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Southwestern Baked Breakfast Casserole is the perfect dish for a brunch or make-ahead breakfasts for the week. Eggs are mixed with cheese, milk, sausage, bell pepper, onion, Southwestern spices, baked and topped with fresh cilantro and green onion making a warm, flavorful casserole.
I don’t know about you, but I love an easy breakfast casserole recipe. This one makes a great weekend breakfast. Warm, cheesy and filling…you can’t beat starting your day with a plate of that deliciousness.
This Southwestern Baked Breakfast Casserole is a great dish to make for a brunch or potluck but also works well as an everyday breakfast that you can have waiting for you in the fridge when you wake up. Today’s casserole mixes sausage, a dozen eggs with milk, cumin, chili powder and cayenne, onion, bell pepper, salsa, shredded cheese and sliced jalapeños {optional of course}. It is packed with fresh ingredients, which I love.
The casserole is baked to perfection and topped with freshly chopped cilantro and green onions along with a dollop of sour cream and salsa if you fancy. This works as an overnight breakfast casserole. You can prep everything in the dish and store in the fridge with plastic wrap until the next morning and bake it.
It would work really well for christmas morning during the holiday season, a Sunday brunch or special occasions. You can make this ahead of time and it will taste great the next morning. Some other breakfast recipes that I really like to make for brunch or holidays are this Cheese and Sausage Baked Eggs, Greek Baked Eggs, Mediterranean Quiche Wontons or this Egg Sausage Casserole.
Recipe Ingredients
See full list of simple ingredients below in recipe card with exact measurements.
- Eggs: This recipe uses 12 eggs. I use large white eggs but you can also use brown eggs.
- Sausage: I added pork sausage into this breakfast casserole. You can use pork, chicken or turkey sausage. You also could easily leave this out for a vegetarian version.
- Vegetables: I added red bell pepper, onion and a jalapeño into this recipe. You can leave out the jalapeño if you don’t want the spice.
- Spices: The casserole mixes together cumin, chili powder and cayenne red pepper. Once again, if you don’t like leave out the cayenne red pepper.
- Cheese: I added shredded cheese to the egg casserole. Once again this isn’t necessary if you are avoiding cheese. I added sharp cheddar cheese but you could use pepper jack, mozzarella or Monterrey jack.
- Salsa: The salsa adds a nice flavor to the baked egg casserole. I used a red salsa like this Homemade Salsa. You could also use a Salsa Verde.
How to Make a Baked Breakfast Casserole
Step 1: Sauté Veggies: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Add your sausage, bell pepper, onions until the sausage is cooked through.
Step 2: Combine Eggs and Milk: Next spray your casserole dish or baking dish with non-stick spray or cooking spray and spread the sausage mixture in the bottom of the dish. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs and milk.
Step 3: Add Salsa and Cheese: Add the salsa and the cheese and pour the egg mixture over the sausage mixture evenly. Sprinkle the last 1/2 cup of cheese over the egg mixture along with the jalapeño slices if you want that extra spice. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
Step 4: Bake Egg Casserole: Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and the edges are golden brown. Remove and garnish with fresh cilantro and green onion. Serve with a dollop of salsa and sour cream and a side of fresh fruit.
Store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You also can cut the casserole into individual portions and freeze for later.
Ways to Modify this Casserole
- Protein: You can vary the protein source by using different types of meat such as shredded chicken, bacon, ham, or even vegetarian options like tofu.
- Vegetables: Add a variety of fresh veggies to boost flavor and nutrition. Consider red onions, yellow onion, green bell pepper, spinach, green chiles, green onions, mushrooms, poblanos, tomatoes, broccoli, or any other veggies you enjoy.
- Cheese: Different types of cheese that work in this casserole are mozzarella, feta, pepper jack cheese, goat cheese or cotija cheese. Cottage cheese is also a nice addition. I suggest adding a 1/2 cup for extra protein and creaminess.
- Spices: You can add spices to your liking. Try paprika, onion powder, crushed red pepper or oregano. the seasoning to your liking.
- Potatoes: Add in hash browns, tater tots or fresh potatoes into this casserole. It adds nice texture.
- Vegetables: You can add chopped veggies on top of the casserole. Try red onion, tomatoes, pickled red onion, curtido or pickled vegetables.
Storage Tips
Store the leftover casserole in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To reheat you can heat in a skillet or the microwave.
More Egg Recipes
Vegetarian
Breakfast Egg Muffins
Breakfast
Vegetarian Breakfast Egg Burritos
Breakfast
Southwest Breakfast Egg Tacos
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Southwestern Baked Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound sausage, casing removed
- 1 sweet onion, chopped {about 1 cup}
- 1 large red bell pepper, seeds removed, diced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Dash of salt and pepper
- 12 eggs, cracked
- 1/2 cup milk , {I used 1 % but use whatever you like}
- 1 cup Cheddar Cheese, divided
- 1/4 cup salsa
- 1 jalapeño, sliced {optional for spice}
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large skillet heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to break it up. Add the onion, bell pepper, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Continue to cook until the sausage is browned, stirring throughout the process. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs and milk until combined. Add the 1/2 cup cheese and salsa and stir gently until mixed in.
- Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with non-stick spray. Spread the sausage mixture on the bottom. Pour the egg mixture over top. Top the casserole with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese and the sliced jalapeños {optional}.
- Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and the edges are starting to brown.
- Remove from oven and garnish with cilantro and green onion. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream or salsa.
Notes
- This casserole is versatile. You can add a variety of vegetables or even black beans.
- If you want to try a salsa verde instead of a red salsa that works great too.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
A great meal to start our day!
Wow! looks so delicious and yummy. It’s an innovative recipe. Good breakfast recipe. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I really liked the way you have explained the recipe. Keep posting such an amazing and easy recipe.