My savory Italian Sausage Breakfast Casserole is packed with flavorful Italian sausage, eggs, cheese, hash brown potatoes, and veggies. It’s an easy recipe for feeding a crowd or meal prepping.
Our overnight Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole is another family favorite!
This is an incredible breakfast casserole that hits the spot. It’s one of those recipes I like to bake up if I'm entertaining, especially on Christmas morning. However, it’s also easy enough to make and meal prep individual portions for the week.
I also like that it's an excellent weekend brunch idea, like our French Toast Casserole and Blueberry French Toast Breakfast Casserole! If you love egg dishes, I have some frittata recipes you may enjoy.
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Why You’ll Love This Casserole
- Flavorful Ingredients: Italian sausage brings a robust and savory flavor to the dish, pairing perfectly with the cheese, eggs, peppers, and onions.
- Easy & Customizable: You can customize this easy casserole to suit your tastes by adding ingredients like vegetables, herbs, or different types of cheese. It's also a low-carb breakfast casserole.
- Make-Ahead Potential: Who doesn’t love a casserole recipe that you can prepare in advance and refrigerate overnight? Super handy when hosting!
Ingredient Notes
- Ground Italian Sausage: We use mild Italian sausage because it suits everyone’s taste. However, spicy Italian is also very good.
- Onion and Bell Peppers: For added flavor and nutrition, add onion and peppers. We prefer diced red bell pepper, but you can also use green pepper.
- Frozen Hash Browns: Frozen potatoes give the recipe a nice texture and bulk.
- Garlic Cloves: Minced garlic compliments the other savory ingredients.
- Large eggs: Eggs bring the recipe some structure and wonderful texture.
- Whole Milk: to get a nice creamy texture to the egg mixture, we like whole milk or half and half. For a richer flavor, try heavy cream.
- Spices: Italian seasoning (optional), kosher Salt and black pepper to taste
- Cheese: In addition to its wonderful flavor, shredded mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese add structure to this egg dish.
- Toppings/Garnish: Fresh chopped parsley or green onions, sour cream
Find the full recipe and instructions in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations
- Sausage: We commonly use milk Italian ground pork sausage, but spicy is delicious, as well as regular ground breakfast sausage. If using regular ground sausage, add a dash of chili powder or Italian seasoning to the recipe.
- Cheese: Mozzarella, Pepper Jack, Parmesan, or a blend of Italian cheeses are also good choices. You can experiment with different cheeses to suit your taste.
- Veggies: You can mix and match vegetables like spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, or broccoli to suit your preferences.
- Spice it Up: Add crushed red pepper flakes, diced jalapeños, hot sauce, or a hot Italian sausage to add heat to your liking.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Prep: Preheat the Oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray or butter.
- Cook Italian Sausage: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the Italian sausage, breaking it apart with a spoon, until browned and cooked through. Remove any excess fat.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add diced onion, bell pepper, and minced garlic to the skillet with the cooked sausage. Sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute (Image 1). Remove from heat.
- Prepare Egg Mixture: In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Add 1 cup of cheddar and 1 cup of mozzarella, hashed browned potatoes, parsley, paprika, salt, and black pepper, and mix again (Image 2). Add the sausage mixture and stir until combined (Image 3).
- Assemble Casserole: Pour egg, cheese, and sausage mixture into the prepared pan (Image 4). Top with remaining cheese (Image 5). Note: you can either bake the casserole or refrigerate it and bake it the next day.
- Bake: Place the casserole dish in the preheated oven and bake uncovered for approximately 35-40 minutes or until the eggs are set and the top is golden brown.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Slice and serve warm.
Erin's Tips
- Shred the Cheese Yourself: Packaged pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents, so it doesn’t melt as well or taste as good as freshly grated cheese.
- Let it Rest: After baking, let the casserole rest for a few minutes. This step helps set the dish and makes it easier to slice and serve.
- Remember the Sides: Consider serving your casserole with a fresh fruit salad or a light green salad to balance the dish's richness. Coffee and juice are also nice.
Storing and Reheating
Fridge: Allow this easy Italian sausage breakfast casserole recipe to cool to room temperature. I like to cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or transfer the leftovers to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Freezer: To prevent freezer burn, wrap your cooled casserole tightly with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. We like to do this in individual portions. Label the package with the date for reference. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Thawing: The safest way is to transfer your casserole from the freezer to the refrigerator and allow it to thaw overnight.
Reheating: You have some reheating options for your Italian Sausage Egg Bake.
- Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), cover the casserole with aluminum foil, and bake until heated through (approximately 20-30 minutes for a thawed casserole, longer if it's frozen).
- Microwave: For individual portions, microwave on medium power, checking at intervals until heated thoroughly.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can prepare our Italian breakfast casserole ahead of time and refrigerate overnight. Then, bake as instructed. This can allow the flavors to meld and make morning preparation quicker.
Absolutely! You can add ingredients like spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, or different types of cheese to suit your preferences.
You can omit the meat or substitute it with vegetarian alternatives like tofu, more vegetables like mushrooms, or plant-based sausage.
More Breakfast Recipes with Egg
Love this Italian Sausage Breakfast Casserole recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down.
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Printable Recipe
Italian Sausage Breakfast Casserole Recipe
Equipment
- 9 x 13-inch baking pan
- Spatula or cooking spoon
Ingredients
Sausage Mixture
- 1 pound ground Italian pork sausage (mild or spicy)
- ¾ cup onion, diced
- ¾ cup red bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Egg Mixture
- 10 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
- 20 ounces frozen hash brown potatoes (you can also use diced hash brown potatoes, thawed)
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper (or more to taste)
Topping
- ½ cup freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the Oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray or butter.
- Cook Italian Sausage: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the Italian sausage, breaking it apart with a spoon, until browned and cooked through. Remove any excess fat.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add diced onion, bell pepper, and minced garlic to the skillet with the cooked sausage. Sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat.
- Prepare Egg Mixture: In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Add 1 cup of cheddar and 1 cup of mozzarella, hashed browned potatoes, parsley, paprika, salt, and black pepper, and mix again. Add the sausage mixture and stir until combined.
- Assemble Casserole: Pour egg, cheese, and sausage mixture into the prepared pan. Top with remaining cheese. Note: You can either bake the casserole or refrigerate it and bake it the next day.
- Bake: Place the casserole dish in the preheated oven and bake uncovered for approximately 35 - 40 minutes or until the eggs are set and the top is golden brown.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Slice and serve warm.
Notes
-
- Make-Ahead: Prepare your Italian breakfast casserole ahead of time and refrigerate overnight. Take it out of the fridge for about 30 minutes before you bake it. Cook as instructed.
- Shred the Cheese Yourself: Packaged pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that don’t melt as well or taste as good as freshly grated cheese.
- Let it Rest: Allow the casserole to rest for a few minutes after baking. This step helps set the dish and makes it easier to slice and serve.
- Storing: Cool to room temperature. Then, cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or transfer the leftovers to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. You can freeze for up to 3 months.
jess says
oh my goodness, these are amazing! thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! It was everything that I wanted and more!
Erin Henry says
It's such a hearty and delicious breakfast recipe. So glad you enjoyed it, Jess!
Hannah says
I love that this recipe is perfect for group meals. Simple to make, perfect for meal prep. Very tasty and delicious.
Melissa says
The most perfect breakfast that everybody loves. Can't wait to make this again!
Erin Henry says
Such a tasty and filling breakfast casserole. Glad you enjoyed it, Melissa!