This Healthy Breakfast Casserole has something for everyone. Made with hearty Italian sausage, potatoes (I use hash brown potatoes for a shortcut), melty cheese, and a heap of fresh veggies, it’s hearty, colorful, and sure to keep the peace at breakfast time.
Our family holidays center around food, and “eating healthy” tends to go on the backburner.
If you are the one doing the cooking in our house, the last thing that will pass muster is food that tastes light (and our opinionated bunch will not hesitate to let you know as much).
At the same time, however, by the time we’ve hit our third or fourth day of non-stop decadence, a few members of my family (myself included) appreciate a healthy alternative to provide some nourishment and reprieve.
That’s where this healthy breakfast casserole with potatoes and spinach comes in.
It is LOADED with vegetables at a time when you need them, but thanks to classic hearty additions like hash brown potatoes and sausage, the diner-style breakfast purists will also approve.
Like my other favorite healthy breakfast bakes (Whole30 Breakfast Casserole, Crockpot Egg Casserole, and Hash Brown Casserole), this recipe can be assembled the day before to make your morning easy-breezy.
When you wake up, just preheat the oven, put on the coffee (or pop open the bubbly for an Apple Cider Mimosa), and slip this easy breakfast casserole into the oven.
The scent of melting cheese and zesty sausage will lure your family right on into the kitchen, as will any of my other breakfast casserole recipes!
The Secret to the Best Easy Breakfast Casserole
Since the holidays are busy enough as it is, I wanted to take any timesaving measures I could find to speed this recipe along.
I knew I wanted to use potatoes in the casserole for a homestyle taste that the traditionalists in my family would approve of, but peeling and slicing potatoes can be time-consuming.
I don’t mind doing it in small quantities for recipes like this Potato Frittata, but for a big batch breakfast casserole like this one, I’m not usually in the mood.
Frozen veggies are one of my go-time time savers (hi, Roasted Frozen Broccoli), so I decided to see if I could make healthy breakfast casserole with hash browns instead.
TOTAL SUCCESS.
Rather than dice the potatoes, I swapped in thawed frozen diced hash brown potatoes. They tasted absolutely perfect, to the extent that I may never make a breakfast casserole the old way again.
Tip!
You’ll need 16 ounces of diced hash brown potatoes for this recipe. Most are sold in 2-pound bags (keep the other half in the freezer for another time). You can find them in the freezer section next to the regular hash brown shredded potatoes.
How to Make Healthy Breakfast Casserole
This healthy breakfast casserole with sausage is filling, flavorful, and offers big-time appeal for everyone at the table.
In fact, don’t even mention the “h”-word. Your family will never suspect!
The Ingredients
- Eggs. The “glue” that holds all of our delicious casserole ingredients together. Packed with protein, choline, and numerous vitamins, eggs are an incredibly healthy ingredient.
- Italian Sausage. With added spices, Italian sausage is an especially scrumptious and flavorful addition. Using either Italian turkey or chicken sausage also helps to keep this recipe on the healthy side.
- Bell Pepper. Adds a wonderful pop of color and added nutrition. Bell peppers are rich in vitamin-A and vitamin-C.
- Baby Spinach. An easy way to sneak some greens into your breakfast! When you add the spinach to the skillet, it will seem like far too much. However, it will cook down significantly and be just the right amount.
- Hot Sauce. Add a little of your favorite hot sauce for a mild touch of heat.
- Hash Browns. The ultimate crowd-pleasing casserole ingredient that helps make this recipe extra satisfying. Plus, using frozen hash browns keeps things quick and easy.
- Cheddar Cheese. Sharp cheddar cheese won’t get lost amongst other ingredients in this casserole, and its flavor wonderfully complements them too.
The Directions
- Brown the sausage. Transfer it to a mixing bowl.
- Saute the vegetables.
- Combine the veggies, sausage, hash browns, and part of the cheese.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, hot sauce, and seasoning together.
- Stir everything together and pour it into a baking dish. Sprinkle more cheese on top.
- Bake covered at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes and uncovered 15 to 20 minutes. Finish with green onions and DIG IN!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Refrigerate casserole in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat. Gently rewarm leftovers in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F.
- To Freeze. Freeze casserole in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Make Ahead Tips
Fully assemble the casserole up to 1 day in advance, and store it unbaked and covered in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to bake, let the casserole come to room temperature while you preheat the oven, then bake it as directed.
What to Serve with Breakfast Casserole
In addition to being a peace-keeping, wholesome breakfast, this healthy breakfast casserole is feels at home for easy lunches and even dinners. Serve it with a green salad or other breakfast favorites.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Baking Dish. Perfect for making a breakfast casserole.
- Whisk. This is my favorite whisk. I love the smaller size!
- Nonstick Skillet. Cleanup is a breeze with this skillet.
Beautiful Baking Dish
Not only is this baking dish high-quality and long-lasting, but it also looks beautiful served on a table. This piece will last a lifetime!
Whether you need breakfast for a crowd or a few, the spot-on flavors here are sure to please, and you’ll enjoy the leftovers too!
If you try this healthy breakfast casserole, I’d love to hear what you and your family think. Please let me know in the comments below. I hope it unites the members of your household the way it does mine.
Healthy Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound sweet or spicy Italian turkey sausage or chicken sausage either in bulk or in casings
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper cut into a small dice
- 1 small bunch green onions finely chopped (about ¾ cup), divided
- 5 ounces roughly chopped or torn baby spinach about 5 cups
- 10 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 to 2 teaspoons of your favorite hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 16 ounces frozen diced hash browns thawed (or 2 cups ½-inch diced white potatoes)
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Generously coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray or butter it.
- Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Break the sausage up in the skillet into small pieces and brown it, until it is fully cooked through. With a slotted spoon, remove to a large mixing bowl. No need to wipe the skillet clean.
- Drizzle in the olive oil. Add the bell pepper and three-fourths of the green onions. Stir and cook until the pepper is crisp-tender, about 8 minutes.
- Add the spinach a few handfuls at a time, stirring until the spinach wilts. It will look like a lot of spinach at first, but it will cook down considerably. This will take about 2 minutes. Add the vegetables to the mixing bowl with the sausage.
- To the mixing bowl, add the hash browns and ½ cup of the cheese. With a large spoon, gently stir to combine.
- In a separate larger mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt, and pepper until blended.
- Pour the egg mixture over the hash brown mixture and stir gently to combine. Carefully pour into the prepared baking dish. Use a spoon to prod the filling into an even layer. Top evenly with the remaining ½ cup cheese.
- Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil and continue baking until the eggs are set and the potatoes are tender (I use a fork to remove a potato and test it), about 15 to 20 additional minutes. Let rest a few minutes. Sprinkle with the reserved green onions. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- TO STORE: Refrigerate casserole in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
- TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm leftovers in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze casserole in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- TO MAKE AHEAD: Fully assemble the casserole up to 1 day in advance, and store it unbaked and covered in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to bake, let the casserole come to room temperature while you preheat the oven, then bake it as directed.
Nutrition
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Made it for Christmas morning but with breakfast sausage. Delicious
Will definitely make it again. Thanks, Erin.
Barbara, thank you for sharing this wonderful review. I am so happy you enjoyed it!
This breakfast casserole is delicious and a win-win-win! I prepared it and refrigerated it overnight for my New Year’s brunch. I loved all the veggies, and the “no bread” base was glorious. I cooked enough to freeze and we’re heating it up for breakfast this morning. Thank you for sharing Erin.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Caren! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
In substitutions you say 4 cups potatoes but under ingredients you say 2 cups. What is the correct one?
Hi Laurie! You should use 2 cups of potatoes. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
I reviewed this recipe once, but in retrospect, I would like for it to be less “dense” and more fluffy. I don’t know where I went wrong, but would be grateful for any advice. Thank you.
Hi Caren! It’s so hard to say what might’ve happened without being in the kitchen with you. Make sure you whisk your eggs very well to incorporate more air. I hope you enjoy it even more next time!
Yummy! I think 30 minutes is enough, and my frozen hash browns were from the ice age, but my neighbors and I enjoyed it. Did mix it all together and used frozen spinach and breakfast sausage.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
This recipe was super easy to make! I used egg beaters (2 1/4 cups was the equivalent to 10 eggs). This will definitely be a staple recipe in my home! Highly recommend it! SOOOO GOOD!
Hi Denise! So glad you enjoyed the casserole! Thank you for this kind review!
Do you have to cook the potatoes (russet)first before baking them with all the other ingredients?
Hi Vanessa! You can swap the frozen hash browns for 2 cups of diced fresh (which means uncooked) Yukon gold or russet potatoes. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Thank you so much for a breakfast casserole without the bread! I’m making this for Christmas morning….perfect!
Hi Janet! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This healthy casserole has become a favorite with our family. We have mixed up the veggies and even done versions with vegan sausage. It is making an appearance again tomorrow at Christmas morning breakfast. Thank you, Erin!
Hi Elena! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Excellent! We all loved it! Easy to make, baked at times listed, absolutely delicious! Just enough cheese and spinach. Adding to my holiday/company/a crowd breakfast menu!
Hi Janet! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Nice idea- simple to prep ahead and then just whisk eggs in am before baking. Well received. Only think I would do differently is cook the potatoes a little with the veggies- perhaps adding onions and garlic for some extra seasoning.
Will definitely make again.
Hi! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Love the ingredients in this recipe but need to make a crockpot version. Have you tried it? I have seen your crockpot recipe but want to use potatoes instead of bread.
Hi Debbie, I have not made this version of my breakfast casserole in the crockpot but as you have seen I do have a crockpot breakfast casserole that only contains bread and not potatoes. You might also like this version that contains potatoes: https://www.wellplated.com/vegetarian-breakfast-casserole/ Hope this helps!