My favorite Easy Breakfast Casserole is one of those everyday, classic recipes that everyone should have in their recipe box. It’s a simple, savory dish but universally loved. This Italian Breakfast Casserole version has all our favorite breakfast items baked into one deliciously cheesy dish.
Make It Your Own
Breakfast Casserole is crazy versatile. You can change up the veggies or even the meat. (It’s great with added bell peppers or bacon.) Try a different cheese (Monterey Jack is scrumptious.)
It’s obviously the ultimate breakfast to get your day started off right. Pair it with your favorite waffles or pancakes, like Renae’s easy Bisquick pancake recipe, for the ultimate Sunday morning treat.
And if you’re feeling really indulgent and enjoy breakfast celebrations, you definitely need to give the rabanadas from Recipe Mash a try. That yummy Portuguese French toast pairs perfectly with my delicious sausage and egg breakfast casserole.
Perfect Any Time of Day
But breakfast casserole is more than just breakfast. It’s also a satisfying midnight snack. You can cut it into tiny squares to use as appetizers on a brunch table or whip one up to serve as “breakfast for dinner” night. That’s a family favorite!
Cut it into thin slices and add it to grilled cheese sandwiches or add a warm slice or two to a bun or bagel with mayo for the perfect on-the-go egg sandwich.
Leftovers warm beautifully in the microwave for an after-school snack, too. No matter how or when you serve it, Breakfast Casserole will get rave reviews and put another simple, hearty meal into your expanding recipe repertoire.
Donna, at Whole Food Bellies has another breakfast-for-anytime recipe idea you’ll want to check out, as well. Her twist on the Australian Zucchini Slice recipe is gluten-free and packed with veggies!
A Tip for Baking the Potatoes
I’ll let you in on a secret about me. I hate wasting time doing something multiple times, if I can accomplish it in just one session of work.
For instance, I bake potatoes, 8 or 10 pounds at a time. I scrub them up, prick the skin and then toss them on a baking sheet [affiliate link]. I bake them all at once on the sheet tray, which makes them super easy to get in and out of the oven.
Baked potatoes reheat quickly in the oven or microwave, and half a baked potato with a green salad is one of my all-time favorite lunches!
Pre-baked potatoes are also great for casseroles, soups, salads, hash browns, potato pancakes and fried potatoes. They’re already cooked, so you don’t need to overcook other ingredients to try to get them done, as you would if you started with them raw. All they need is to heat through.
It’s great to keep a few already baked potatoes in the fridge, ready to add to my next dish or to warm up for an indulgent lunch break. It’s also great for making recipes like this scrumptiously simple breakfast casserole!
How to Make Easy Breakfast Casserole
Start by preheating the oven and greasing a 9×13 pan [affiliate link].
Crumble and brown the ground sausage in a skillet. Drain off the grease and crumble any bigger clumps, so your crumbles are all fairly uniform in size.
Next, grate your baked potatoes. You don’t even need to remove the skins. They will come away on their own as you’re grating. Plus, if a little baked potato skin gets grated into the mix, that’s tasty, too. I use a 4-sided box grater [affiliate link]. It’s so much easier to handle and balance on the counter or cutting board, than a flat grater and I get the benefit of all the different grate sizes. It’s another one of those everyday kitchen tools that was a great investment for me.
Add the potatoes to the bottom of your prepared baking pan. Spread them out in an even layer. I salt and pepper this layer. If you are restricting salt, then certainly, adjust to your own tastes and dietary needs.
Drizzle the potato layer with the melted butter.
Mix together the browned sausage, onions, spinach, and garlic.
Once the ingredients in the sausage layer are evenly combined, pour them over the potato layer in your baking pan.
Beat the eggs until they are golden and fluffy. I add Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to the raw egg mixture. Season it to your own tastes. Stir in the grated cheese. Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the sausage layer.
You may need to redistribute some of the cheese after everything is poured out. And that’s it. It really IS that simple. Your Italian Breakfast Casserole is ready to bake.
Bake at 350° for 45 minutes, until the eggs are firmly set and the cheese is golden brown and crispy on top.
Cut the Egg Casserole into squares and serve with a green salad.
I also love to eat it with a dollop of sour cream and some diced tomatoes on top. There are tons of serving possibilities whether you enjoy it for breakfast or breakfast for dinner.
As a matter of fact, this scrumptious air fryer French toast from Kristin at Dizzy Busy and Hungry, and/or fresh fruit would be superb with it for a fully balanced and over-the-moon delicious meal. Enjoy!
The Recipe
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Easy Italian Breakfast Casserole
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12–15 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 3–4 large baked potatoes, grated (enough for 4 cups)
- 1 lb. homemade sausage, (or your favorite brand.) Both breakfast and Italian sausage work well.
- 18 eggs
- 1 medium red onion, minced
- 1–2 cups fresh spinach, minced (according to family preference)
- 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon of Italian seasoning
- 2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven to 350° and greasing a 9×13 pan. [affiliate link]
- Crumble and brown the ground sausage in a skillet. Drain off the grease and crumble any bigger clumps, so your crumbles are all fairly uniform in size.
- Grate your baked potatoes. You don’t even need to remove the skins. They will come away on their own as you’re grating. Plus, if a little baked potato skin gets grated into the mix, that’s tasty, too. I use a 4-sided box grater. [affiliate link] It’s so much easier to handle and balance on the counter or cutting board, than a flat grater and I get the benefit of all the different grate sizes. It’s another one of those everyday kitchen tools that was a great investment for me.
- Add the potatoes to the bottom of your prepared baking pan. Spread them out in an even layer. I salt and pepper this layer. If you are restricting salt, then certainly, adjust to your own tastes and dietary needs.
- Drizzle them with the melted butter.
- Mix together the browned sausage, onions, spinach, and garlic.
- Spread the sausage mixture over the potato layer in your baking pan.
- Beat the eggs until they are golden and fluffy. I add Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to the raw egg mixture. Season it to your own taste.
- Stir the grated cheese into the beaten eggs.
- Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the sausage layer. (You may need to redistribute some of the cheese after everything is poured out. And that’s it. It really IS that simple. Your Breakfast Casserole is ready to bake.)
- Bake at 350° for 45 minutes, until the eggs are set in the center and the cheese is golden brown and beginning to crisp on top.
- Cut the Italian Breakfast Casserole into squares and serve.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 45 min
- Category: Breakfast, Eggs, Main Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Yes. Egg casserole leftovers will keep three to four days in the fridge. But you can also cut it into portion-size pieces and flash freeze the cooled squares. Once they are frozen, put the one serving pieces into a zip-top freezer bag, removing as much air as possible. Freeze for up to three months for a quick and easy breakfast option.
To cook, thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat in the air fryer or microwave.
More Casserole Recipes
About Glenda
I believe cooking from scratch doesn’t have to be complicated and that YOU can do it. My simple recipes, tutorials, and cooking tips will help you get weeknight dinners on the table with less stress. Forget takeout or the drive-thru. Let me show you how to make homemade easy. Read more...
