This little 4‑ingredient breakfast casserole is the kind of dish that shows up on church basement tables and farm kitchen counters all over the Midwest. It’s the sort of make-ahead breakfast you’d find waiting, warm and welcoming, after morning chores or a long drive in from the fields. My mother used to tuck something like this into the oven on cold Sundays, so by the time we were home from church, the house smelled like sausage and eggs and everything felt right with the world again. You might make this when company’s staying over, when you want to feed a hungry bunch without fussing at the stove, or simply when you’d like breakfast to feel a little more like a family gathering and a little less like a weekday scramble.

This casserole is hearty enough to stand on its own, but it shines even brighter with a few simple sides. I like to set it out with a bowl of fresh fruit—orange slices, grapes, or whatever’s in season—to bring a bit of brightness to the plate. Toast or warm biscuits with butter and jam feel right at home next to it, especially on a chilly morning. If you’re feeding a bigger crowd, a pan of cinnamon rolls or a simple coffee cake, plus a big pot of coffee and a pitcher of orange juice, turns this into the kind of farmhouse breakfast that lingers into late morning.

Servings: 6–8 servings

1 pound breakfast sausage (pork, mild or hot, casings removed if linked)
6 large eggs
2 cups milk (whole or 2%)
5 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes (about 16 ounces), thawed slightly

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the breakfast sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through. Drain off any excess grease.

Spread the shredded hash browns evenly in the prepared baking dish, gently pressing them into an even layer.

Scatter the cooked sausage evenly over the hash browns so every scoop will get a bit of everything.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk until well blended and slightly frothy. Add a pinch of salt and pepper if you like, though it’s optional and not counted among the four ingredients.

Pour the egg and milk mixture evenly over the sausage and hash browns, tilting the pan gently if needed to help it settle into all the corners.

Bake, uncovered, for 40–45 minutes, or until the top is set, lightly golden around the edges, and a knife inserted in the center comes out mostly clean (a little moisture is fine, but it shouldn’t be runny).

Let the casserole rest for about 5–10 minutes before cutting into squares. This helps it firm up and makes for neater slices. Serve warm.

This simple base is the kind of recipe farm cooks have been quietly tinkering with for generations. If you’d like a little more richness, you can stir in 1 to 2 cups of shredded cheese (cheddar, Colby, or whatever you have on hand) over the sausage before you pour on the eggs. For a lighter version, use turkey sausage and 1% milk; just season a bit more generously with salt and pepper. If you prefer a bread-style bake like the old church potlucks, swap the hash browns for 5–6 cups of cubed day-old bread. You can also divide the mixture into greased muffin tins and bake 20–25 minutes for individual portions that freeze and reheat well. To add color and a touch of sweetness, sprinkle in some finely chopped onion or bell pepper when you brown the sausage—though around here, we still say the beauty of this dish is that it doesn’t need much more than what’s already in the pantry.