Hearty, cheesy, and packed with protein, this sausage egg and cheese casserole will be your new favorite way to kick off the morning. Everything bakes in one dish, so cleanup is a breeze and the leftovers are genuinely something to look forward to. With savory turkey sausage, melty cheddar, and tender veggies all baked into a fluffy egg mixture, this breakfast casserole is one of those secret weapons every home cook should have up their sleeve.
This egg casserole is loaded with protein from the eggs, cottage cheese, and turkey sausage, which keeps me full and powered up straight through the morning. I started making it when I wanted a break from all those super-processed breakfast foods, and it quickly turned into a regular weekly favorite. It sneaks in some extra veggies in a way that cranks up the flavor while quietly ticking the nutrition box too.
❤️ Why you will love this recipe
- Protein-packed: With turkey sausage, eggs, and cheese, it keeps you full and satisfied.
- Meal prep gold: Make it once, eat it all week straight from the fridge or microwave.
- One-pan win: Everything comes together in a single baking dish for easy cleanup.
- Crowd-friendly: Perfect for brunch, potlucks, or feeding hungry weekend guests.
- Customizable: Swap veggies, cheeses, or proteins for whatever’s in your fridge.
- Tastes amazing: Balanced flavors, elevated by seasoning that makes every bite drool-worthy.
🗝️ Key ingredients & substitutions
- Turkey sausage: Brings flavor and protein without the heaviness of pork. I’ve included my homemade recipe but feel free to use store-bought. You can also swap in pork, plant-based, or any other sausage you like.
- Eggs: Eggs hold everything together and give the bake its structure. A dozen large eggs is the same as 14 medium or 16 small eggs.
- Cottage cheese: Adds richness and a protein boost. If you’re out, Greek yogurt or ricotta will do the trick.
- Milk: Loosens the egg mixture for that scrambled egg fluffiness. Any milk works here, dairy or non-dairy.
- Bell peppers: Add color and a touch of sweetness. Use any combo of red, green, orange, or yellow.
- Red onion: Adds depth and a little bite. Yellow or white onion works, or try spring onions or chives for something milder.
- Frozen spinach: A simple way to sneak in greens. Just thaw and squeeze out the water first. Kale or broccoli can sub in if needed.
- Cheddar cheese: Melts beautifully and brings that classic breakfast flavor. Monterey Jack, Colby, or a sharp cheese blend are also great choices.
- Salt + black pepper: Essential for seasoning. The recipe uses fine salt, so if you’re using kosher or sea salt, you may need to add a little more.
- Turkey sausage spice mix (optional): Turn plain ground turkey into flavorful homemade sausage using my mix of sage, paprika, thyme, coriander, and a hint of cayenne.
🥣 How to make sausage, egg, and cheese baked casserole
- Preheat and prep: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Cook the sausage: In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown the turkey sausage until fully cooked with no pink left. Use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a plate, leaving the juices behind.
- Blend the egg base: In a large mixing bowl (or blender), combine the eggs, cottage cheese, and milk. Use an immersion blender to mix until smooth.
- Sauté the veg: In the same pan as the sausage was cooked, cook the diced onion, bell peppers, and frozen spinach for 5-10 minutes, until softened and the liquid has mostly evaporated.
- Combine it all: Stir in the shredded cheese, cooked sausage, sautéed vegetables, salt, and pepper. Mix well to evenly distribute everything.
- Fill the dish: Pour the egg mixture into your prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer.
- Bake it up: Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the edges are set and the center just barely jiggles.
- Cool and slice: Let the casserole cool for 10 minutes before slicing into 12 squares.
🪄 Recipe notes & tips
- Don’t overblend: If you’re using a blender for the egg mixture, pulse just enough to smooth out the cottage cheese. Too much blending makes it frothy.
- Use a slotted spoon: This helps drain any juices from the sausage before mixing it in. I like to cook my veggies in the liquid for extra flavor.
- Squeeze the spinach: Frozen spinach holds a lot of water. Press it out with a clean towel or your hands to avoid a soggy bake.
- Watch the center: The edges will set first. Look for a gentle jiggle in the middle – it’ll finish setting as it cools.
- Let it rest: Don’t skip the 10-minute cooling time. It makes slicing neater and helps the texture firm up.
- Scale it down: Halve the ingredients and use an 8×8 inch dish for a smaller batch.
🫙 Storage instructions
- Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Slice and freeze portions individually, tightly wrapped or in a freezer-safe container, for up to 2 months.
- Reheating: Warm in the microwave or oven until heated through.
- Best practice: Let the casserole cool to room temperature before storing to avoid excess moisture buildup.
✨ Variations
- Extra flavor: Try adding dry mustard, or a little fresh garlic or garlic powder.
- Veggie-loaded: Add mushrooms, zucchini, or chopped broccoli to bulk it out with more plant power. Be sure to sauté them to remove extra moisture.
- Spicy: Mix in jalapeños, chili flakes, cayenne pepper, or a dash of hot sauce for some heat.
- Herby: Add fresh parsley, basil, or a little dill to brighten things up.
- Tex-Mex style: Use taco-seasoned sausage and stir in some black beans and corn.
- Mediterranean: Try sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and feta instead of cheddar.
🍽️ What to serve with sausage breakfast casserole
- Fresh sides: Serve with Wedge Salad with Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing, Pickled Beet Salad, sliced tomatoes, or cucumber ribbons.
- Toasty carbs: Pair it with Air Fryer Diced Potatoes, Air Fryer Sweet Potato Toast, sourdough toast, or English muffins.
- Brunch extras: Add a side of fruit salad, Greek yogurt with honey, or Yogurt Chia Pudding, and consider a smoothie such as my Apple Pie Smoothie or Pumpkin Smoothie.
- Saucy toppings: Drizzle with salsa, Taco Truck Green Sauce, Keto Guacamole, avocado crema, Whole30 Ranch, or a simple dollop of sour cream.
- Protein boost: Serve with Air Fryer Turkey Bacon, Air Fryer Canadian Bacon, Oven-Baked Sausage Links or Air-Fried Sausage Links.
❓ Frequently asked questions
That usually means it was overbaked. Pull it from the oven when the center is just set with a slight wobble. The eggs will finish cooking as it rests, leaving you with a soft and fluffy texture instead of something chewy.
This usually happens when there’s too much moisture in the veggies. Make sure to squeeze out any excess liquid from frozen spinach or other high-water vegetables before mixing them in. A quick sauté before baking can also help cook off extra moisture.
If you’re using raw sausage (like the homemade turkey sausage in this recipe), you won’t necessarily need to brown it, but you do need to cook it first until there’s no pink left. However, if you’re using pre-cooked sausage, you can skip that step and mix it straight in.
Yes, you can absolutely prep it the night before. Just assemble everything, cover it tightly, and pop it in the fridge. When you’re ready to bake, let it sit on the counter while the oven preheats. If it’s still a bit cold when it goes in, give it an extra 5 to 10 minutes to bake through.
Sure can. Once it’s assembled, wrap it well with plastic wrap and foil, then freeze it for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge, then bake as usual. It’s a great option if you’re planning ahead for a busy week.
Some people like to bake it halfway first, let it cool completely, then freeze. If you do this, just bake it straight from the freezer when you’re ready to eat. It might need a bit more time in the oven, and you can cover it with foil if it starts browning too quickly.
😋 More protein-packed breakfast recipes to try
- Keto Breakfast Casserole
- Whole30 Breakfast Casserole
- Ham and Cheese Frittata
- 4 Easy Ways To Cook Breakfast Sausage
- Keto Egg Wraps
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📖 Recipe
Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs turkey sausage see ingredients below for homemade mix
- 12 eggs
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ red onion diced
- ½ green bell pepper diced
- ½ red bell pepper diced
- 3 oz frozen spinach
- 2 cups reduced fat cheddar cheese shredded
Turkey Sausage Mix (Optional)
- non stick spray
- 2 lbs ground turkey
- 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- 3 teaspoons dried sage
- 1½ teaspoons coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
- 3 teaspoons black pepper
- 1½ teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C and grease a 9×13″ casserole dish.
- Use a little non-stick spray if needed, and cook the sausage in a medium sized skillet over medium heat, until it is cooked through with no pink bits left, about 5 minutes. If you’re making the sausage from scratch, just add all of the ingredients to the pan and mix as you cook. Remove the cooked meat with a slotted spoon (leaving any juices behind) and set aside.non stick spray, 2 lbs ground turkey, 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika, 3 teaspoons dried sage, 1½ teaspoons coriander seeds, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper powder, 3 teaspoons black pepper, 1½ teaspoons salt
- In the same pan with the juices, add the onion, peppers, and frozen spinach, and cook for about 5-10 minutes, until the veggies soften, the spinach thaws, and the extra liquid in the pan evaporates.½ red onion, ½ green bell pepper, ½ red bell pepper, 3 oz frozen spinach
- While the veggies are cooking, add the eggs, cottage cheese, and milk to a large mixing bowl (or blender) and blend with an immersion blender until the cottage cheese is smooth. Don’t over-blend – we don’t want the eggs to froth too much.12 eggs, 1 cup cottage cheese, 1/4 cup milk
- Add the shredded cheese, cooked meat, cooked vegetables, salt, and pepper to the large bowl with the cottage cheese mixture in it, and mix well.1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 cups reduced fat cheddar cheese
- Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish and bake for 40-50 minutes until the edges are set and the middle is just about set (maybe a little jiggle in the very center, but otherwise it should be cooked).
- Allow the cottage cheese egg bake to cool for 10 minutes, and then slice into 12 squares, and enjoy!
Notes
- Don’t overblend: If you’re using a blender for the egg mixture, pulse just enough to smooth out the cottage cheese. Too much blending makes it frothy.
- Use a slotted spoon: This helps drain any juices from the sausage before mixing it in. I like to cook my veggies in the liquid for extra flavor.
- Squeeze the spinach: Frozen spinach holds a lot of water. Press it out with a clean towel or your hands to avoid a soggy bake.
- Watch the center: The edges will set first. Look for a gentle jiggle in the middle – it’ll finish setting as it cools.
- Let it rest: Don’t skip the 10-minute cooling time. It makes slicing neater and helps the texture firm up.
- Scale it down: Halve the ingredients and use an 8×8 inch dish for a smaller batch.
Storage instructions:
- Fridge: Store cooked patties in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Let them cool completely, then freeze in a single layer before transferring to a container or bag. They’ll keep well for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Warm them in a skillet over medium heat, microwave in short bursts, use the oven at 350°F, or reheat in the air fryer.
- Meal prep tip: Freeze individually so you can pull out exactly what you need without defrosting the whole batch.