This is a wonderful Breakfast Casserole Recipe with Pork Sausage. No waiting overnight for this casserole to be ready to bake!! It has layers of flavor and textures from shredded hashbrowns, onions, red peppers, cream cheese, and seasonings all topped with melty cheese. Pair it with assorted pastries and a fresh fruit bowl for a great breakfast, brunch or breakfast-for-dinner.
I like to make this breakfast casserole when we have family staying with us over the holidays. I've served this for Christmas morning and long Thanksgiving weekends. It's the kind of Midwest style breakfast that everyone loves. It’s cozy, hearty, and meant to be set in the middle of the table and shared.
Jump to:
- Why Youโll Love this Sausage and Egg Casserole
- Ingredients Needed for Sausage Breakfast Casserole
- How to Make Sausage Egg and Cheese Casserole
- Sausage Breakfast Casserole Recipe Variations & Substitutions
- Serving Suggestions for Egg and Sausage Casserole
- Breakfast or Brunch
- Dinner
- Tips for the Best Breakfast Casserole with Sausage
- Storing
- Sausage and Egg Casserole Recipe FAQs
- More Big Breakfast Recipes
- Did you make this recipe?
- Sausage Egg and Cheese Casserole Recipe
- Leave a comment and rate this recipe!
Why You’ll Love this Sausage and Egg Casserole
No overnight prep required. This one goes straight from prep to oven.
Classic Midwest comfort flavors. Savory breakfast sausage, eggs, potatoes, and cheese are familiar, cozy, and always a crowd-pleaser.
Creamy without being heavy. The little pockets of cream cheese melt into the casserole which gives you little bites of creamy cheesy goodness.
Feeds a crowd with almost no effort. It's the kind of recipe that quietly does a lot of work for you. Great for holidays, showers, or houseguests.
Flexible and forgiving. Easy to tweak with different cheeses, a handful of veggies, or whatever sausage you have on hand.
Great leftovers. It reheats beautifully, which makes it a wonderful option for meal prep.
Ingredients Needed for Sausage Breakfast Casserole
- Hashbrowns – You can use frozen hashbrowns that are thawed, either overnight in the fridge or thaw them in the microwave. Or you can opt for a refrigerated shredded potato, Simply Potatoes makes a great one!
If you use thawed hashbrowns you will want to squeeze out the excess liquid before using. I like to do this by squeezing them in clean paper towels. - Bulk Breakfast Sausage – Use the breakfast sausage that your family loves. We usually opt for Jimmy Dean Regular or Sage. On the day of these photos I had a breakfast sausage from Aldi, that worked well too.
- Onions & Peppers – These are a nice flavor enhancement to your breakfast casserole.
- Cream Cheese – Cube the cream cheese into small ยฝ inch cubes. Cutting it while it is nice and cold makes this task easier. The cream cheese softens while baking, leaving little pockets of cream cheese in the casserole.
- Milk – Whole milk is a good option for this casserole.
- Flour – a little all purpose flour added to the milk/egg mixture helps to thicken up the eggs and sets it while it bakes, so you don’t have a runny egg casserole.
- Cheese – melty cheese is a must in a breakfast casserole! Shred the cheese yourself for the creamiest result. Pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt as well.
- Seasonings – a combo of pepper, Lawry’s seasoned salt, dry mustard, and onion powder season everything perfectly!
How to Make Sausage Egg and Cheese Casserole
This sausage breakfast casserole has 4 layers; a hashbrown layer, a sausage layer, an egg layer and then a cheese layer. This is a basic overview of how to make Breakfast Sausage Casserole. For more detailed instructions and ingredient amounts, pop down to the recipe card.
Step 1
Mix together shredded hashbrowns, cream cheese cubes, seasoned salt and pepper. Layer in a 9×13 pan.
Step 2
Top with the cooked and crumbled breakfast sausage, onions and peppers. Top with half of the shredded cheese.
Step 3
Whisk the flour and milk together and then add 12 eggs. Pour over the sausage and hashbrowns.
Step 4
Top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 35-40 minutes @ 350ยฐF.
Step 5
Let set and cool for 10-15 minutes. Then cut into squares to serve.
Sausage Breakfast Casserole Recipe Variations & Substitutions
Veggie-Loaded Brunch Casserole
Sautรฉ diced bell pepper, onion, zucchini, mushroom, and spinach with the sausage.
Bacon Sausage Combo
Use half sausage and half cooked, chopped bacon.
Spicy Southwest Style
Use hot breakfast sausage or chorizo, add a pinch of chili powder or smoked paprika, and swap in pepper jack cheese. Finish with green onions and avocado on top.
Ham and Swiss Breakfast Bake
Replace the sausage with diced ham and use Swiss or Gruyรจre.
Serving Suggestions for Egg and Sausage Casserole
After the Breakfast Casserole sets up, cut it into large squares for serving. Here are two menus that would make this recipe great for breakfast, brunch or dinner:
Breakfast or Brunch
- Breakfast Casserole with Sausage
- Fresh Fruit Bowl
- Assorted Pastries
Dinner
- Breakfast Casserole with Sausage
- Fresh Fruit Bowl
- Broccoli Bacon Salad
- Muffins
Tips for the Best Breakfast Casserole with Sausage
- Cut the cream cheese when it is cold, into small cubes.
- Use Simply Potatoes for faster prep.
- If you use frozen potatoes, thawed, press some of the liquid from the potatoes before adding to the casserole.
- Opt for block cheese that you shred, it melts creamier than pre-shredded.
Storing
Let the casserole cool completely, then cover the dish tightly or transfer portions to airtight containers. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This makes it a great option for weekend prep and easy weekday breakfasts.
You can also freeze sausage and egg casserole. Wrap the full dish or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating for the best texture.
REHEATING
For single servings, the microwave is the quickest option. Heat in 30 to 45 second intervals until warmed through.
To reheat a larger portion or an entire pan, cover loosely with foil and warm in a 325ยฐF oven until heated through. This keeps the eggs tender and prevents the top from over browning.
If reheating from frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight when possible, then reheat using one of the methods above.
Sausage and Egg Casserole Recipe FAQs
Yes, and it works really well. You can fully assemble the casserole, cover it tightly, and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking. This is perfect for holidays and houseguests.
Before baking, let the dish sit on the counter for about 20 to 30 minutes to take the chill off, then bake as directed. You may need to add a few extra minutes to the bake time since it's starting cold.
You can also bake it completely, cool, and refrigerate. Then just reheat before serving.
A breakfast casserole is usually layered and assembled in a baking dish, often with potatoes, meat, cheese, and a looser egg mixture. It's designed to feed a group and be sliced into portions.
A frittata is cooked in a skillet, uses mostly eggs with mix-ins, and has a firmer, custard like texture. It's lighter, quicker, and more "egg-forward," while a casserole leans heartier and more comfort-food focused.
The most common cause is too much moisture. Frozen hashbrowns that aren't thawed and dried, watery vegetables, or underbaking can all lead to a soft, wet texture.
A few fixes that really help:
– Thaw and lightly squeeze moisture from hashbrowns.
– Cook vegetables before adding them so they release their water.
– Bake until the center is fully set and a knife comes out mostly clean.
– Let the casserole rest for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting so it can firm up.
Because this is an egg and meat based dish, it should not sit out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour if it's very warm outside or in your home). After serving, refrigerate leftovers promptly in airtight containers.
If you're serving this for a brunch or holiday breakfast, setting it on a warming tray or over low heat helps keep it in the safe zone longer.
More Big Breakfast Recipes
Did you make this recipe?
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I would love to hear your review, especially if you have tips and tricks to add! Pop down to the comment section and connect with me
Sausage Egg and Cheese Casserole Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound breakfast sausage
- 1 small onion - finely diced
- ยฝ cup red pepper - about 1 small pepper, finely diced
- 15 oz shredded hash browns - thawed if frozen, or use refrigerated Simply Potatoes
- 8 oz cream cheese - cut into ยฝ inch cubes
- 1 ยฝ tsp. seasoned salt - Lawrys
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese - shredded
- ยผ cup flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 12 large eggs
- ยฝ teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 ยฝ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray
- Crumble and cook the sausage and onion in a skillet over medium high heat. Add in the diced red pepper the last few minutes of cook time. Remove from the heat and set aside1 pound breakfast sausage, 1 small onion, ยฝ cup red pepper
- If you thawed frozen potatoes, squeeze some of the liquid out with paper towels. If you use refrigerated Simply Potatoes you won't need to squeeze the liquid out.
- In a large bowl, combine the shredded potatoes, seasoned salt and pepper and toss to combine. Add in the cream cheese cubes and gently toss to distribute. Pour the potatoes into the prepared 9×13 pan (make sure the cream cheese cubes are evenly distributed around the pan).15 oz shredded hash browns, 8 oz cream cheese, 1 ยฝ tsp. seasoned salt, 1 teaspoon pepper
- Spread the sausage mixture over the potatoes and then top with ยฝ of the shredded cheddar cheese.
- In a large bowl (I use the same bowl I mixed the potatoes in to prevent dirtying another bowl) add the flour and gradually add the milk while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. When the flour mixture is smooth, crack each of the 12 eggs into the flour mixture whisking after each addition.ยผ cup flour, 1 cup whole milk, 12 large eggs
- Once all of the eggs are incorporated, add the mustard powder, onion powder and kosher salt.ยฝ teaspoon mustard powder, 1 ยฝ teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Pour the egg mixture over the sausage and potatoes and top with the remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes until set.
- Remove from the oven. Let set for 10-15 minutes, then cut into squares to serve.
Recipe Tips and Notes:
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- Cut the cream cheese when it is cold, into small cubes.
-
- Use Simply Potatoes for faster prep.
-
- If you use frozen potatoes, thawed, press some of the liquid from the potatoes before adding to the casserole.
-
- Opt for block cheese that you shred, it melts creamier than pre-shredded.
Angie says
I loved this recipe and itโs so easy to make!
Wiggins Leann says
I made this for dinner tonight. It was delicious! I used diced onion, zucchini, yellow squash and mushrooms as veggies. Made a very full 9×13 size with plenty of breakfast prep meals left over! Win, for sure.
Thanks for sharing your recipe. LeAnn
Susie Weinrich says
Love all the veggies you added. Delicious! Thank you for the comment and rating.