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Cozy Cheesy Sausage Breakfast Casserole

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A comforting, easy-to-make breakfast casserole with savory sausage, melted cheddar, and custardy egg-soaked bread. Perfect for lazy weekends, holiday mornings, or late-night cravings.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb (450g) breakfast sausage (mild or spicy)
  • 8 large eggs (room temperature preferred)
  • 1½ cups (360ml) whole milk (or half-and-half)
  • 2 cups (200g) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 6 cups (about 300g) day-old bread, cubed (French bread, sourdough, or sturdy bread)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1 bell pepper (any color), diced (optional)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper (fresh ground preferred)
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dried parsley

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
  2. Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and no longer pink (6-8 minutes). Drain most of the fat, leaving about 1-2 tablespoons for flavor. Transfer to a plate and let cool slightly.
  3. In the same skillet, sauté diced onion and bell pepper over medium heat until softened (4-5 minutes). Scrape up any browned bits from the sausage.
  4. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes. If using fresh bread, spread cubes on a baking sheet and toast at 350°F for 5 minutes. Day-old bread can skip this step.
  5. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried parsley until smooth and slightly frothy (about 30 seconds).
  6. Layer the casserole: Spread half the bread cubes in the bottom of the greased dish. Sprinkle half the cooked sausage, half the veggies, and half the cheese. Repeat with remaining bread, sausage, veggies, and cheese. Pour egg mixture evenly over everything. Press down gently with a spatula to help bread absorb liquid.
  7. Cover dish with foil and let rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to allow bread to soak up egg mixture.
  8. Bake covered for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for another 15-20 minutes, until top is golden brown and center is set (a knife inserted in center comes out clean, edges pull away from dish).
  9. Let casserole rest for 5-10 minutes before serving to set up for clean slices.

Notes

For best results, use day-old bread and let the casserole rest before baking. Assemble the night before for an easy morning bake. Toast fresh bread cubes to prevent sogginess. Don’t overmix the eggs. Watch the salt as sausage and cheese are salty. Let rest after baking for clean slices.

Nutrition

Keywords: breakfast casserole, sausage casserole, cheesy breakfast, easy breakfast recipe, holiday breakfast, weekend brunch

Find it online: https://daintydine.com/cozy-cheesy-sausage-breakfast-casserole-easy-best/