Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole

This is the easiest breakfast casserole you’ll ever make. It’s also my favorite breakfast casserole because it always brings back fun memories of my family.

Breakfast Casserole


It goes by two names around here: Aunt Joy’s Casserole and Christmas Casserole.

Aunt Joy’s Casserole because my Aunt Joy from Tennessee gave our family the original recipe.

Christmas Casserole because my family has been making this every Christmas morning for as long as I can remember.

Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients: 1 pound of sausage, 6 eggs, 6 slices of bread, 1/2 cup of heavy cream, 4-6 ounces of cheese, and salt & pepper to taste.

I like to use spicy Italian sausage for this, but any sausage will work. Sometimes I use Jimmy Dean sausage because that’s what Aunt Joy uses.

Breakfast Casserole

Side note: when you say “Aunt Joy” you have to use your best Tennessee drawl. It doesn’t sound right any other way.

This sausage came from a local Italian man who makes his own sausage. It’s darn tasty!

Remove the sausage from the casing by cutting it with a knife or kitchen shears:

Breakfast Casserole

And then brown the sausage in a skillet.

Breakfast Casserole

Breakfast Casserole

Once it’s nice and brown, turn off the heat and let the sausage cool.

Breakfast Casserole

If your sausage released a lot of grease, you’ll want to drain it very well.

Crack 6 eggs:

Breakfast Casserole

Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream and salt & pepper — mix well.

Breakfast Casserole

You can use milk instead of cream if you really want to. The original recipe calls for 1 cup of whole milk but I prefer it with 1/2 cup of cream.

Also, use more eggs and cream/milk if you want the casserole to be eggier.

Toast 6 slices of your favorite bread:

Breakfast Casserole

Sourdough bread is delicious in this recipe.

Tear the bread into small pieces and add it to a greased casserole dish.

Breakfast Casserole

The pieces don’t have to be the exact same size.

Breakfast Casserole

Pour the egg and cream over the bread and gently move the bread around and make sure all of it is covered with the egg mixture.

Breakfast Casserole

Breakfast Casserole

Next add the sausage:

Breakfast Casserole

And about 4 ounces of shredded cheese.

Breakfast Casserole

I use extra sharp cheddar for this but a jalapeño jack cheese would be great, too.

Breakfast Casserole

You can cover and bake like this but I like to mix it up a little bit.

Breakfast Casserole

Not a lot, but just enough to move around the ingredients some.

Now cover and bake in a preheated 350F oven for 30 minutes.

Breakfast Casserole

If you make this the night before (that’s what I usually do), take the cold casserole dish out of the refrigerator and let it come up to somewhat room temperature while the oven is heating up.

After 30 minutes in a 350F oven this is what it looks like:

Breakfast Casserole

Now, it’s up to you but I like to add a little more cheese.

Breakfast Casserole

The casserole needs to rest before you cut it anyway, so why not?!

Breakfast Casserole

Mmm, that’s better.

Add some fresh basil and dig in!

Breakfast Casserole

I love basil with eggs and sausage.

Breakfast Casserole

Seriously, this is the easiest breakfast casserole recipe there is. Nothing fancy — just a handful of ingredients that you probably already have on-hand.

Breakfast Casserole

Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole
Author: 
 
This is the easiest breakfast casserole you’ll ever make.
Ingredients
  • 1 pound of sausage
  • 6 eggs
  • 6 slices of bread, toasted
  • ½ cup of heavy cream
  • 4-6 ounces of cheese, shredded
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Fresh chopped basil, optional.
Instructions
  1. Brown the sausage in a skillet.
  2. Once cooked, turn off the heat, drain the fat, and let the sausage cool.
  3. Combine the eggs, cream, and salt and pepper in a bowl.
  4. Tear the toasted bread into small pieces and add it to a greased 9x13 casserole dish.
  5. Pour the egg and cream over the bread and gently move the bread around and make sure all of it is covered with the egg mixture.
  6. Add the sausage to the casserole dish.
  7. Top with about 4 ounces of shredded cheese.
  8. Cover and bake the casserole in a preheated 350F oven for about 30 minutes.
  9. Add a little more cheese and sprinkle with fresh chopped basil (optional).
  10. Cut and serve.

Make this today. You won’t regret it!

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