Description
Beef sausage egg cream cheese casserole brings weekend breakfast dreams to life with its hearty layers of savory goodness. Your family will devour this simple, satisfying dish that comes together faster than morning coffee brewing.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 12 large eggs
- 1 lb ground beef breakfast sausage
- 8 slices sandwich bread
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
Cheese Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 0.5 cup shredded Monterey Jack or Colby Jack cheese
Supporting Ingredients:
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1 small bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup whole milk or half-and-half
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning or sage
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
- 0.25 teaspoon onion powder
- 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- Non-stick cooking spray or butter
Instructions
- Crush 1 lb beef sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until completely browned and no longer pink, about 7-10 minutes. Drain excess grease thoroughly.
- Heat 1 tbsp butter in the same skillet. Sauté 1 diced onion and 1 diced bell pepper for 5-7 minutes until tender. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook 1 minute until aromatic.
- Sprinkle Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes into the vegetable mixture. Stir for 30-60 seconds to release flavors.
- Combine sausage with seasoned vegetables. Let mixture cool slightly while preparing other ingredients.
- Set oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick spray. Layer 8 bread slices across the bottom of the dish.
- Whip 12 eggs until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Blend in 8 oz softened cream cheese until completely smooth.
- Incorporate 1 cup milk, salt, and black pepper into egg mixture. Gently fold in 1 cup cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese.
- Distribute sausage and vegetable blend evenly over bread slices. Pour egg mixture across the top, ensuring bread becomes completely saturated.
- Scatter remaining 0.5 cup cheddar cheese over casserole surface.
- Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking 20-30 minutes until golden and center reaches 160°F.
- Allow casserole to rest 10-15 minutes before cutting into squares. Optional: garnish with fresh herbs.
Notes
- Toast bread slightly before layering to prevent sogginess and add extra crunch to the casserole base.
- Drain sausage thoroughly to prevent excess grease pooling in the final dish and ensure a crisp texture.
- For a lower-carb version, swap bread with cauliflower rice or zucchini slices and reduce baking time by 10-15 minutes.
- Experiment with different cheese blends like pepper jack or gouda to customize the flavor profile and keep the dish interesting.
- Prep Time: 20-25 minutes
- Cook Time: 50-60 minutes
- Category: Casseroles
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 335 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 530 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 19 g
- Cholesterol: 215 mg