggies: Onions, bell peppers, mushrooms are popular go tos. You could also use spinach, broccoli, kale, zucchini, or give it a little kick with some jalapeno. You'll want about 2 cups of veggies, choose your favorites! Then sauté them in some butter or oil until soft before assembling the egg bake. This will allow moisture to be released which will prevent the egg bake from being runny. If adding veggies with the meat, I would reduce the amount of meat you add to only around 1 cup. If only using veggies, use around 4 cups. Measure them before sautéing.
Meat: We use ham most often because it's my favorite. I have made this with bacon and breakfast sausage too and it's just as delicious. A combination of them is also really good. Pre-cook the bacon or sausage and drain any grease before assembling the egg bake.
What to Serve with Ham Egg and Cheese Bake
My favorite thing to serve with this egg casserole is a simple side of toast and a piece of fruit. It's a hearty meal and doesn't need a lot of sides. If you're hosting a brunch or entertaining family here are some favorite sides:
- Bowl of Fruit Salad
- Easy Homemade Bagels
- Sheet Pan Pancakes
- Creamy Fruit Salad
- Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
- Chocolate Chip Scones
For an even easier make ahead breakfast casserole don't miss this Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole recipe!
Storing Egg Bake Casserole
Storing: Leftover egg bake (if there is any) will last 3-4 days in the fridge in an air tight container.
Freezing: Place pieces of egg bake in a freezer safe airtight container or freezer bag. Label, date and freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Reheating: Reheat the egg bake in a low oven covered with foil or in the microwave until warmed through.
Heather's Favorite Tools for this Recipe
- I love Pyrex baking dishes and CorningWare baking dishes.
- These glass measuring cups from Pyrex are my favorite to use when measuring liquids!
- A simple box grater is perfect for shredding your own cheese.
- This deep skillet or cast iron skillet are great for sautéing veggies or meat.
What are some different egg dishes?
There are so many different ways to make eggs: fried, boiled, poached (my favorite), omelets and so much more. Here are some of my family's favorite egg dishes:
- Mini Ham & Cheese Frittatas
- Egg In A Hole
- Hard Boiled Eggs
- Ham & Cheese Oven Omelet
- Freezer Breakfast Sandwiches
- Tator Tot Egg Bake
Tips for Egg Bake Casserole
- Shred your own cheese. It will melt easier and create a better texture. The pre-shredded cheese does not melt well and can leave a grainy texture.
- Whisk those eggs well! You want the egg bake to come out fluffy so the eggs need to beaten until all the whites and yolks are smooth.
- Make it ahead. You can prep all the ingredients and store them in the fridge and assemble the egg bake before baking. Or you can assemble the egg bake the night before and store covered in the fridge. Let the casserole sit at room temperature while the oven preheats and then bake as recipe says.
FAQs About Ham Egg and Cheese Bake
My tried and true way to check for doneness is to insert the tip of a butter knife into the center and all the way to the bottom of the dish. If the knife comes out clean then the egg bake is finished, but if the knife has some liquid or looks wet when it comes out, it is not fully cooked.
If your egg bake turns out runny it is usually from excess moisture being released into the egg bake, usually from any added vegetables. To prevent this, sauté the vegetables and any dense meats before assembling the egg bake.
Yes! This is a great recipe to prep ahead of time. Prep all the ingredients and store them in the fridge overnight, then assemble the egg bake in the morning and bake.
More Breakfast and Brunch Ideas:
- Chocolate Chip Waffles
- Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes
- How to Bake Bacon
- Chocolate Pancakes
- French Toast Casserole
- Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
- Classic French Toast
- Banana Belgian Waffles
Did you make this recipe? Rate it!
If you enjoyed this recipe give it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comments below. It really helps the recipe stand out and I appreciate the feedback to make recipes everyone will enjoy.
Ham Egg and Cheese Bake
Ingredients
- 30 oz bag frozen shredded hash browns, approx 2 lbs or any bag 26-32 oz
- 12 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups shredded co-jack cheese
- 2 cup diced ham
- Salt, to taste
- Black Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 deep baking or casserole dish.
- Pour the hashbrowns in the baking dish and spread out into even layer.
- Lightly salt and pepper the hashbrowns.
- Sprinkle one cup of the cheese over the hashbrowns.
- Sprinkle the ham over the cheese.
- In a large bowl, beat the 12 eggs.
- Stir in milk and a little more salt and pepper.
- Pour the egg and milk mix over the hashbrowns and ham.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes or until deep golden brown and a butter knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let rest 10 minutes, then slice and serve.
Patty Nikolich says
Love, love ,love this egg bake ! Enjoyed the simplicity and all the variations !
So delicious!
It’s a family favorite !
Heather says
I'm so happy to here this!! Thank you so much!
Melanie says
Have made this a couple of times for our construction crew and it is a really big hit every time! I did it with ham the first time, bacon the second time. I am currently making it again, but with bacon, green peppers and onion. I have been prepping it completely the night before and just throwing it in the oven in the morning and I have not had any issues with it being runny.
Heather says
That's great!!! Thank you!!!
Maria says
Can I use reduced milk? Or does it need to be whole milk?
Heather says
Yes you can use reduced fat milk. Whole milk makes it richer but any milk will work.
Linda says
I tried this it turned out great everyone loved it. I added green pepper and onion next time i am going to add crumbled bacon with the green pepper onion and ham!!
Heather says
Yum, that sounds delicious!!! So glad everyone loved it!! 🙂
Samantha says
I never leave reviews but for this I had too. Safe to say Worst Egg bake I have ever had. To start it says use 2lbs of frozen Hash browns, that is not even possible to use that much, so I used a little less than 1lb. Putting together was easy enough, baked it and instead of 1 hour I had to bake it for 1hour and 40 minutes cause it was so dang liquidity because of the frozen Hash browns. And since I had to cook it so long to get all the liquid out, it now tastes like mush. The potatoes are overcooked, but I couldn't take it out sooner cause of how liquidity it was. Not gonna make this recipe again. I mean it's an egg bake, it's hard to mess up but this recipe somehow did.
Heather Warburton says
Sorry to hear this. However, it is possible to use 2 lbs of hashbrowns. I use that amount every time I make this. Maybe your baking dish was too small or shallow which would result in a longer bake time. Or possibly too much milk was added.
Samantha says
2lbs of hashbrowns? Is that correct? I tried using 1lb and it still seemed way to much so I took some out even. Is it supposed to be 20oz of Hash browns?
Heather Warburton says
Yes it is correct. Any bag of frozen hashbrowns from 26-32 oz will work just fine.
louise says
hi there! do you think it would be possible to use dehydrated hashbrowns? like hydrate then add? fully cooke then add? trying to use what i already have. thanks!
Heather Warburton says
Yes! Hydrate them first, then follow the recipe. Enjoy!
Birgit says
Hello, is this recipe gluten free?
Thank you very much!
Heather Warburton says
Yes it should be. Double check your ingredients you buy to verify there isn't any hidden gluten in them.
Katu says
How deep of a baking dish do you need? Thanks!
Heather Warburton says
At least 2 inches deep.
Becky says
This might be a silly question, but do you let the hashbrowns the before adding them to the pan? Or is it okay to leave frozen?
Becky says
That was supposed to say thaw.
Heather Warburton says
I add them frozen. Enjoy!
Becky Bankus says
Thank you. I see the recipe says add frozen hashbrowns. Can't wait to try!
Tina says
can you make this the night before and then just bake in morning
Heather Warburton says
To make this ahead of time, I prep all the ingredients ahead of time and then assemble it quick in the morning before I bake it. Hope that helps!
Joyce says
Was very good!!!