Easy Sausage Egg Casserole without Bread

Whether you’re searching for a delicious, easy dish to whip up before church or looking to serve something special at an extended family gathering, this no-bread egg casserole is sure to be a hit!

This egg casserole is one of the easiest breakfast dishes I make alongside my baked scrambled eggs. And because you can add any variety of ingredients, and prepare it the night before, it’s one of my favorites! Especially around holidays like Christmas, when people are all gathered together for festivities and food, it’s a great go-to meal.

When everyone is around, enjoying themselves, the last thing you want to do is spend time in the kitchen. So, try this breakfast casserole, and enjoy an amazing breakfast without missing any special moments! If you want a quick and easy way to do your eggs without staying in the kitchen any longer, you can boil your eggs in an instant pot.

Ingredients

• 12 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 1 lb ground breakfast sausage
• 2 cups cheddar cheese
• 1-1/2 cups diced peppers (two bell peppers)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1. Saute the breakfast sausage in a large pan until almost cooked; drain and then add peppers to finish cooking the meat. The peppers don’t need to be entirely soft; they will continue to cook in the oven, and a little texture is good in the soft casserole.
2. Drain the sausage/pepper mixture and set aside to cool while preparing the eggs. (You do not want to combine the hot meat with the eggs if you’re not cooking it right away.)
3. Add the eggs and milk in a large bowl and whisk to combine thoroughly. Do not over blend, if the mix is foamy, the bubble will rise to the top of the casserole while cooking and create air pockets at the top. If you combine the mix in the blender, just be sure not to overmix it.
4. Add the salt and pepper and combine.
5. Layer the meat mixture and the cheddar cheese in the bottom of a greased 9×13 casserole dish, and add the egg mixture on top. Again, don’t add hot meat to the dish if you’re not going to cook it right away. The hot meat will start to cook the eggs, which will create a food safety issue and might lead to an unevenly cooked dish.
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, until the eggs are cooked and don’t jiggle in the middle. You can cut the center with a sharp knife to see if it’s cooked.
7. Serve the dish immediately while it’s hot. It will serve around 10 people.

Why I Love This Sausage Egg Casserole

I like this recipe more than others because it’s fast, and doesn’t have bread. It’s healthy, meets a lot of dietary requirements (keto, gluten-free), and provides a great balance to the sweets that are so prevalent at family gatherings.

Also, you can modify it to be vegetarian or kid-friendly, or pick out colors to make it festive for the holidays. I’ll provide my favorite recipe, and some tips for success, as well as a few variations that we really enjoy.

Can I make this casserole in advance?

The thing that makes this dish great is its flexibility. You can bake the dish in advance and chill it, covered, until you want to serve it. Simply reheat it by covering it with aluminum foil and baking it at 300 degrees for 20 minutes, or until it’s hot again.

If you want to prepare it in advance and cook it right before eating, simply prepare the ingredients as instructed, and allow them to cool a bit before combining in the casserole dish and cover with an airtight lid. Or, you can prepare the ingredients separately and add them in the dish right before cooking. Cooking straight from the fridge will add about 5 minutes to the cooking time.

What are some variations I can make to this recipe?

This is really fun, and easy, to make for the holidays. While I’m cleaning up from Christmas Eve dinner, I can quickly prep this dish and throw it in the fridge overnight, so I don’t miss presents Christmas morning cooking in the kitchen.

My favorite Christmas variation is adding diced tomatoes (or 1 cup salsa), chopped spinach, and feta cheese crumbles. It’s red, green, and white, which is perfect for the holiday!

Here are some ingredient combinations I’m sure you will love!

• 1-1/2 cups diced tomatoes, 1-1/2 cups chopped baby spinach, and 1-1/2 cups feta (don’t add salt to this dish as feta has a high salt content)
• 1 cup red peppers, 1 cup green peppers, 1 cup white onion and 2 cups cheddar or jack cheese
• 2 cups bacon crumbles, 2 cups peppers and onions

What are some substitutions I could try?

Just think of anything that would taste good in an omelet, and go for it in your dish!

The ratio you want to aim for is 2 cups meat, 2 cups cheese, and 1-1/2 to 2 cups veggies. If you don’t add one ingredient, you can increase the others a bit, but don’t double. (If you don’t add meat, it’s not a great idea to add FOUR cups of cheese, it’s just too much.)

• Feta cheese
• Monterey jack cheese
• Pepper Jack cheese
• Mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup sour cream in lieu of 1 cup milk (still add 1/2 cup milk)
• Replace milk with cream
• Sausage links, sliced
• Bacon crumbles
• Ham chunks
• Bell peppers
• White onions
• Tomatoes
• Salsa
• Spinach
• Jalapenos

How to Reheat Egg Casserole

To reheat egg casserole, preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a baking dish with cooking spray. Place the egg casserole into the baking dish and cover it with foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, or until the casserole is hot throughout. To keep the top of your casserole from drying out, you can spritz it lightly with water before covering it with foil.

Egg Casserole Recipe Tips for Success

• The guidance of about 1 pound of meat for 12 eggs is a good standard, even if you cut out other ingredients. Too much meat overpowers the casserole and it won’t be as good.
• Don’t add hot ingredients to the eggs if you plan to chill it and cook it later.
• Don’t forget to use cooking spray to avoid the eggs sticking to the pan, especially if you use a metal dish.
• Be sure to keep this refrigerated when you’re not serving it, to ensure it doesn’t spoil quickly. It will last up to four days in the fridge. You can freeze leftovers. They will still taste great, but the eggs will break down when reheated, so it won’t be a lovely dish to serve.