Instant Pot Wake Up Casserole—a most delicious breakfast casserole that will make you want to wake up in the morning. Pepper jack cheese and pickled jalapenos make this casserole pop!
Note: the SLOW COOKER instructions are in the recipe card below

Instant Pot Wake Up Casserole (video)
I absolutely loved this breakfast casserole. We had it back to back nights and didn’t get bored of it. It’s quick to put together and has lots of tasty flavors thanks to cubes of ham, pickled jalapenos, pepper jack cheese, bell peppers and green onions. Try it out for breakfast or dinner this week!
Watch my YouTube video of me making the casserole to see how the pot-in-pot method works. I’d love it if you’d subscribe to my channel. This video is a bit shaky thanks to my 12 year old son’s filming skills. So sorry about that! I’ll do better next time.
Where to find the jalapenos? My brother-in-law introduced me to the jarred, tamed, pickled jalapenos this summer and they have been a game changer. They are about the same spiciness of a banana pepper. They give an awesome pop to dishes like this one without being crazy hot. I love them so much. You can get them in the pickle aisle, usually they are on the top shelf.
Why Greek yogurt? The yogurt adds a bit of tanginess and makes this casserole fluffy! Kind of like what cottage cheese does for egg bites. I like to make homemade yogurt in my Instant Pot every couple of weeks.
What to top the casserole with? I loved using a few drops of Tabasco sauce. Another option that Greg used was Pace Picante Sauce. Skyler likes ketchup. To each their own!

More Instant Pot Breakfast Recipes…
Instant Pot Lumberjack Breakfast
Instant Pot Amish Breakfast Casserole
Instant Pot Christmas Morning Breakfast Casserole
Instant Pot Garth Brooks’ Breakfast Bowl
Instant Pot Breakfast Burritos
Instant Pot Bacon Egg Casserole

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Instant Pot Wake Up Casserole
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
A most delicious breakfast casserole that will make you want to wake up in the morning. Pepper jack cheese and pickled jalapenos make this casserole pop!
Ingredients
Equipment needed: pan for pot-in-pot cooking and sling/trivet
- 3 cups frozen hashbrowns
- Pinch of garlic salt
- 3/4 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- 1 cup diced ham
- 1/4 cup diced green onions
- 1/3 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1/3 cup pickled tame jalapenos
- 5 eggs
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Spray a pan that fits inside your Instant Pot with non stick cooking spray (I used this Fat daddios pan: 7 inch by 3 inch*).
- Add the hashbrowns into the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the hashbrowns with garlic salt.
- Layer the pepper jack cheese, ham, green onions, red bell peppers and jalapenos on top.
- Beat the eggs, salt and pepper and Greek yogurt together. Pour the mixture over the top.
- Place a paper towel on top of the pan and secure it with foil. Place the pan on top of a trivet.
- Pour 1 cup water into bottom of Instant Pot. Lower the pan into the Instant Pot.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 30 minutes. When time is up let the pot sit for 5 minutes and then move the valve to venting. Remove the lid, pan, foil and paper towel.
- Serve breakfast casserole with tabasco sauce.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Add the hashbrowns into the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle the hashbrowns with garlic salt.
- Layer the pepper jack cheese, ham, green onions, red bell peppers and jalapenos on top.
- Beat the eggs, salt and pepper and Greek yogurt together. Pour the mixture over the top.
- Place a paper towel on top of the slow cooker and secure the paper towel with the lid.
- Cook on high for 90 minutes to 3 hours.
- Serve breakfast casserole with tabasco sauce.
Notes
I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*.
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Instant Pot

*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Delicious. Love the tame jalapenos. Your son does a great job. We all have to learn from the beginning. 👍😊
★★★★★
❤️️❤️️❤️️
I made the wake up breakfast this morning and my wife says it is definitely a keeper.
★★★★★
Lucky wife! Good job Phil! 😊
Hi Karen,
We had this last night and it was very good. I had everything, so I followed the recipe as written and it worked out perfectly! Very yummy and it was also more substantial than I thought it be! Thank you for the great recipe. My cook time also worked out perfectly for me and I do not like runny eggs. 🙂
★★★★★
Glad to hear it! Thanks Sue!
Hi Karen, I am actually trying to ask an unrelated question. I’ve been searching (unsuccessfully) on how to prepare freeze-dried survival food/meals from buckets or cans using the Instant Pot. I’ve been cooking family meals in my large Presto pressure canners for decades. I’ve been following you since you first came on the scene with your awesome slow cooking site. (You have not aged a bit!!!) I know I could probably run a few experiments on using my Instant Pot for the freeze-dried chili mac, etc., but maybe I’m not the only one that would like this info. And so I come to you! Thank you for any advice. Love from another Karen (in Washington State.)
★★★★★
I wish I had info for you! I really don’t have any experience with freeze dried foods at all. My guess would be half as good as yours. if you do try it let me know how it goes.
I made this. It was good. I followed the directions and cooked for 30 minutes. It came out runny. How much longer do you think I should try
I’d try another 5-10 minutes
Loved this!!! I used fresh (okay – maybe on their last leg) red potatoes and diced them up in place of the hash browns. I not a fan of bell peppers or pickled jalapenos so I used flame roasted green chili in place of them. After the 30 minutes of high pressure, I felt it was still a bit too runny for me inside, so I set it in my air crisper for 12 minutes. It was perfect! The cheese on top had a chance to crisp up a bit and the green chili smell was devine! Thank You!
★★★★★
Awesome! Glad you made it work with what you had!
I was hoping to omit potatoes, too. Possibly substitute grated/shredded zucchini on the bottom?
Yes try that. It would tasty yummy!
If i prepare this the night before, when i put in the IP, should i increase the cooking time from 30 minutes, to maybe 40 or 50?
Yes you will probably want to increase cooking time…I’d add 10 extra minutes.
Do you have a link to where one can purchase the exact pot and sling that your using in the video? Maybe you already posted this and I just didn’t see it? Thank you
Fat daddios pan*: 7 inch by 3 inch http://amzn.to/2EH7OR8
OXO sling*: https://amzn.to/2STGtEX
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
This was a good rainy Sunday morning breakfast. I used a diced poblano pepper instead of pickled jalapeno and that gave it a little kick. I did find it needed more cooking time after coming out of the IP so I baked it for 20 minutes or so at 375 degrees to firm it up.
★★★★★
Glad it worked out in the end Chris!
Can I use cooked sausage links instead of ham? If so how many? I was going to slice them in quarters.
I feel blessed to have found your site and always send your link to my friends ! (Bragging on your behalf)
God bless you with success for all the work you put in to each recipe and then share it with us! 🙏🏻❤️…Deb in Florida
I think that would be amazing Deb!
Can I use can Ortega chili’s? Husband won’t eat anything to spicy or hot.
Also is there a way I can find your answers for recipe, that I ask question on. Ok , I forget where I ask them. I have 2 questions out there , can’t find which recipe I did it on.
Is there a setting for messages to post to my email? Or your site?
There is a little check box when you comment that allows my answers to be emailed to you. And yes ortega chilis will be tasty!
Would it work without the potatoes? I can’t have high carb foods, they spike my blood sugar too high.
Yes I think it would be fine.
I HAVEN’T MADE THIS RECIPE YET BUT PLAN ON MAKING IT. WHAT CAN I USE FOR A SUBSTITUTE FOR THE YOGURT? MAY I USE ALMOND MILK INSTEAD. I AM LACTOSE SENSTIVE. WOULD LOVE A REPLY BACK. LOVE YOUR RECIPES
THANKS SO MUCH!!
DEBBIE
Sure try almond milk!
Thanks so much Karen, I plan to try this recipe Wednesday night for Supper. I got my pan and sling today. Love your viedeos.
Thanks again,
Debbie I will let you know how it turns out using the almond milk
How did it turn out?
IT TURNED OUT GREAT!! I USED 1/2 CUP ALMOND MILK. MY HUSBAND LOVED IT TOO. I MADE IT INTO 2 SERVINGS. AND IT MADE IT 6 SPTS ON BLUE ON WEIGHT WATCHERS.
THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR HELP
★★★★★
SO GREAT!!!