One bite of this cheesy, make-ahead Sausage Egg Bake, and you immediately move this mouth-watering breakfast casserole into your regular rotation when you are host out-of-town guests. This egg casserole takes minutes to prep the night before and uses croutons to create a fluffy egg dish packed with flavor!
Brunch is a favorite meal around our house, and this Sausage Egg Bake has been my go-to recipe for years. Just prep it the night before with ingredients that are easy to have on hand. The 15 minutes on a Saturday night is well worth it to have a lazy Sunday morning with coffee (and chatting with friends) while the oven is doing the hard work.
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What makes this Sausage Egg Bake unique?
✔️ It uses croutons for the base! No need to worry about having stale bread on hand. This recipe is easy to make at the last minute. Just grab a bag of croutons, and you are set!
✔️ It has a mixture of 3 different cheeses. The secret ingredient in this recipe is the pepper jack cheese. It adds just the right amount of zip to make this egg bake one notch above all of the others.
✔️ It's forgiving! You can easily tailor this recipe to match the flavors you are craving. Saute some peppers, onions and mushrooms to scatter over the sausage to add even more flavor!
Ingredients
You only need a handful of ingredients to make this flavorful casserole.
Ingredient Notes:
Shredded Cheese: Grab the blocks of cheese at the grocery store and shred them yourself. It's a little less expensive and a little more effort, but pre-shredded cheese is coated with preservatives and doesn't melt as smoothly.
Sausage: Use your favorite Italian sausage, either mild or hot, depending on your spice preference.
Half and Half + Milk: Use a combination of whole milk and half & half to get a fluffy egg dish with a lot of flavor.
Instructions
This sausage egg bake is super easy to put together with croutons as a base.
Grease a 9 x 13" pan with cooking spray and spread croutons in a single layer. Sprinkle the shredded cheeses over the top.
Scatter the browned sausage over the top of the cheese. Add the milk, cream, eggs, and seasonings to a bowl and whisk until combined.
Pour egg mixture over the croutons, cheese, and sausage, and cover with foil. Refrigerate overnight. Remove the egg dish from the refrigerator and remove the foil. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for one hour or until set. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.
FAQs
I prefer to use Italian seasoned croutons when I make this casserole. I love the flavor it adds, but feel free to use your favorite.
One of the unique things about this recipe is the combination of cheddar, swiss, and pepper jack cheeses. If you want a different flavor profile, use what you have on hand, just make sure your cheese amount doesn't exceed 3 ½ cups total!
It's tempting to skip the 15 minutes of rest, but the egg bake needs this time to allow the liquid to full absorb and make the egg baker firmer and easier to slice.
Expert Tips for the Best Egg Casserole
✘ Use a sausage you love. If you want a milder flavor use a mild sausage. If you like a little more heat, use your favorite spicy breakfast sausage.
✘ Grate your own cheese! Pre-shredded cheese is coated so it won't clump in the bag. But that also means it won't melt as smoothly. Freshly shredded cheese from a block melts more evenly.
✘ Prep it ahead of time. Make sure you refrigerate the egg bake for at least 10 hours as the crunchy croutons need that time to absorb the liquid.
✘ Don't forget the garnish. Parsley adds a nice pop of color when you serve the egg bake. Pico de Gallo is another great option for a garnish.
✘ Don't forget the sides! We love to round out brunch with some coffee, fresh fruit, and a fun Cranberry Mimosa or Amaretto Stone Sour.
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More Easy Brunch Ideas
Brunch is one of our favorite meals to host! Try these easy crepes or some of our other go-to recipes!
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Recipe
Sausage Egg Bake
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian Sausage
- 5 ounces seasoned croutons (one package)
- 1 ¼ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
- 1 ¼ cups shredded pepper jack cheese
- 8 eggs
- 2 cups half-and-half (one pint)
- 1½ cups whole milk
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon minced onion
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Place the croutons in a single layer in the dish and set aside.5 ounces seasoned croutons
- Brown the sausage in a pan over medium heat and drain on paper towels.1 pound Italian Sausage
- Grate the cheeses uses a box grater and scatter it on top of croutons. Layer sausage on top of the cheese.1 ¼ cups shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese, 1 ¼ cups shredded pepper jack cheese
- In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, half-and-half, milk, mustard, onion, and salt and pepper.8 eggs, 2 cups half-and-half, 1½ cups whole milk, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon minced onion, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
- Pour egg mixture evenly over the sausage in the baking dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Bake in an oven preheated to 350°F for 1 hour. Let sit for 15-20 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley, if desired.
Notes
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Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
Can this be ma in a muffin tin?
Hi Inge, I haven't made it in a muffin tin before so can't speak to how it would work. Please let me know if you try it!
I will! Thank you!
This is perfect for Easter brunch!
Thanks for sharing! I am so excited to try this out tomorrow morning for my husband's birthday/Christmas. Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays to you too! Thanks for the note!
This looks really tasty! I am thinking about making it for Christmas eve morning. Yum!
Happy Holidays, Julia! Such a great way to start the day!
I make this Christmas morning too. This recipe is FANTASTIC!
Will be thinking of you this Christmas 🙂
Thanks! Have you tried it with pico de gallo on top? Takes it to another level! YUM!