Here is a Sausage Egg Casserole that is packed to the brim with breakfast sausage, ricotta cheese, onions, peppers and more cheese! Serve it up for Christmas morning, your next brunch soiree or pack into meal prep containers for a protein-packed snack any day of the week!
Serve this as part of your Best Christmas Morning Brunch Menu!
Why you’ll love sausage breakfast casserole
Frittata meets casserole! This sausage, egg and cheese casserole is kind of like an Italian frittata, but baked in the oven casserole-style. After a quick browning of the sausage and saute of the veggies, the oven does the rest of the work for you.
Make ahead friendly! But the best part – it can be made many days in advance or simply the night before, which is great for holiday mornings and special occasions when you have so much more going on.
Serves a crowd! Casseroles are every crowd-pleaser’s best friend and this one hits all marks. Meaty breakfast sausage, hearty eggs, creamy cheese in two forms – what’s more to ask for?! Make this for friends and family and they will be begging you for the recipe!
Ingredients
The ingredient list for this sausage egg bake requires nothing more than a few easy-to-find items from the pantry and fridge. You will need:
- Bulk breakfast sausage
- Eggs
- Half and half
- Ricotta cheese
- Yellow onion
- Green bell pepper
- Pepper Jack cheese
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions:
- Sausage: I specify bulk breakfast sausage, such as Jimmy Dean’s, as opposed to the frozen sausage links since you get the extra richness from browning the sausage into crumbles. Feel free to use 1 pound of sweet or spicy Italian sausage instead, just remove the casings before browning.
- Cream: Swap out the half and half for heavy cream for an ultra rich texture.
- Ricotta cheese: Substitute ricotta cheese for tangy sour cream or Greek yogurt.
- Vegetables: Add another layer of veggies by tossing in some extra bell pepper, diced zucchini, or baby spinach.
- Cheese: Buy a whole block of Pepper Jack cheese and shred it at home – or swap it out for Monterey Jack, Sharp Cheddar or nutty Swiss cheese like Gruyere.
How to make
This Jimmy Dean breakfast casserole takes a little bit of time – but most of it is completely hands-off. Here’s how I like to do it:
Prep equipment: Preheat the oven 350 F. Butter or spray a 9×13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Brown sausage: Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat and add the breakfast sausage. Break apart with a wooden spatula and cook until the sausage has browned, about 6-8 minutes. Remove sausage from the skillet and set aside in a bowl to cool. Drain excess grease in the pan if needed.
Whisk egg mixture: While the sausage is cooking, in a large bowl whisk together eggs, half and half and ricotta cheese until smooth.
Saute vegetables: Add the onion and bell pepper to the sausage skillet. Cook on medium heat for 5-6 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and the bell pepper is tender. Cool slightly.
Combine meat, cheese and eggs: Once cooled, add the sausage, onion and pepper mixture and shredded cheese to the eggs. Stir everything together until well combined.
Bake: Transfer egg mixture to prepared casserole dish and bake for 40-50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the center is nearly set in the middle when the pan moves. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Serving suggestions
Brunch it up with this baked egg and sausage casserole recipe – or make it for meal prep to have a protein-packed snack throughout the week. I love to enjoy it as:
Breakfast: Serve this beauty on Christmas or New Year’s morning with plenty of hot coffee or tea.
Brunch: Bring this to your next brunch gathering and make sure to have plenty of pomegranate mimosas to wash it all down.
Protein Snack: Cut into small squares and store in meal prep containers in the fridge. Enjoy any time you need a snack to keep you going!
Make ahead instructions
To make this breakfast casserole the night before – or freeze a few months ahead of time – either:
Overnight / Day Before: Prep the sausage egg bake as instructed and pour into the prepared casserole dish. Tightly wrap in plastic wrap and store the unbaked casserole in the fridge until the next morning, or up to 1 day. Remove from the fridge while the oven preheats, then bake as instructed.
Freeze: Prep the sausage egg bake as instructed and pour into the prepared casserole dish. Tightly wrap in two layers of plastic wrap, then wrap in aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. When ready, remove from the fridge while the oven preheats and bake as instructed. You may need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time.
How to store & reheat
Leftover baked sausage and eggs will keep wrapped in plastic wrap in the same baking dish you baked it in or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Feel free to cut into squares and store in individual meal prep containers, too.
Reheat entire casserole: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap, tent with foil and rewarm for 20 minutes or so, or until the center is warm to the touch.
Reheat individual portions: Pop a square or two in a preheated 350 degree F oven or toaster oven for 5-10 minutes. OR, reheat in the microwave in 30-second increments until warm.
Recipe tips & notes:
- Break up the sausage with a wooden spoon: This is the best way to achieve brown, caramelized bits of meaty heaven.
- It’s okay if the center is still jiggly: The eggs will continue to cook once removed from the oven.
Looking for more breakfast & brunch recipes? Check these out!
- Strawberry and Cream Overnight French Toast
- Quiche Florentine
- Lemon Poppyseed Loaf Cake
- Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls
- Smoked Salmon Quiche
- Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls
- Apple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
If you make this Sausage Egg Casserole recipe, be sure to tag me on Pinterest and Instagram!
I seriously love seeing what you guys are making and sharing your creations with the College Housewife community!
Sausage Egg Casserole
ingredients
- 1 lb breakfast sausage
- 1 dozen 12 large eggs
- ½ cup half and half
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
instructions
- Prep equipment: Preheat the oven 350 F. Butter or spray a 9×13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Brown sausage: Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat and add the breakfast sausage. Break apart with a wooden spatula and cook until the sausage has browned, about 6-8 minutes. Remove sausage from the skillet and set aside in a bowl to cool. Drain excess grease in the pan if needed.
- Whisk egg mixture: While the sausage is cooking, in a large bowl whisk together eggs, half and half and ricotta cheese until smooth.
- Saute vegetables: Add the onion and bell pepper to the sausage skillet. Cook on medium heat for 5-6 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and the bell pepper is tender. Cool slightly.
- Combine meat, cheese and eggs: Once cooled, add the sausage, onion and pepper mixture and shredded cheese to the eggs. Stir everything together until well combined.
- Bake: Transfer egg mixture to prepared casserole dish and bake for 40-50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the center is nearly set in the middle when the pan moves. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
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