This easy gluten free breakfast casserole is hearty and satisfying that works for breakfast or brunch. You can make it ahead of time, and it's endlessly customizable.
It's made with my simple homemade GF pancake mix, frozen hash browns, eggs, milk and your favorite smokey meat. Mix things up and make a weekday breakfast or gluten-free brunch feel like a celebration, any time!
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What makes this gluten free breakfast casserole special?
This is one of my favorite breakfasts, since, aside from the fabulous taste and easy recipe, it's endlessly customizable. It's similar to a crustless quiche, but it has more structure, like a casserole.
Because the meal prep is so quick and easy, and you can make it the night before, this hearty gluten free breakfast casserole is a popular option for Christmas morning breakfast or brunch—or Thanksgiving breakfast.
You just mix it up the night before, get it out of the fridge and whack it in the oven the next morning et voila! A fabulously tasty gluten free holiday breakfast that'll keep the whole family going until your holiday dinner is served.
You can also serve it with a simple salad and it's a complete breakfast, brunch—or even dinner.This gluten free breakfast casserole ticks every single box.
Gluten Free Breakfast Casserole Recipe Notes and Variations
This cheesy hash brown breakfast casserole has a few essential elements:
- Frozen (or homemade) hash brown potatoes,
- Eggs,
- Milk,
- Gluten free pancake mix, and
- Shredded cheese.
The rest is up to you because those main 5 elements provide the base for your creativity. I highly recommend adding your favorite diced cured meat (ours is pancetta, which I buy already cubed), onions and mushrooms.
You could replace the mushrooms with any other sautéed vegetable, like diced sweet peppers or carrots. The yellow onion could be shallots or leeks instead.
Add green bell pepper, green onion, and chopped tomatoes for a colorful, savory gluten free breakfast. Add a little feta, or boost the flavor with a teaspoon of garlic powder and a teaspoon of onion powder, or a generous pinch of black pepper.
If you like heat, add chili or serve it packed with your favorite vegetables and pork sausage, with a side of hot sauce.
And, as always, the key to making a breakfast casserole gluten free is to pay careful attention to what you're putting in it. A lot of sausage products, whether they're cooked breakfast sausage or cured smokey sausages, often contain gluten, so pay special attention to the ingredients before you purchase or make sure they're labeled gluten free.
Do you have to use hash browns?
Yes, the hash browns are essential to this easy make ahead breakfast idea. This hash brown breakfast casserole is similar to a gluten free quiche, because it's made with a base of eggs, milk, and cheese. But the addition of pancake mix and hash brown potatoes make for a truly unique dish.
Once baked in the casserole, the potatoes provide a special creamy texture and flavor. I've made this recipe with both frozen hashbrowns, which are easy enough to find in any well-stocked grocery store (in the U.S. at least, Ore Ida brand is gluten free), and with homemade hash browns.
I've included instructions in the recipe below for how to make your own homemade hash browns. If you're going to make them homemade, make at least 5 pounds of potatoes, and then freeze what you don't use right away for a quick breakfast casserole another day.
Can I make this gluten free breakfast casserole dairy free, too?
Yes, like many gluten free breakfast recipes, with a couple of swaps, you can make this breakfast casserole gluten free and dairy free. But you really do need the egg mixture, so it won't be vegan. However, if you're intolerant to both gluten and dairy, then you can switch the dairy products for a high-quality dairy-free cheese and dairy-free milk.
Almond milk works well in a recipe like this, as it behaves similarly to dairy milk and doesn't leave an odd taste. You could try coconut milk, but it might result in a bit of a sweeter taste.
And for the cheese, you want something that melts well, which isn't always the case with dairy free cheese. So you might have to experiment a little until you find one that melts like regular cheese.
To get the right taste and texture, the cheese needs to melt evenly and cook into the casserole, not just clump and feel sticky. Try a good-quality grated cheddar cheese-style vegan alternative, as these are often designed to melt.
Can I use a packaged gluten free pancake mix to make this gf breakfast casserole?
Yes! I prefer to use my homemade gf pancake mix as the base of this recipe, and just measure out 200 grams for a single recipe, since I always have that mix on hand. It's so useful!
Plus, it's more cost effective and tastes better than all the store-bought options. But if you'd rather use a store-bought gf pancake mix, please click through to see my list of 8 brands of gf pancake mix to try!
FAQs
Yes, some hash browns are gluten free, but if you're going for store-bought ones, make sure you check the ingredients or that they're labeled gluten free. Sometimes, wheat flour is used to coat hash browns.
Even when it's not, unless the product is certified gluten free, it may have been processed in a factory that also handles gluten-containing products, so small amounts of gluten can cross-contaminate the hash browns. Hidden gluten is a serious consideration for those with celiac disease or a serious gluten sensitivity.
No, most breakfast casseroles are not gluten free because they're made with some sort of dry pancake mix like classic Bisquick, which is made with wheat flour. They are also often made with chunks of leftover bread. Here, we're using our own homemade gluten free pancake recipe mix, and hash brown potatoes, both of which are gluten free, so this is a gluten free breakfast casserole.
You can store gluten free breakfast casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. You can eat the leftovers cold or warm them up in the microwave or oven, making sure it's piping hot before you serve.
Tip: Sprinkle a little cheese on the top before you warm it up for some extra savory, comforting flavor and texture!
No! This casserole is so versatile, you can use whatever meat you like. Try removing sausage from its casing and cooking it down at the start of the recipe in place of the bacon or pancetta. If you have leftover ham, you can add that in step 8, when you would be adding back the pancetta you had cooked.
Yes, you can make this recipe ahead of time. Prepare the entire dish, leave it in the casserole dish in the refrigerator overnight, then bake it the next day. Yes, you'll end up with thawed hash browns in the raw mix, but that's fine – it won't affect the end result at all.
First, wash, dry, and pierce about 2 pounds of Idaho potatoes. Place them on a microwave-safe dish and microwave on high power (or 80% power if your microwave is really high power, like 1200 watts) for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. They should still be somewhat raw. A fork should pierce the flesh readily, but not very easily. Allow the potatoes to cool, then peel and shred on a box grater. Use as you would the frozen potatoes.
Yes, you can use frozen hash brown potatoes in place of hash browns (if you can find them; they tend to be difficult to find) or even frozen tater tots.
Yes, you can freeze this gluten free breakfast casserole before baking. Keep it wrapped up tightly in the freezer. Just be sure that your hash browns are still frozen, since thawed and refrozen food tends to get icy and develop freezer burn.
No, you don't have to refrigerate a gluten free breakfast casserole before you bake it. It's just an option so you can prepare the dish ahead of time and bake it without having to do any cooking right before.
Yes, you can add more vegetables to this recipe to make it meatless, but just be sure that you cook off as much extra moisture as possible so your casserole isn't watery. Try adding some baby bella mushrooms, since they have a really delicious, meaty umami quality that gives this recipe plenty of depth of flavor. Or try adding some of the Impossible “beef meat from plants.”
Gluten Free Breakfast Casserole | Hearty & Satisfying
Ingredients
- 6 ounces cubed pancetta or diced bacon
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion peeled and diced
- 8 ounces white or baby bella mushrooms sliced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cups (10 fluid ounces) whole milk at room temperature
- 3 (150 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups (200 g) homemade dry gluten free pancake mix
- 3 cups (240 g) frozen hash brown potatoes (See Recipe Notes)
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch x 12-inch baking dish and set it aside.
- In a medium, heavy-bottom sauté pan, cook the cubed pancetta or diced bacon over medium-high heat until the fat is rendered and the meat is cooked through.
- Remove the cooked meat from the pan, leaving behind any rendered fat. If you’ve used cubed pancetta, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. If bacon, add just 1 tablespoon of oil.
- Add the diced onion, sliced mushrooms and the salt to the pan, and stir to combine.
- Cover the pan and cook until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are tender (about 6 minutes).
- In a large bowl, place the milk and eggs, and whisk to combine well. Add the dry pancake mix and whisk until smooth.
- Add the hash brown potatoes and about 6 ounces of the shredded cheese, and mix to combine.
- Add the cooked pancetta or bacon, and the cooked onion and mushrooms, and mix gently to combine.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Scatter the remaining shredded cheese evenly on top.
Make Ahead Option
- At this point, the dish can be covered tightly with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator overnight. Uncover and allow to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before baking the next morning.
Bake the breakfast casserole
- Place the baking dish in the center of the preheated oven and bake until lightly golden brown on top, and firm to the touch (about 35 minutes). Remove from the oven and allow to set for 5 minutes before slicing and serving warm.
Notes
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Thanks for stopping by!
Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
Paulina Storey says
Hi, Nicole, I love your site & love your pie crust recipe among other delicious recipes I’ve made from your large cache of your tried & true goodies.have you had success with making a French Bread baguette? Thank you for awesome instructions…so helpful. ps, I ordered your cookbook #1 just for your pie crust recipe. Unfortunately your ‘updated’ pie crust I ♥️ was not in your #1 book☹️. This should be mentioned or coded (perhaps along side the recipe on your site. Somehow (?). Just a suggestion. Not complaining. Thanks, again! ~Paulina
Nicole Hunn says
The cookbooks are not a reflection of the blog, and vice versa, Paulina. Feel free to just use the free recipes on the site.
Laura says
I did a trial run (1/2 recipe) thinking I might use it for a Holiday brunch. I found it to be quite sweet though! Maybe using GF Bisquick would be better than GF pancake mix, since the Bisquick doesn’t have sugar in it. Have you tried it with GF Bisquick? Or with homemade GF pancake cake mix made WITHOUT the sugar?
Nicole Hunn says
GF Bisquick, the actual brand, is a gritty blend and sugar is the second ingredient. It just sounds like this recipe isn’t for you, Laura.
Carol says
I do not see any nutritional information since I am on a point system. It would be nice to see how many calories per serving etc like many other recipes have for this is important.
Nicole Hunn says
Carol, I’m afraid I don’t have nutritional information for most of my posts. Feel free to plug the recipe into an online nutrition calculator for approximate information.
Nick Belfiglio says
9X12 baking dish and only 6 servings? Seems like it would be very thin. Or is it more of an “egg muffin” than a traditional egg casserole?
Nicole Hunn says
No, it’s a casserole, Nick. You can see the photos for thickness.
Diane says
Made this ahead to serve to my family for brunch on Sunday following the early service at church. It will be a new go-to recipe. I needed more than 6 servings, so added an extra egg, and increased milk and pancake mix to 1 2/3 cups each. This required a longer baking time of 45-50 minutes. Thank you for another delicious recipe!
Nicole Hunn says
That’s awesome, Diane! In the future, you can actually adjust the yield in the recipe card to increase it, and it will increase all the ingredients proportionately. I hope that helps, and thank you for letting me know how well it worked for you!
Ratchell L Picking says
Do you have glutin free bread recipes for bread machine. I just bought a new bread machine and want to use it only for glutin free recipes.
Nicole Hunn says
I don’t use or recommend baking bread in a bread machine, Ratchell. They differ so significnally from brand to brand that you would need a different recipe for each brand.
Jennifer S. says
You know what we love in egg bakes? Green chili’s!!! Adds wonderful flavor!
Georgia Wild says
I just made this for the family and everyone agreed it was the “bomb!” I misread the amount of pancake mix to just the 1/4 cup (not seeing the 1 in front of it) but I don’t think it hurt the outcome at all. Thanks for another great recipe!
William Lucas says
Could this be cooked in the crockpot?