Farmers’ Market Overnight Breakfast Egg Casserole
~ Loaded with bountiful veggies, this hearty egg bake is deliciously satisfying, without weighing you down! Unlike many recipes, this egg casserole is made without bread. And since you can make it the night before, it’s perfect for holiday brunches or make-ahead family breakfasts! ~
This Recipe Is: • Freezable • Make Ahead • Gluten Free •
I have a little backstory about our blog and this recipe … and the friendship that inspired them both. But, first things first, right? Before I dive into all that, I know you’re truly here for the recipe … and you might want to take a peek at our little video tutorial that showcases this egg casserole recipe (and how easy it is to make). No worries! I get it … go ahead and check it out!
Video Tutorial
Yum, right?!? Yeah. It really is a favorite! You definitely do want to make this! But if you wanna know the backstory, read on here before you head to the recipe card …
Sooooo … Ever since we became friends a few years back, Gretchen has laughed a lot.
At me.
Generally while also shaking her head with that expression of wide-eyed disbelief that says “I think you might actually be certifiably nuts, but you’re pretty fun to hang out with, so I’m just gonna humor your latest insane idea/crazy suggestion/I-seriously-don’t-know-where-you-come-up-with-this-stuff comment.”
Although, to be fair, I guess I probably spend just as much time giggling and shaking my head right back at her.
In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s how we ended up with a blog. We have no idea anymore whose you’ve-got-to-be-kidding idea this originally was, but apparently the other one decided to go along with it.
So here we are.
And isn’t that just one of the very best things about good friends?
They give you an entirely different perspective on the world, without ever judging your own views and ways of doing things (even if they do think you’re a little bit crazy!). And sometimes you actually learn a lot along the way.
I especially notice this with Gretchen since we spend so much time working together in the very personal spaces of each other’s kitchens (rooting through each other’s cupboards and refrigerators), discussing what flavor combinations taste terrific, and chatting about our families’ food preferences and traditions.
For example …
• She organizes things in her kitchen totally differently than I do (as in, she actually organizes things).
• While it seems completely clear to me that the fastest way to deal with a clove of garlic is with a chef’s knife, it has always been absolutely obvious to her that the best way to tackle garlic is with a garlic press. Huh. Go figure. (Side note: I absolutely swear by my 8″ Victorinox chef’s knife – unbeatable price and a top Cook’s Illustrated rating convinced me to buy it, and I’ve never looked back.)
• Oh – and that amazing little contraption she calls a can opener still remains a mystery to me no matter how many times she shows me how to use it. Never seen a can opener like that before! But I have to admit that it works like a charm (and I kinda covet it). Who knew?
• Yeah, and she fastidiously pre-rinses every dish before it goes in the dishwasher. I pretty much figure that’s why I bought a dishwasher in the first place, and only worry about any food particle bigger than an entire hamburger. We’re just different that way, ya know?
And really, our differences make us – and this blog – so much better. We’re constantly questioning and pushing each other to retest and perfect recipes, or to clarify techniques that might not be clear to anyone else, even though they seem crystal-clear to one of us.
This all leads us to the story of this breakfast casserole.
Because … holiday food traditions? Well, we’ve learned a few things from each other there, too!
I mean, in my family, holidays like Easter and Christmas involve gaggles of family members and generally require multiple parties. At least one gathering’s always a brunch (gotta start early if you’re gonna cram in that much partying!). And it’s always just been a no-brainer for all of us that this meant make-ahead breakfast casseroles.
As much as we love cooking, we sure don’t want to get up at the crack of dawn to do it! (We may start our parties early, but we’re for sure not crack-of-dawn people!)
And, seriously – who wants to be stuck in the kitchen when there are Easter eggs to hunt and raucous laughter emanating from the next room?
Gretchen’s side of the family doesn’t live quite so near, so morning festivities and massive brunch parties aren’t really their thing.
And she was a little surprised when I passionately explained how (obviously!?!?!) everyone absolutely needs make-ahead breakfast casseroles for holidays. I mean … it just seemed so clear to me that everyone did!
But, of course, she loves any recipe that’s an easy make-ahead. So, it wasn’t actually all that hard to convince her that if she ever begins hosting brunch bashes, overnight casseroles are the only way to go!
And she was totally on board when I said that we’d clearly, therefore, need to do a round-up of make-ahead breakfast ideas for last Christmas! As we were compiling those recipes, I was sure I’d find a recipe Just.Like.This.One. It seemed perfectly obvious – the typical hearty egg casserole made fresher, lighter, healthier, yummier by tons of great veggies. It was the recipe I really wanted to find – surely everyone had a recipe Just.Like.This.One. Right?
Apparently not.
If you check out our THK round-up of make-ahead breakfasts, you won’t see this recipe, or even one just like it.
So, since I didn’t find it, I created my own.
And I love it. We all love it!
It’s got all the hearty, fuel-you-up-to-finish-hunting-down-that-last-impossible-egg ingredients you’d expect from an egg casserole, but with leaner sausage and cheese, plus tons of delicious and nutrition-packed veggies.
It’s like a farmers’ market in your baking pan (you know … hence, the name …).
Make It Ahead … the Night Before!
Best part of all? You can prep the entire casserole the night before (and much of the work can be done even further ahead than that!), so you don’t miss one second of the action on the morning of your brunch! Perfect!
Your oven does all the work while you discover the last, impossible-to-find egg (what was the Easter Bunny thinking on that one????).
Meal Prep and Freezing Options!
Also perfect?
Leftovers reheat beautifully for easy breakfasts all week long! It’s a great little recipe for those of you who like to meal prep to simplify busy weeks.
In fact, I often make this just for my family of four on the weekend, and then enjoy quick, ready-to-reheat breakfasts for days! Honestly, I was truly surprised how well this reheats – it’s just as good warmed up three or four days later!
It also freezes beautifully. Just portion out individual servings, wrap them in plastic, and freeze them in a zipper bag. A quick tango with your microwave, and they’ll be scrumptious all over again!
It’s Even Portable!
And for all those on-the-go mornings, just rewarm some of this breakfast casserole and wrap it inside a whole-grain tortilla. You’re out the door in a flash, with a fantastic, portable breakfast to power you through your busy day.
When it comes to easy, delicious, healthy make-ahead breakfasts (and particularly this fantastic overnight egg casserole), Gretchen and I definitely agree … fabulous, all around!
But it for sure won’t be long before she finds some other reason to giggle and shake her head at me.
Or until I stare in wide-eyed wonder at her as she organizes something that doesn’t actually need organized, or elaborates on the next crazy scheme that she will somehow eventually talk me into!
That’s just how friends are.
Farmers' Market Overnight Breakfast Egg Casserole
Loaded with bountiful veggies, this delicious egg bake has been winning raves for years and years! It's great for holiday brunches or make-ahead breakfasts. And, since this egg casserole is made without bread, it's even gluten free, too!
• Freezable • Make Ahead • Gluten Free •
Ingredients
- 1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage
- 1 1/2 cups diced sweet onion (from about half a large onion)
- 8 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes (sometimes labeled "country style")
- 2 cups shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 cup diced green pepper (from about 1 small-medium pepper)
- 2-3 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced (to equal about 1 - 1 1/4 cups)
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions (from about 6 onions)
- 12 eggs
- 1 3/4 cup nonfat milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a large non-stick skillet (I like this one) over medium heat, cook sausage, onions, mushrooms, and garlic until sausage is no longer pink and mushrooms have given off some of their liquid, about 10 minutes. Throughout cooking, stir to crumble sausage and break up mushrooms. (You can leave the mushrooms in larger slices or break them into almost unnoticeable little pieces as you crumble the sausage.) Drain the liquid.
- In a 9x13 pan coated with cooking spray, layer potatoes (there is no need to thaw them), sausage mixture, 1 cup cheese, green peppers, tomatoes, and green onions.
- In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, parsley, salt, basil, and pepper. Whisk thoroughly to combine, then add remaining 1 cup of cheese and whisk again. Pour egg mixture evenly over other ingredients in baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. (Alternately, you can bake this casserole immediately.)
- In the morning, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Bake casserole, uncovered, for about 60-70 minutes, or until egg in middle is just set and edges are lightly golden brown.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
Make-Ahead Options:
If you need to start on this recipe even earlier than the evening before your brunch, you can cook the sausage, onions, mushrooms, and garlic earlier in the day or a day ahead, and also chop the green peppers and green onions. Refrigerate the sausage mixture and the chopped peppers and onions in separate containers until assembling the casserole.
After the casserole is baked, you can refrigerate leftovers and reheat individual portions in the microwave for quick breakfasts all week.
This also freezes wonderfully. Pre-portion leftovers, wrap each portion individually in plastic, and store in a zipper container in the freezer. Microwave on several layers of paper towel to reheat as needed. After being frozen, the veggies let off water when reheated, but this casserole is still surprisingly terrific, so don't let that liquid worry you.
For Breakfasts On the Go (Or Snacks and Dinners on Busy Evenings): Nestle re-warmed slices of the casserole into a tortilla for a wrap.
Breakfast for Dinner: You can make this in the morning and refrigerate until baking, or prep it in the afternoon and then cook it immediately, for a fun "breakfast for dinner" option.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 servings Serving Size: 1 pieceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 187Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 169mgSodium: 615mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 18g
Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.
I’ve made this casserole many times including yesterday for a Mother’s Day brunch. It’s delicious & reheats well! In my oven the edges burn, so I might try cooking it covered or longer at 350 degrees next time. Has anyone had the same issue?
Hi there, Kathie! First off, I have to apologize for the delay in responding to your lovely comment (thank you!) and your question – I’m not quite sure how your message got lost in the shuffle, but I’m so sorry! At any rate … I’m trying to think how to help you trobuleshoot the burned edges, since I’ve never had much problem with that in all the times I’ve made this. A couple of thoughts: do you typically find that just one particular edge tends to burn? The reason that I ask is because most ovens have “hot spots” – certain sides or corners that tend to be hotter than others. It can be a good idea to rotate baking pans once or twice during baking (the same applies with cookies on cookie sheets, etc.) to account for hot spots and make sure whatever you’re baking ends up evenly baked on all edges. If that’s not the problem here, you could also try making a little aluminum foil rim to cover just the edges of the casserole toward the end of baking, without having to mess with changing baking temperatures, etc. It’s pretty common to shield a certain part of a baked or roasted product from the heat for part of the cooking, particularly with baking things like pies (shielding the crust while the rest of the pie finishes baking) or even roasting turkeys (shielding the breast meat to protect it from over-roasting and drying out). There are plenty of online resources about this, but here’s a quick one that you could adapt for this breakfast casserole: https://www.thespruceeats.com/foil-ring-for-pie-crust-3057595. Let me know if these ideas are useful, or if I can help you with more troubleshooting! And have a really fantastic week, Kathie! ~Shelley
I love this recipe and was trying to print out a fresh copy and the ingredients do not print formatted correctly. Instead of a list, they are in paragraph form. My old copy has them in a list format. Is this something that can be easily corrected? Thanks!
Oh my goodness, Nancy – I’m so sorry! I don’t know what’s going on with the recipe card’s print function, but you’re exactly right … it’s all just a jumbled mess. That’s definitely not how it’s supposed to be! I’ll ask my tech gurus (who are amazing and wonderful) if they can take a quick peek and get that fixed ASAP. I really do apologize, and certainly appreciate that you took a moment to let me know about the problem! Oh – and I’m so delighted that you love this recipe – truly happy to know that, too! 😀 ~shelley
Ok, Nancy! My tech magicians seem to have it all cleaned up already! Geez … I sure do love those guys! If you have any more trouble at all, don’t hesitate to let me know, though. And again – my apologies and most sincere thanks! 🙂 ~Shelley
Frustrated because I could never find the video. Where is it?
Hi Lynn! I’m so sorry you had trouble finding the video. You should find it right near the end of the “article” portion of our post (before the recipe card) – under the words “Watch Our Quick Video to See How Easy This Is! Take a peek at how simply this comes together … and then … get cookin’!” It basically looks like a photo with a green “play” arrow on it. I hope that helps, but if you’re still having trouble, please do let me know so I can try to help! Thanks, and have a terrific week! ~Shelley
I’m not seeing it either!
Lynn and Joe – Are you guys viewing on mobile? I just checked on my iPhone, and although the video shows up on desktop (which is where I’m usually working and looking at these things), I don’t see it on my phone anymore either! I truly apologize and am contacting tech support right now. Thank you for letting me know, and again, my true apologies! ~Shelley
Hey there, Lynn and Joe! I just wanted to thank you both again for helping me out with this and bringing it to my attention. Looks like this was sporadically happening with several of my videos (not only with this egg casserole recipe) … and you guys actually unearthed a larger tech glitch happening network-wide with my provider! Wow – thank you! They’ve got their tech team working on it, but it might take a couple of days – their support is top-notch, so I know if it’s going to take them a couple of days to patch up (and not just an hour or two), that means you guys stumbled upon a seriously problematic glitch! Thanks bunches for taking a moment to let me (and THEM) know – I really appreciate the help! Hope you both have a terrific weekend! ~Shelley
Followed the recipe but it came out way under cooked and soupy. Also the top was burnt. Why?
Hmmmmmm … Elisha … I’m absolutely racking my brains on this! I’ve made this so many times and have had oodles of readers comment about their experiences with this breakfast casserole over the years, and I’ve never had anyone report this problem or experienced anything like it myself. I’m honestly at a total loss about what might have gone wrong, but I’d love to help you try to troubleshoot. Can I ask you some more questions to see if we can figure it out? My first question is about your oven and where the oven rack was placed with respect to your heating element. Was the casserole jammed right up against the heating element on top? Also, I’m wondering if you might have had several other items all baking in the oven at the same time, so there wasn’t enough heat to cook the casserole before the top burned? A couple other ideas – and these are long shots, so please don’t be offended I’m asking – but you didn’t, by chance, try to bake the casserole from frozen, right? Or possibly use more than just 1 3/4 cups of milk? Let me know, and we’ll see if we can narrow down what’s going on here. I’m so glad you took the time to ask, though, so I can help you out! ~Shelley
: ) Please ignore previous question. Just read the bottom of your post more carefully. I can do all my chopping etc. That will help! Thanks again for a great recipe!
Hey again, Madeline! I’m so sorry for these delayed responses, but really your pervious question was a great one (and I’m leaving it up so others can see your question and my answer). I’m always looking for ways to make recipes come together faster – steps that can be completed ahead, etc. For one thing, because it helps me out every time I make them (because I honestly do make recipes from my web site ALL the time – even long after they’re posted and I’m done officially “testing” them for my readers) – but also, of course, so I can share those make-ahead tips with our readers! Make-ahead steps can make all the difference for busy cooks! But anyway – yes – you’re right that even just pre-chopping will help you pull this breakfast casserole together faster. Pre-chopping ingredients is one of my fave strategies to save time at the last minute! Thanks again for your sweet comments (and good question!) – I genuinely appreciate it! 🙂 ~Shelley