This easy Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole is perfect for your next Sunday brunch!
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the biggest casserole fan. Don’t get me wrong—I’m a dutiful Midwesterner. I’ve eaten—and made—my fair share of casseroles. However, there is one type of casserole I do like. I’m talking about breakfast casseroles, people.
I like breakfast casseroles because there are so many sweet and savory ways you can go with them. As for this hearty sausage and egg breakfast casserole, it’s one of my top recipes for Sunday brunch, or if I want breakfast prepped for the week.
I love how this casserole brings it all—savory sausage, peppers, and gooey Monterey Jack cheese—bound together with fluffy eggs, while the bread acts as a sponge for all the flavors. The little bread cubes get crispy on top while remaining tender underneath. It’s the ultimate comfort food with all the flavors I love in a big breakfast, but without the hassle of cooking every single thing separately. Even better, it’s easy to prepare ahead of time, so you can keep your mornings deliciously stress-free. And if even I, a self-proclaimed casserole skeptic, love this dish, you know it’s a winner.
Is Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole Healthy?
I could give you some mumbo jumbo about how this casserole provides a filling balance of protein and carbs, or maybe mention something about calcium in the cheese. I’ll just cut to the chase and say, no, this casserole is not the healthiest breakfast pick. But that’s okay. We don’t always need to count our calories, right?
However, there are ways to make this recipe lighter. For example, you can use turkey sausage or a plant-based alternative to reduce fat and calories. I’ve tried both, and they’re delicious substitutes. You could also trade the whole milk for 2% milk, or use a plant-based milk such as oat milk. However, I’d still use the same amount of cheese, vegan or otherwise. You still want to get that irresistible gooey-ness of cheese!
Why Use Day-Old Bread?
The day-old—or even several days-old—bread is an indispensable ingredient to this casserole. Now, I know you’d never make a sandwich out of stale bread. However, when it comes to casseroles, stale is best. It’s dry, which is what you need for the egg mix to absorb properly. Fresh bread is inherently moist, and it would simply turn to mush no matter how long you bake the casserole. Day-old bread will give you a balance of crispy edges and a soft interior, and that’s what you want for any casserole dish.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/4 pounds breakfast sausage
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 medium bell pepper, diced (any color)
- 9 large eggs
- 2 1/3 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 6 1/2 cups bread cubes, day-old
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Freshly chopped parsley for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep
Preheat oven and cook sausage with veggies.
Assemble
Layer bread, sausage, cheese, and pour egg mixture.
Bake
Cook until set and golden, then cool before serving. Top with parsley.
Devour!
How to Make Ahead and Store
Feel free to assemble the casserole the night before. Store it covered in the fridge overnight, and when you’re ready, bake per the recipe instructions. You can store your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Serving Suggestions
When I eat something like this just with my family, I like to keep it light with a fresh Fruit Salad and, if we’re feeling decadent, maybe a stack of Fluffy Yogurt Pancakes. However, if I’m hosting a brunch, I’ll serve this alongside a Hashbrown Casserole with some Air-Fryer Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus. And is it even a brunch if you don’t offer your guests a slice of homemade Coffee Cake?
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds breakfast sausage
- 1/2 large onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 medium bell pepper diced (any color)
- 9 large eggs
- 2 1/3 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 6 1/2 cups bread cubes day-old
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Freshly chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. Once it is almost cooked, add the diced onion, bell pepper, and garlic, cooking until vegetables are tender. Set aside.
- Separately, in a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, and seasonings. Grease a 9×13 pan, then place bread cubes inside, followed by the sausage mixture and 1 cup of shredded cheese. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread and sausage.
- Bake for 30 minutes, then add the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and bake for 20 more minutes or until the casserole is firm and no longer liquidy. Let rest before serving, then top with chopped parsley.
Nutrition Info:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
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