Easy Breakfast Casserole Recipe for Easter Brunch

Easter is fast approaching, and it’s time to start planning your Easter brunch and breakfast casserole recipe! Whether you’re entertaining a crowd or you’re only looking for something special to eat with your family, this breakfast casserole recipe is perfect. Here’s a recipe that’s both easy to make and can feed a crowd.

Breakfast Casserole Recipe

Adapted from Food Network

Ingredients:

  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
  • 2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
  • 1 pound ground sausage, any style
  • 6 slices soft bread, any style
  • 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 8 large eggs
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard spice
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Preheat

Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Vegetables

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat for about a minute. Add the onions and peppers and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent. Transfer the vegetables to a medium bowl and set aside.

Sausage

Add the sausage to a large skillet, crumbling it gently with your fingers as you place it in the pan. Cook the sausage over medium heat, breaking the sausage down further with a wooden spoon as you cook to make even smaller pieces. Stir the sausage constantly during the cooking process. Cook the sausage until it browns slightly, which should take about 10 minutes. Transfer the sausage to paper towels to allow it to drain.

Baking Dish

Cut the crust off the slices of bread and place them in a single layer at the bottom of the baking dish. You may need to cut the pieces so that they can fit perfectly into the baking dish. Sprinkle with the cooked sausage, peppers and onions, and then with half of the grated cheese.

Crack the eggs into a large bowl and add the milk, dry mustard, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Whisk together using a large balloon whisk and then pour it over the rest of the ingredients in the baking dish. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.

Cook

Place the baking dish in the center of the oven and bake the casserole for 40 minutes, or until it’s golden-brown in color. Remove from the oven and let it sit on the countertop for 10 minutes before serving.


Variations:

Breakfast Casserole with Mushrooms. Prepare the recipe listed above but omit the bell peppers. After adding the egg mixture to the baking dish, place 1 pint sliced mushrooms over the top of the casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake as usual.

Breakfast Casserole with Artichokes. Prepare the recipe listed above but omit the bell peppers. Drain 1 can of quartered artichoke hearts and place the artichokes over the sautéed onions in the baking dish. Add the remaining ingredients as outlined in the recipe and bake as usual.