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Make Christmas morning stress-free with this easy breakfast sausage casserole. I love that I can prep it the night before and throw it in the oven while we open presents. This one is packed with savory flavor and can be made however you like. It’s a filling and cheesy gluten-free breakfast bake the whole family will love.
Easy Breakfast Sausage Casserole Recipe
It’s tradition in my house to have a savory breakfast bake on Christmas morning. This casserole is a family favorite—not just for Christmas but all year round. The best part is that it’s hearty and filling and keeps everyone happy without keeping me in the kitchen all morning. Whether it’s Christmas or any special weekend, this dish makes breakfast feel like a true celebration.
A casserole is also a great way to meal prep! I’ll make this sausage and egg bake along with my hashbrown breakfast casserole for an easy grab-and-go breakfast or snack for those busy weeks.
Ingredients
- Italian Sausage: I use ground mild Italian sausage because my family has a variety of spice tolerance. This would be delicious with a spicy Italian sausage or your first choice. I don’t recommend using plain ground meat for this recipe. We’re relying on the seasonings in the sausage to give this casserole flavor.
- White Mushrooms: My family loves mushrooms, so they go into anything and everything they can. Feel free to omit them if you’d like.
- Red Bell Peppers: Peppers give this casserole a nice crunch and some color.
- White Onion: Onions add a savory depth to the egg bake.
- Eggs: Eggs are a breakfast staple but act as a binder for the other ingredients.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream helps keep the eggs fluffy and adds moisture to keep the bake light and fluffy. Alternatively, you can use Greek yogurt, ricotta, or cottage cheese.
- Heavy Cream: Like sour cream, heavy cream adds moisture to the dish.
- Italian Seasoning: A dried herb mix to add flavor. You can mix it up and use what you like.
- Shredded Cheddar: We like a sharp cheddar in this house to finish the savory bake. It’s also delicious with a shredded mix or shredded mozzarella.
- Fresh Parsley: Add fresh chopped parsley before serving for a fresh flavor.
Tips and Suggestions
- This sausage casserole is great to freeze and eat later. Let the casserole sit for at least an hour or overnight in the fridge to let the bread absorb the eggs. This makes the casserole set evenly and Christmas morning easier.
- I like to remove the sausage bake from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving. This allows the egg mixture to set fully so they don’t fall apart when cutting.
- Grease your casserole dish so you don’t lose any egg bake to the bottom.
- Add in all your favorite flavors, seasoning, spices, and veggies.
Serving Suggestions
My family enjoys this Christmas morning breakfast sausage casserole alongside fresh fruit and buttered toast after opening presents. Sometimes, we’ll pair the savory casserole with a sweet counterpart like my gluten-free lemon blueberry casserole, and the kids love both!
Storage Instructions
Leftovers can be stored in a sealed food-safe container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Let them cool completely before storing them.
To freeze, wrap tightly or store in freezer-safe containers. Freeze for 3-4 months. Allow the casserole to defrost fully in the refrigerator before heating in the oven.
More Breakfast Ideas!
Christmas Morning Breakfast Sausage Casserole
Equipment
- 1 9" x 13" baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds ground mild Italian sausage
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 cup white mushrooms, diced
- ½ cup red bell pepper, diced
- ¼ cup white onion, diced
- 12 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray a 9” x 13” casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large frying pan, cook ground sausage meat until fully cooked. Drain fat and place cooked sausage into a large bowl. Set aside for now.
- In the same (now empty) frying pan, place the butter, mushrooms, bell pepper and white onion. Cook over medium heat until the vegetables have started to soften a bit (about 2 minutes).
- Add cooked vegetables to the large bowl with the cooked sausage meat.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, heavy cream, Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper. Whisk together until well combined.
- Add the egg mixture and 1 cup of the shredded cheese to the sausage mixture bowl. Stir well to mix.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared 9” x 13” casserole dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining 2 cups of shredded cheese over top.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until the eggs are set (the middle no longer jiggles) and the outside edges of the casserole have started to brown.
- Optional: Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.
- Serve hot.
- Store leftovers in a sealed food-safe container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Let leftovers cool completely before storing in a sealed food-safe container.
Notes
- This sausage casserole is great to freeze and eat later. Let the casserole sit for at least an hour or overnight in the fridge to let the bread absorb the eggs. This makes the casserole set evenly and Christmas morning easier.
- I like to remove the sausage bake from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving. This allows the egg mixture to set fully so they don’t fall apart when cutting.
- Grease your casserole dish so you don’t lose any egg bake to the bottom.
- Add in all your favorite flavors, seasoning, spices, and veggies.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed food-safe container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Let them cool completely before storing them.
- To freeze, wrap tightly or store in freezer-safe containers. Freeze for 3-4 months. Allow the casserole to defrost fully in the refrigerator before heating in the oven.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Christmas Morning Breakfast Sausage Casserole
Set the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare a 9” x 13” baking dish by spraying it with non-stick cooking spray. Using a large skillet, cook 1 ½ lbs of Italian sausage until browned and cooked through. Drain the fat and set the sausage aside.
In the same pan, cook 1 cup diced white mushrooms, ½ cup diced red bell pepper, and ¼ cup diced white onion over medium heat for about 2 minutes until they soften. Place the cooked vegetables into the bowl with the cooked sausage.
Grab a large bowl and whisk together your 12 large eggs, ½ cup sour cream, ½ cup heavy cream. Add in 1 tbsp Italian seasoning, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper. Mix until fully combined.
Combine the egg mixture with the sausage and vegetables. Add 1 cup of shredded cheese and stir to mix.
Pour the egg bake mixture into your greased baking dish. Add the remaining 2 cups of shredded cheese to the top of the bake.
Place in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes. The eggs should be set, and the edges should start to brown.
thanks for the recipe. I was wondering about the bread??? soaking up the egg mixture?? but it’s not in the ingredients listed. So, is it necessary for the dish?
Hi Kathy, there is no bread in this recipe!
Is there supposed to be bread in this? The notes mention letting the bread soak up the egg mixture.
There is not any bread in this recipe, Amy!