Kentucky Derby Casserole

Kentucky Derby Casserole–an easy baked hashbrown and chicken casserole with two types of cheese and savory eggs. Perfect for a breakfast-for-dinner kind of meal.

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Kentucky Derby Casserole

Today’s recipe is adapted from Kentucky Derby Egg Casserole on Semi Sweet Tooth. The author states, “After living near the South for seven years, I quickly fell in love with the Kentucky Derby traditions. It’s the first weekend in May, but the Derby holiday season lasts for a full week.  While I now live several states west, the season rolls on.  One of the traditions that I’ll never leave (by choice) is getting together with a great group to watch the race and sing, ‘My Old Kentucky Home.’ In getting together with friends for this daytime celebration, a favorite dish to bring to the party is our Mama’s Egg Casserole.  It’s easy to make, filled with (primarily) healthy ingredients, and is a certain crowd pleaser!” My daughter is living in Kentucky right now so I thought I would make this recipe in honor of her. I loved how simple this one was to throw together. The eggs hold everything together into sliceable squares. It’s great hot out of the oven or reheated the next day for an easy grab-and-go breakfast. You can get creative with addition add-ins like bacon crumbles, chopped veggies like peppers and swap out the mozzarella and use a spicy pepper jack instead.

Ingredients/Substitution Ideas

• Hashbrowns–shredded or cubes
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• Cooked chicken–cubed or shredded. You can also use sausage crumbles, ham cubes or bacon crumbles.
• Cheddar–I used sharp
• Mozzarella–I like whole milk Tillamook mozzarella cheese. You can also use pepper jack for more flavor
• Eggs
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Smoked paprika
• Milk–or cream, sour cream, cottage cheese
• Green onion

Steps

Heat oven to 350° F. Spray a 8×8 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Add the hashbrowns into the pan and sprinkle with ½ tsp kosher salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. 

Spread chicken evenly over the top. Then sprinkle cheddar and mozzarella over the top.

In a bowl whisk together the eggs, ¼ tsp kosher salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, milk and green onion. Pour the mixture over the top of the cheeses. (At this point you can bake right away or you can refrigerate for a few hours).

Bake for 45 minutes if using a metal pan, 60 minutes if using a glass pan. Slice and serve. 

Notes/Tips

• Serve with fresh fruit or orange juice and whole wheat toast with jam. I love the raspberry spread from Costco on my toast! Greg likes a little salsa on his breakfast casserole.
• This recipe is easy to double. Double ingredients and bake in a 9×13 inch pan. 
• I used my Nordic Ware* Naturals Aluminum Commercial 8″ x 8″ Square Cake Pan that will never rust.
• You can use frozen or refrigerated hashbrowns.
• Swap the chicken for cooked sausage, bacon, or ham if you want to change up the flavor. You may want to reduce the salt in the recipe if you use these salty meats.
• Add a handful of diced peppers or spinach for extra color and veggies.
• If you’re making it ahead, refrigerate covered for up to 24 hours before baking.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Other recipes you can make with mozzarella are Instant Pot Dump and Go Meatball Lasagna and Instant Pot Caprese Chicken.

Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for. 

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*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.