While most people agree that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, few actually want to roll out of bed early enough to enjoy a hot meal. Today's recipe, a Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Casserole, is perfect for all you meal preppers and everyone else that loves to sleep in every morning! Easy to make ahead with some free time during the weekend and portion out for the week, this simple recipe is sure to brighten your morning and simplify your day. A few ingredients and minimal prep work makes this breakfast casserole a go-to recipe that is sure to fill your belly and satisfy everyone. It combines the idea of a loaded omelet with the simplicity of a casserole making it highly adaptable and versatile to enjoy often without having to eat the same thing every week! Sit back, relax, and start thinking of other omelet filling options for your own personal tweak as I walk you through this simple recipe.....Let's Get Cooking!
We are going to break down the prep work for this breakfast casserole into two parts: cooking the sausage and making the egg mixture itself. That being said, we will start with
the sausage since it will take a few minutes and will need to slightly cool before moving on. Well, folks, believe it or not, cooking sausage isn't rocket science so put it in a pan over medium to medium-high heat and simply sauté the meat. You can use breakfast sausage, ground beef, ground pork, venison, whatever you have and like to enjoy in an omelet. There are not a ton of other seasonings in this recipe so be sure to season the sausage as you cook it. Red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, garlic, etc etc will go a long way to making the casserole a lot more flavorful in the end so season accordingly while you cook the sausage. Be sure to drain any excess grease and set it to the side to cool off while we move on to the egg mixture.
Next, we need to prepare the egg mixture. One of the best aspects of this recipe is that you can literally go to a single store and buy all their brand ingredients and save a few bucks. For the egg mixture, we are going to need some cottage cheese, green chilies, shredded cheese, AP Flour, baking powder, and some eggs. Now I prefer egg whites myself so I always keep cartons of egg whites on hand, especially with the current inflated price of fresh eggs. You can use whole fresh eggs, egg whites, or normal liquid eggs for this recipe. They all work the same so use what you have or what you prefer most.
If you are using fresh whole eggs, be sure to give them a beating to combine the yolks and whites as if you were making scrambled eggs. For all you liquid egg folks, a 16 ounce carton typically equates to about 14 egg whites so adjust accordingly. Otherwise, combine all the above ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to mix them well. Feel free to omit the chilies, use fresh jalapenos, substitute bell peppers, or really do whatever you like to make your casserole how you like. There are two key ingredients here that you cannot change. The AP Flour works as a binder to hold everything together and the baking powder makes the recipe rise while baking to simulate fresh fluffy eggs rather than a flat, egg bake. Otherwise, the "omelet filling" ingredients can be added or left out as you wish.
Once your cooked sausage has cooled somewhat, carefully add it to the egg mixture without making a huge mess hopefully. Be sure the sausage isn't so hot it will begin to cook the eggs yet. That is why we made the sausage first, eh?
That pretty much completes the prep work for this recipe. I told you it was simple! Next, spray a 9x13 baking dish with some cooking oil to prevent anything from sticking and add the mixture. It should be thick, but still liquid enough to evenly spread on its own. Still with me so far? Oh, make sure your oven is preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit as well.
Bake the breakfast casserole uncovered at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes. The mixture should be set and firm when it is done. I would suggest checking it after 30 minutes, but it should definitely be done by 40 minutes. Of course, every oven is different so just be sure to check in on it.
Let the Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Casserole cool for 10 minutes before slicing into portions. You can enjoy it right away or make it part of your weekly meal prep to enjoy later on. Obviously, you can top it with some fresh green onions, bacon bits, or even salsa. That being said, it's a pretty simple recipe with numerous options for customization! Give it a try for yourself and let me know what you thought. As always, get in the kitchen and make delicious food.....Just Keep Cooking!
SAUSAGE, EGG, AND CHEESE BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
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