This easy recipe for Sausage, Egg, Cheese, and Hash Brown Breakfast Muffins will make you look like a morning person, even if you’re like me, still half asleep and sipping your coffee with one eye open.
These savory, cheesy muffins are loaded with all your breakfast favorites in one cute, handheld package: crispy hash browns, crumbled sausage, melty cheese, cottage cheese, and fluffy eggs. And best of all? You can make them ahead, freeze them, and pop one in the microwave on a busy morning.
Whether you’re hosting brunch, feeding overnight guests, or just trying to keep your weekday breakfast from being a granola bar and regret, these muffins, like my Grilled Egg and Cheese Sandwiches and my Avocado Cottage Cheese Toast, are here to save the day.
I want to give special thanks to my sister, Chula, and the Pudge Factor blog for sharing this recipe with me so I could share it with you.
Jump to:
- A quick look at the recipe
- Why you’ll love this recipe (and make it again and again)
- Ingredient notes and smart swaps
- How to make the best sausage, egg, cheese, and hash brown breakfast muffins
- What to serve with sausage, egg, cheese, and hash brown breakfast muffins
- Fun twists and tasty variations
- Shortcut to breakfast (time-saving tips)
- Storing and reheating (keep it fresh!)
- Breakfast and then some (reimagining leftovers)
- Make it ahead (plan and prep tips)
- Recipe FAQs (common questions answered!)
- Pro tips for foolproof results
- Try this recipe and let me know what you think
- Sausage, Egg, Cheese, and Hash Brown Breakfast Muffins Recipe
A quick look at the recipe
- ✅ Ready in: 55 minutes
- 🛒 Ingredients: 9 simple ingredients
- 🍽️ Yield: 12 breakfast muffins
- 👩🍳 Difficulty: Easy → “No-Fuss Favorite”
- 🧊 Make-Ahead Friendly: Yes
Why you’ll love this recipe (and make it again and again)
- Meal prep friendly – These freeze beautifully, make excellent leftovers, and reheat like a dream.
- Comfort food – Hash browns, sausage, cheese, and eggs in one bite? Yes, please!
- Grab-and-go breakfast – Perfect for busy mornings, road trips, or lunchboxes.
Ingredient notes and smart swaps
Here’s a quick rundown of the key players and how you can mix things up. The recipe card below provides a complete list of all ingredients and measurements.
- Breakfast sausage – I used Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage for a little zip, but any bulk sausage works, including turkey or mild varieties.
- Hash browns – Refrigerated shredded hash browns are easiest, but thawed frozen ones work too—just squeeze out any moisture.
- Cottage cheese – Adds creaminess and protein. I used small curd 4%, but regular curd is fine.
- Cheese – A blend of extra-sharp Cheddar and Swiss adds depth. You can sub in sharp Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or anything that melts well.
- Onion – Fresh chopped onion sautéed with the sausage adds great flavor, but you could swap in scallions or even bell pepper.
How to make the best sausage, egg, cheese, and hash brown breakfast muffins
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray a 12-cup regular muffin tin generously with nonstick spray.
- Brown the sausage in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it up into crumbles. Drain well on paper towels.
- Sauté the onions in the same skillet until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Blend the egg mixture – In a food processor with a steel blade, pulse together eggs and cottage cheese five times to combine.
- Add in the goodness – Add hash browns, both cheeses, cooked sausage, onions, salt, and pepper to the food processor. Pulse five more times to mix.
- Fill the muffin cups with about a third of a cup of the mixture per muffin.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes or until the muffins' internal temperature reaches 160°F to ensure they’re fully cooked and safe to eat as measured by an instant-read meat thermometer.
- Cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing. Serve warm or let cool completely before storing.
What to serve with sausage, egg, cheese, and hash brown breakfast muffins
These muffins are a full breakfast on their own, but here are some tasty pairings:
- Ambrosia or fruit cocktail salad
- A side of honey butter cornmeal biscuits
- A spoonful of salsa, sour cream, or pico de gallo on top
- A cup of coffee or sweet iced tea, of course!
Fun twists and tasty variations
- Bacon lovers – Swap the sausage for crumbled cooked bacon.
- Veggie-packed – Add sautéed mushrooms, bell peppers, or spinach.
- Cheese it up – Try Gouda, Pepper Jack, or a Mexican blend for a new flavor.
Shortcut to breakfast (time-saving tips)
- Chop your onion the day before and store it in a zip-top bag in the fridge. Or, use purchased chopped frozen onions.
- Brown the sausage and onions ahead of time and freeze them in portioned bags for future use.
Storing and reheating (keep it fresh!)
- Fridge – Let muffins cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer – Freeze on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Keeps well up to 3 months.
- To reheat – Microwave 1 muffin for 30–45 seconds or warm in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes.
Breakfast and then some (reimagining leftovers)
Turn leftovers into:
- Breakfast sliders – Split muffins and serve on mini buns with a dollop of spicy mayo.
- Breakfast bowls – Chop up a muffin or two and toss with scrambled eggs and sautéed veggies.
- Taco filling – Crumble into a tortilla with hot sauce and avocado for a breakfast taco twist.
Make it ahead (plan and prep tips)
You can make the entire recipe ahead and store the cooked muffins in the fridge or freezer. Or:
- Prep and cook the sausage and onions a day or two ahead.
- Blend the egg mixture and refrigerate separately.
- Assemble and bake fresh when ready—or bake the whole batch and reheat as needed.
Recipe FAQs (common questions answered!)
Yes! Spray a casserole dish with nonstick spray and bake the mixture uncovered at 350°F for 30–35 minutes.
Absolutely—any good melting cheese like Monterey Jack, Colby, or Pepper Jack will work.
Yes! Make them ahead and store them in the fridge or freezer. Reheat as needed.
Definitely! Use ½ pound of cooked, crumbled bacon.
Pro tips for foolproof results
- Grease your pan well – These muffins like to stick if you don’t.
- Use a food processor – It gives the egg mixture a fluffier texture and blends ingredients evenly.
- To tell when the muffins are done - Insert an instant-read thermometer into the center of one of the muffins—not touching the pan—to check the internal temperature. They should also be firm to the touch and not jiggly in the middle.
- Let them cool a bit before removing – This helps them hold their shape and makes them easier to pop out.
- Don’t overbake – Keep an eye toward the end so they stay tender and moist.
- Eat them hot or warm - They’re still tasty cold—great for road trips or lunchboxes but they are at their best warm.
Try this recipe and let me know what you think
⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to know how it turned out!
Did you give it your own twist or have a shortcut that made it even easier? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave a star rating. Your feedback helps others (and totally makes my day).
Thanks so much for visiting Practical Southern Cooking! I hope you’ll stop by again soon for more no-fuss comfort food and simple Southern favorites.
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Sausage, Egg, Cheese, and Hash Brown Breakfast Muffins Recipe
Equipment
- Food processor with a steel blade
- 12 cup regular muffin pan
Ingredients
- ½ pound 8 ounces breakfast sausage
- ½ cup 3 ounces chopped onion (½ medium onion)
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup 6 ounces 4% cottage cheese
- 2 cups 9 ounces refrigerated hash browns
- 1 cup 4 ounces shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
- ¾ cup 3 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray the cups of a 12-cup regular muffin pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Cook and crumble sausage over medium heat until done, about 10 minutes. Drain well on paper towels.
- Sauté onions over medium heat in the same pan used to cook the sausage until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add eggs and cottage cheese to a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse process five times to combine. Add hash browns, Cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, drained sausage, onions, salt, and pepper. Pulse process five times to combine.
- Add a third of a cup of egg mixture to cups of regular muffin pan. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until the muffins' internal temperature reaches 160°F to ensure they’re fully cooked and safe to eat as measured by an instant-read meat thermometer.
- Remove the egg muffins from the oven and allow them to cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the muffin pan.
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