Croissant Breakfast Casserole with Sausage

Food

Croissant Breakfast Casserole with Sausage

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December 1, 2022

This super easy Croissant Breakfast Casserole is the ultimate meal prep breakfast! Filled with ground sausage, sautéed onions, red peppers, cheese, fluffy eggs and flaky croissants for the perfect protein packed bite- just grab and go!

Want more easy breakfast recipes? Try out Sheet Pan Mushroom Spinach Frittata, Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats or my Simple Brunch Charcuterie Board.

two plates next to a casserole dish with croissant breakast bake with sausage

Easy Sausage Breakfast Casserole Recipe

Breakfast casseroles have become a favorite around here, this Croissant Breakfast Casserole in particular! I love to make them at the beginning of the week so we have a quick, wholesome meal before we all jet off to our busy days. And breakfast casseroles are also perfect for company and holidays.

A breakfast bake, as some might call it, has it all. Eggs, sausage (some have bacon), vegetables, and cheese. They’re even better when you add some sort of starch like croissants or biscuits. It’s basically a breakfast plate but everything is all tied together into a warm and cozy casserole.

My Croissant Breakfast Casserole with Sausage is one of the easiest breakfast bakes you’ll find. You just need to find some tasty breakfast sausage (we love Jimmy Deans), some vegetables, and pre-baked croissants. I bet you have everything else in your kitchen already! The ingredient list is very basic, the procedures are simple, and it’s ready in under an hour. What more could you ask for?

casserole dish with eggs, croissants, peppers, sausage and cheese

Why You’ll Love This Dish

This Croissant Breakfast Casserole has become a staple morning meal in our house. And here’s why:

It’s a one-stop-shop meal: Every bite has a little bit of something and it’s filling! It has protein from sausage and eggs and nutritious vegetables. There’s no need to make everything separate when it can all come together in this delicious casserole.
It only takes an hour to make. You can make this pretty easily in the morning. I like to make mine over the weekend and have leftovers for the rest of the week.
It’s a big recipe. This recipe has 16 servings! So, it’s perfect to feed a crowd at a brunch, a holiday breakfast, or have tons of leftovers for the week.

ingredients to make a breakfast casserole like eggs, sausage, cheese, red peppers, croisssants, and cream

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this Croissant Breakfast Casserole. Don’t forget to read the recipe card below for the exact amounts and procedures.

Eggs: The main ingredient! The eggs bind everything together. They bake up fluffy and light with lots of goodies in the mix.
Milk: I used 2% for this recipe, but you can use any milk that you’d like. However, if you use low-fat milk, the egg mixture will not be as creamy and dense.
Dijon Mustard: A little bit of dijon mustard adds a kick to the overall flavor of the dish. You could also use one teaspoon of ground mustard instead.
Garlic: Nothing wrong with adding a little fresh garlic! You could use about a teaspoon of granulated garlic, too, if you don’t have any fresh on hand.
Salt and Pepper
Jimmy Dean All Natural Ground Sausage: This is the sausage that I love to use for this recipe. But feel free to get creative and use whatever breakfast sausage you like.
Butter: For cooking the onions. You can also use olive oil or your cooking oil of choice.
Yellow Onion: Sweet onions would also work.
Red Bell Pepper: You can use a different bell pepper, too. Green peppers will not add sweetness as red peppers will though.
Croissants: Find the pre-baked croissants in the bakery section of your supermarket.
Shredded Cheddar Cheese: I can’t think of a better way to top this dish off! I love adding cheese to my egg dishes.
Garnishes: Green onions and parsley are great options to try.

close up of a breakfast casserole made with cut up croissants, sausage, cheese, green onions, and red peppers

Easy Variations

You can mix this recipe up rather easily. Here are some of my quick and easy variations for when you’re out of an ingredient or simply want to mix it up.

Make it a dairy-free breakfast casserole. Simply use coconut milk instead of milk and either omit the cheese or use your favorite vegan cheese. (And don’t cook with butter.)
Use bacon instead of sausage. This is one of my favorites! You can use 1/2 pound or I say just go for it and use a whole pound of bacon.
Add more vegetables. You can add or substitute any of the vegetables. I like to add spinach and mushrooms sometimes instead of red peppers and onions.
No croissants? No problem. You can also use fluffy bread like brioche instead of croissants. I also like to use big chunks of sourdough bread sometimes.

croissant breakfast casserole with eggs, cheese, peppers, green onions, and cheese in a white ceramic dish

How to Make Croissant Breakfast Casserole

The steps are simple and the results are amazing. Here’s how to make this delicious breakfast casserole dish!

pouring cream into a bowl with cracked eggs

a casserole dish with a thin layer of cooked sausage on the bottom

First, whisk the egg mixture. Combine the eggs, milk, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper in a bowl and then set aside.

Then brown the sausage in a pan. Once the sausage is done, remove it from the pan. You can immediately put the sausage into the bottom of the casserole dish that you’re going to be using.

cooking sliced white onions in a saute pan

casserole dish with sausage and cooked onions

Add the onions to the same pan. The onions will start to soften and that’s the perfect time to scrap up any bits of sausage that got stuck to the pan.

Start to layer the casserole. Add the cooked onions on top of the sausage.

casserole dish with sausage, onions, and red peppers

a casserole dish with shredded cheese, red peppers, and sausage

Add the cheese and red peppers. Use about half of the cheese for this layer.

pouring egg into a casserole dish with shredded cheese, sausage, and diced red peppers

a white casserole dish with cut up croissants in it

Pour the egg mixture on top. You can jiggle the pan a little or tap the sides so that the egg mixture spreads out evenly.

Add the pieces of croissant on top. Make sure that they are in a single layer and cover the whole dish.

unbaked croissant breakfast casserole with eggs, cheese, peppers, green onions, and cheese in a white ceramic dish

Finish with the last layer of cheese. And then add the rest of the cheese evenly on top of the croissants.

Cover and bake. You’ll bake the dish covered for about 30 minutes and then bake uncovered for the last 10 minutes or so.

Let it rest for a few minutes before serving. The casserole will need a few minutes to “set up” once it’s out of the oven. Garnish with fresh parsley and green onions before serving.

Tips for Success

Here are a few helpful tips to make sure that your Croissant Breakfast Casserole comes out perfectly.

Use stale croissants. Using stale or day-old croissants will taste much better. They will be a bit dry and that’s the ideal texture you want to soak up the egg mixture.
Make it the night before. You can (and should!) make this the night before. I like to bake it the night before and then cut out individual pieces for us to reheat throughout the week. The texture is a bit denser and it doesn’t fall apart when you slice it if you bake it ahead of time.
Use large eggs. You may want to add 1-2 more eggs if you’re using smaller eggs. If you are buying large or extra large eggs at the market, you’ll be just fine with 5 eggs.

Can This Crescent Roll Breakfast Casserole Be Made in Advance?

This is the best part – you can make this casserole ahead of time! In fact, I recommend it. You have two options:

Bake ahead of time. Use this option if you plan on eating it over the course of a few days. You can bake this egg casserole and store it for weekly breakfasts or even freeze it.
Don’t bake it ahead of time. Use this option if you want to save yourself time in the morning for a big breakfast or holiday brunch. You can store the unbaked casserole for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.

How to Store & Reheat Leftovers

The best way to store any leftover Croissant Breakfast Casserole is to keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It’s even better if you have a lid for your casserole dish!

You can reheat it in the microwave or sometimes I put a slice in the air fryer for a few minutes. If you are looking to reheat the whole casserole, you can do that right in the oven per the recipe instructions (350F for about 30 minutes).