This creamy Whole30 casserole is the perfect easy and family friendly dinner. It’s with sausage and potatoes in under an hour and is a creamy, comforting Paleo or Whole30 recipe. It would be great for meal prep, and I think the leftovers are almost more delicious!
My midwest, Minnesotan youth was filled with all types of classic casseroles. In Minnesota we call a casserole a “hot dish”, which I’ve been told isn’t the norm in most parts of the country. Hot dishes, or, you know, casseroles, were a staple at every family gathering. That’s probably why I think of these foods as comfort foods now – hearty, and ate around a table with my favorite people.
Now it kind of makes me laugh because now that I make casseroles for myself, like this Whole30 casserole I know how easy they are. I’ve realized that that’s probably the real reason they’re always around or why my mom made them when she wanted to just throw things in one pan and be done with it.
This creamy sausage and hash brown Paleo and Whole30 casserole is ALMOST a one pan meal, but you will need a skillet for the creamy sauce and sausage. It’s worth the extra dish, I promise! I love this casserole so much I’ve made it specifically for breakfast too. I tell myself it’s like a hash brown sausage and gravy casserole when it’s before 9 a.m.
The potatoes I used for the paleo casserole came from a bag of compliant hash browns. You can find these in many stores, including Walmart! If going from frozen, you’ll want to let them thaw prior to baking. I used canned coconut cream and a Califia Farms almond milk. Any Paleo substitution would work for the milk, including nutpods. You’ll need a bit of ghee for the cream sauce, broth, and some arrowroot flour to thicken the cream and the rest of the ingredients will be your normal pantry and food items!
Califia, nutpods, coconut cream, ghee, broth and arrowroot can all be purchased from Amazon, or your local Whole Foods. You can also grab all of those products at a discount from Thrive Market (and get 20% off of your first 3 orders!) For more of my favorite Thrive Market budget favorites, check out my Paleo staples list, and Whole30 staples list!
The Whole30 casserole recipe itself is really easy. I mean, of course it is. You’re talking to me after all. Nothing fancy or complicated. Simply brown the meat first, make the creamy sauce, combine it all in a baking dish and you’re set! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!
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Creamy Sausage & Potato Whole30 Casserole (Paleo + GF)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground sausage (no sugar)
- 3 cups shredded potatoes (hash browns, no sugar added such as Mr. Dell’s brand)
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 13.5oz can unsweetened coconut cream
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup broth (chicken or beef)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot flour (or tapioca flour)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 2.5-3 quart casserole dish and set aside
- Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add diced onion and sauté for 3 minutes, or until they begin to soften
- Add ground sausage, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until meat is browned and crumbled
- Drain excess grease and transfer to a large bowl
- Add almond milk, coconut cream, ghee and broth to the skillet over medium heat with the remaining spices
- Combine well and bring to a simmer, about 5 minutes. While the sauce is heating, add hash browns, spinach, mushrooms to the bowl with the crumbed sausage and mix well. Place the potato and sausage mixture into the casserole dish.
- Slowly (to avoid clumping) whisk in flour to thicken the sauce in the skillet. Continue whisking for about 2 minutes until sauce is thick
- Pour cream sauce over the sausage and potatoes in the casserole dish. Use a spoon to gently mix it in
- Lastly, add beaten egg to the top of the casserole dish and gently mix once more just until you can no longer see the egg
- Bake for 40 minutes, or until the top of the mixture forms a slight crust and doesn’t give when you press in the middle of the casserole
Notes
- If you want a thicker cream sauce, or sauce is too thin, add an additional 1/2 tablespoon arrowroot flour and slowly whisk in.
- For a list of Whole30 compliant sausage brands, check this post, or make your own using ground pork using this recipe.
- For a list of Whole30 compliant almond milk brands, check this post.
Nutrition Facts:
- Calories: 474
- Sugar: 3
- Fat: 36
- Carbohydrates: 13
- Protein: 19
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Tess says
Holy moly this is good!! Reheats so well for my lunches! Thank you!
paleobailey says
I looove this recipe reheated too! Glad you loved it <3
Jill says
Bailey this is amazing!! My new go to for my family. I added a bit more broth at the end but only because I used a larger casserole dish than you and it was the best thing I’ve had all year
paleobailey says
This is AWESOME!! SO happy it was a hit with your family. Thank you for taking the time to letting me know! <3
Monica says
I CANT BELIEVE how good this is!
paleobailey says
Thank you! I’m happy you enjoyed it!
Sandee says
Do you think this would work with compliant sausage links?. I haven’t found the bulk sausage yet. Would like to make it NOW! YUM.
paleobailey says
Hi there! Yes, I think it would be great with sausage links! Let me know how it turns out! PS – check a local butcher, I’m often able to find ground sausage without anything crazy added to it 🙂 Pederson’s (ordered through the Simple Grocer) also carries a Whole30 Approved one!
Krystina says
Holy crap! This casserole is DELICIOUS! I was super hesitant because I’m not really a fan of coconut milk/cream in recipes but I can’t even taste it! I just wish mine looked as pretty as yours ????
paleobailey says
Thank you!! I agree about the coconut milk – I actually don’t even like the taste of coconut so every time I use it I’m sure to cover the taste with spices 🙂 so happy you enjoyed it!
Cara says
This is so good! I didn’t have high hopes for this…not sure why…but it was amazing! I followed the recipe exactly (oh wait, I skipped the mushrooms) and it was so, so good! I’m freezing a portion to see how it reheats. Thanks for the recipe…comfort food Whole30 style! 🙂
paleobailey says
Haha! I’m glad it exceeded expectations! So happy you liked it 🙂 I’m definitely a comfort food girl myself! xo – B
Christine says
This looks delicious and I can’t wait to make it! I only have canned coconut milk though, no broth or almond milk (although I could make almond milk). Since canned coconut milk is runnier than the cream, could I just use that and skip the other liquids, or what would you suggest? Thanks!
paleobailey says
Hey there! Yes, you could try that! It might be a bit more “coconut-y” tasting, being the broth and almond milk serves to make the “gravy”, but if you’re okay with that, I think it would still be good!
Josh Agarth says
Make sure you buy unsweetened coconut cream.
paleobailey says
Most coconut cream I can find in stores are all just coconut cream – I don’t think I’ve ever seen sweetened coconut cream at stores like Target and Whole Foods. A safe bet will always be Thai Kitchen, Whole Foods brand, Walmart Brand, Thrive Market brand, or Native Forest if you’re having trouble finding just coconut cream! 🙂
Josh Agarth says
The Goya brand used we are realizing is used to make Pina Coladas. We will have to try again. ????????????
Stacey Sellers says
Same thing happened to me… just grabbed the can that said Cream of Coconut and bought it. So disappointed. Can I use canned coconut milk instead and eliminate the almond milk so it’s not too watery? I was really looking forward to making this tonight. SO glad I looked a the label before I used it!
paleobailey says
Sure! You can try it!!
Megan says
Can you use frozen hash browns with this recipe?
paleobailey says
Hi! I haven’t tried it before, I think it would be fine except perhaps increase bake time by a bit! You could let the frozen ones thaw first prior too 🙂
christina purvis says
How do you think this dish would do if I wanted to make this meal to freeze it for later? Freeze before cooking or afterwards? Baby is due in October so I like to stock up with easy thaw/ reheat or cook meals. This one sounds delish!
paleobailey says
Hi! I would freeze before! And congrats on baby! 🙂
Toria says
Hey Christina, how did freezing and cooking from frozen work out for you?
christina purvis says
It looked too good to freeze so we ended up baking & eating it all, hahaha. It was delish. I plan on trying to freeze it in the future- I will let you know how it goes!
Nicole says
How long will it be good for leftovers? like 3 or 4 days?
paleobailey says
Yep! About 4 🙂
Annette says
Did you use russets or a more moist potato (red, white) for the hash browns?
paleobailey says
I used russet potatoes 🙂
Megan says
I am allergic to coconut, and all treenuts what could I use as substitutes?
paleobailey says
Hi there! Sorry for the late reply here, I don’t know how I missed your comment! If you’re not doing a Whole30/Paleo, I’d use heavy cream. If you are, I don’t think there would be a nut free substitution that I’d be confident in recommending that would still replicate the milk used here. Sorry!!
Lesley says
Hi Bailey – firstly – congratulations to you for finding the “real you” & becoming so healthy. Fantastic job. You look awesome.
I had an abundance of potatoes & was scrolling through Pinterest for an interesting way in which to use them. I like making casseroles & yours caught my eye. I don’t follow the Whole30/Paleo diet, so made some substitutions. ie: I used a can of Carnation Brand fat free evaporated milk in place of the coconut milk. I didn’t use frozen hash browns – grated my own & squeezed out the liquid. I used sausages & cut them into thin slices, then browned them. And I used regular flour to thicken the sauce. The casserole was delicious – I like your choice of seasonings. I hope that you don’t mind my messing with your original recipe. I would absolutely make this again. Thank you for sharing it.
paleobailey says
Thank you for those kind words, Lesley! And I absolutely don’t mind, and I’m so glad you enjoyed it! If I wasn’t making this dairy free I’d also use evaporated milk or a heavy cream instead so I’m happy it worked out well that way too 🙂
Christina says
This was absolutely delish!!! My family could not believe it was a whole 30 meal!! I love when that happens!!! Thank you for an awesome recipe!!!
paleobailey says
Oh thank you so much!! I’m so happy to hear that!
Maria says
This is definitely a keeper. For me, it was a little on the Sweetside. Next time I make it I’m going to use only the almond milk and no coconut cream. The texture was wonderful and the spices added just the right amount of super flavor.
paleobailey says
That sounds like a great substitution! If you use additional almond milk to replace the cream, you could probably use a bit less almond milk being it’s thinner than the cream. I just don’t want it to get too liquidy for you 🙂 I’m glad to hear overall you enjoyed it!!
Kim says
I wasn’t sure you could make a hot dish without cheese or cream of something soup, but you nailed it! The only minus is I was hoping to have leftovers! So yummy!
★★★★★
paleobailey says
Haha, love this!! Thank you, Kim – so happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Jennifer says
This is an AMAZING recipe! I’m so thankful my friend told me about it. We just went dairy free and this has made it so much easier
★★★★★
paleobailey says
I’m happy to help, and so glad it was a hit! Thank you for letting me know!!
Sherri says
I have made this once and it was delicious. I ate it with a side of salsa to spice it up a little. Next time I may add a little cayenne pepper and also some chopped red bell pepper to give it a little more pep. I can’t always find canned coconut cream. Can I use canned coconut milk instead?
paleobailey says
Hi there! Glad you enjoyed it! You could, but it might not thicken as much 🙂
Melissa says
Looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it.
Did I miss something? You are using ghee but it says it’s a dairy free recipe. Is there a dairy free ghee?
paleobailey says
Hi Melissa! Great question! Ghee is a type of clarified butter – butter that has been heated in order to separate and then remove milk solids from the milk fat. The fat remaining, is ghee. Since ghee is the result once the milk solids have been removed, and the milk solids are what contains lactose, casein and antigenic proteins, it is dairy free! The remaining fat that is left is just a pure cooking fat then.
If you were thinking otherwise because on ghee ingredient labels they say something to the like of “Certified Organic Butter (Milk)” or “Milk Fat”, that’s because of two reasons. The first being that the USDA hasn’t come up with a better way besides “milk” to classify what ingredient IS ghee, without using the word “ghee” as the only ingredient. Ghee is technically the end RESULT of a cooking process which removes the lactose milk, not an ingredient in the cooking process. And, this labeling law hasn’t been updated or looked into being updated since 1993. Secondly, the the USDA requires “milk” to be on the ingredient list for any END product originally obtained FROM raw dairy, even if the milkfat has been removed in that end product. This is so consumers know what type of a product/animal it’s from, and prevent potentially harming those who have severe beef allergies, or the immune response to all beef products known as Alpha-gal.
Hope that helps! You didn’t ask for all that detail, but I find it so interesting, so maybe was interesting for you too! Best – Bailey 🙂
Emily Sherva says
Bailey I just needed to let you know how much I love this casserole. I’ve made it so many times and will eat it for breakfast lunch or dinner. My mom recently passed away and she used to make casseroles like this for us all the time when she knew me or any of my siblings were coming over. this recipe just feels like a little piece of “home”. Comforting in all of the right places. You don’t know it, but you’ve been a blessing to me this fall. Wishing you all the best that I know life has waiting for you as you continue shining your bright light for us all to find – Emily
★★★★★
paleobailey says
Oh, Emily. Thank you so much for your kind words. I am so, so sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine what you’ve been going through or how incredibly devastating the loss of your mom must feel like. Hearing you’ve found a little bit of home in this recipe means so much to me – I’ll be thinking of you. Sending strength and hugs <3 – B
Kelsi says
You’ve freaking outdone yourself. The only change I made was not using almond milk because I didn’t have any that was unflavored. This tastes like the best unhealthy biscuits and gravy and I can’t believe it is paleo. It’s comfort in a bowl. I could eat this whole pan. THANK YOU.
★★★★★
paleobailey says
Ahhh! Thank you Kelsi! This made my day 🙂
Lori says
Thank you for sharing the most delicious GF / DF breakfast casserole ever!! And easy to make. Note: I used half the seasonings called for because my turkey sausage & chicken broth was already heavily seasoned.
★★★★★
paleobailey says
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Angie says
Do you think this would freeze well?
paleobailey says
Hey there! I’ve never tried it, but when stored well, cooked casseroles with hash browns generally freeze pretty well. Because of the coconut cream I wouldn’t freeze it for more than 3 months though 🙂
Amanda Spradlin says
Loved this recipe, it was even better on the second day! It was so warm and comforting!
★★★★★
paleobailey says
I’m SO happy you loved it! Thank you, Amanda!!
Kristen says
This is my first month trying whole30 and my sister recommended this dish. I love love love this dish! It isn’t super complicated like some recipes I have found when trying to come up with whole30 meals!
★★★★★
paleobailey says
Ahh! Thank you so much! I’m so happy to hear it was easy for ya and that you enjoyed it. Tell your sister I said thanks too! <3 - B
Jaime Marshall says
Just curious if you have any estimate of the calorie count so I can log it in Fitbit. It was absolutely delicious and just as good as leftovers!
paleobailey says
Hey there! I’m slowly working on adding macros to the recipes but it’s a slow manual process 🙂 You can use My Fitness Pal or another app you prefer! Sorry about that!
Heather says
I am debating freezing this or cooking tonight! 🙂 Has anyone ever frozen it and had success?!
Alicia Breasette says
Yooooooo! This is da-bomb-digity!!! I resisted the temptation to add in cheese or sour cream as I went. Deliberately choosing to follow the recipe as is and give it a fighting chance. And DANG this is delicious!! Awesome job! ????
★★★★★
paleobailey says
Ah! Thank you SO much!! I’m so happy you liked it!
Dana says
Hi Bailey,
I am obsessed with your recipes, this particular one looked so delicious, I attempted to try it! Not sure what I did but I completely botched the sauce! 🙁 It was so thin & I just went with it using the 2.5 tablespoons of tapioca flour and I definitely should have thickened it more. It was so runny I had to ditch the whole thing! How can I fix this? Just add .5 tbsp until it is a good thickness, I thought the 2.5 had made it thicker, but it wasn’t thick enough & didn’t know if 2.5 was max? It smelled so yummy it broke my heart to throw it away! HELP ME, so I can attempt again and be successful!
THANKS!
paleobailey says
Hey! How long did you let it simmer while whisking for it to thicken? Sometimes it just takes a bit to thicken up. But my second guess is that by chance you used coconut milk instead of cream? If that’s the case, it would have been much thinner and would have required extra thickener to thicken. So sorry you had troubles!!
Jenn Moenter says
Would you consider using spaghetti squash instead of potatoes?
paleobailey says
You could try it, but I can’t promise it will turn out. Spaghetti squash has really high water content and that excess moisture is released when cooked, and I think would really impact how creamy and thick the casserole is. If you try it, let me know!
Collie says
This was so Unbelievable. I doubled it to make more breakfasts and dinners. Perfect for company too. Thank you!
★★★★★
paleobailey says
Looove this!! Thank you so much!
Laura says
Bailey, this is incredible! You’re a genius!
paleobailey says
So happy you liked it!!
Anna says
For anyone who can’t find coconut cream, I made the following alterations to the receipe and it was AHMAZING!!
Sauce-
1-13.5 oz can coconut milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon Ghee
(I omitted the almond milk because of the other comments that said it may be too watery)
Heat it up for a few minutes and pour over mixture in casserole dish. I didn’t have the flour or the coconut cream and cooked it for about 55 minutes and it wasn’t watery and tasted delicious. stirred the dish half way during cooking so the potatoes didn’t get dry.
paleobailey says
Awesome! Thanks so much for sharing!
Erika says
This casserole is DELICIOUS!!! Such a nice change up for breakfast. Also, my two year old is INHALING it! 🙂
★★★★★
paleobailey says
Love this!! I’m so glad you both enjoyed it 😉 Thank you, Erika!!
Terri says
I made this two weeks ago for the first time, for my breakfast as part of my January Whole30. It is an awesome option, and I am making it for the third time today, with a mixed of shredded potatoes and sweet potatoes. I highly recommend this recipe – it has become a staple in my meal planning.
paleobailey says
Oh I love the sweet potato idea too!! Sounds awesome! Thank you so much for making it, and letting me know you enjoy 🙂 You’re the best!!
Kelly says
“The potatoes I used for the paleo casserole came from a bag of compliant hash browns.” What brands of hash browns are Whole 30 compliant? Thanks.
paleobailey says
The Whole30 compliant brands I know of are – Mr. Dell’s brand is at Walmart and Super Targets. Sprouts has a brand called Cascadian Farms. Fresh Thyme has their own brand under the fresh thyme logo. And Aldi has a brand called Season’s Choice.
Terri Ferraguto says
This has become a staple for my lunch, whether on a Whole30 round of not! Have also made it with shredded sweet potatoes, which is a great alternative. I highly recommend this recipe!
paleobailey says
Thank you so much!! I appreciate you letting me know you enjoy it! And I love the swap for sweet potatoes 🙂
Lauren B says
Meal prepped this for a week’s worth of breakfasts — so much more comforting and cozy than a typical breakfast egg casserole. Can’t wait to make again & again!
ps. I couldn’t find a compliant ground sausage, so I ended up just buying plain ground pork and adding: salt, pepper, crushed fennel, and red pepper flakes. Worked perfectly!
★★★★★
paleobailey says
Awesome! That’s about the spice mix I use to make my own sausage too 🙂 Thank you so much for letting me know you enjoyed it!
Kathy says
Do you use regular hash brown potatoes or plantains?
paleobailey says
Just potatoes 🙂
Frances says
This was seriously the best casserole I’ve ever had!! My husband who isn’t paleo even loved it and it was so nice not having to make a special meal for myself. I’m definitely making this again!! Thank you!!!!
paleobailey says
Thank you, Frances!! I’m so happy you both enjoyed! It’s a favorite over here at my house as well 🙂 Thanks for coming back and letting me know! <3 - B
Deb Bruce says
This is the best! My very picky eater husband loves it. His words, “it’s a keeper”.
Jen says
So good!!
★★★★★
paleobailey says
Thank you, Jen!!
Angie says
Yay!
★★★★★
paleobailey says
Thank you, Angie!! <3
kategriffin says
I saw this on your insta stories a couple days ago and just made this… OMG – its delicious and easy. This definitely is now a whole30 staple for me. Thank you!!
★★★★★
paleobailey says
I’m so happy to hear that you loved it. It’s a fave over here too! Thank you! <3 - B
Ashlee T says
This was soo good! I added some sautéd shiitake mushrooms, which gave it a really great flavor. I will be making this again!
★★★★★
paleobailey says
Ohh that sounds awesome! Thank you, Ashlee!!
Jackie says
We made this into a lunch/dinner casserole by replacing the potato with spaghetti squash and leaving out the egg at the end. AMAZING! Highly recommend!
★★★★★
paleobailey says
That sounds so great! Thank you so much for coming back and letting me know!!
Olivia says
My husband would have told you yesterday I’m unable to cook anything but now he thinks I’m a master chef after making this!! Best casserole EVER and so guilt free!!
★★★★★
paleobailey says
Ha!! This is the best – I’m so glad you both enjoyed it!! Thank you!
Jennifer M says
I just made this casserole and it is so good. So good!! Thank you so much. It’ll be a staple!
★★★★★
paleobailey says
Awesome!! I’m thrilled to hear it. Thank you!
Alissa says
My daughter is allergic to eggs. Do you think I could skip the egg or would that totally ruin it?
paleobailey says
You can skip it! You might just need to bake it for a few minutes longer – the egg just acts as a binder.
Ruth says
I am curious to know if the coconut milk adds any coconut flavor?
paleobailey says
Not really! The spices and seasoning used covers most/if not all of the coconut flavor, and essentially creates it into a gravy 🙂
Jillian says
Hi Bailey- any suggestions of other things to use in place of mushrooms. They are a no-go in our house but I know they are great to add bulk to some recipes. Any ideas? Thanks! Can’t wait to try this one!
paleobailey says
You could probably use green pepper or broccoli maybe, or just skip the mushroom/substitute altogether 🙂
BC says
For a whole 30 newbie, a heads up about the coconut cream needing to be unsweetened was kind of a big bummer to not have- used sweetened not even thinking about that and it was actually disgusting. I could see how with the non-sweetened cream it would be awesome so We will try again at some point. Might want to edit your recipe to reflect that important piece of info?
paleobailey says
Sorry about that, and will do! But, with Whole30 it’s important that everyone reads the labels for everything they’re buying that’s in some sort of packaging. If I noted to use the options with no sugar/sweeteners, I’d also have to do that for using unsweetened almond milk in this recipe, the sausage, the broth, and the hashbrowns (all products that can, and often do, have sugar added). So hopefully you can see why I didn’t, and that ultimately it’s everyone’s responsibility to read the labels of ingredients.