This Italian Breakfast Casserole is perfect for Sunday brunches or for meal prepping during the week! It’s loaded with Italian sausage, vegetables and cheese so it packs a major protein punch. And don’t just save this casserole for breakfast, we love it with a salad for lunch or dinner, too!
Why We Love This Italian Breakfast Casserole
This Italian Breakfast Casserole has quickly become a favorite. Cozy and hearty and packed with vegetables and protein, it’s sure to please everyone.
- Make Ahead Meal: You can make this casserole ahead of time for brunches or lunches or just for meal prepping during the week. It can be easily warmed up in the microwave.
- Packed with Protein: If you’re looking to get more protein into your day, one serving of this casserole has over 40 grams of protein!
- Versatile: You can swap out the veggies and sausage to your liking, and this is the kind of recipe that can be served for any meal of the day. I’m telling you our boys love when this is in the fridge for them to warm up.
How To Make
We have step by step photos here so you to visually follow along, as well as brief instructions under the photos. For complete instructions, head to the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Brown and crumble Italian sausage in a skillet. Add diced onion and cook until softened, 3-4 minutes. Remove from the skillet and add to a 9″ x 13″ baking dish.
- Add another drizzle of olive oil to the skillet and then add the peppers and mushrooms. Cook for 5-7 minutes.
- Add fresh spinach to the skillet and cook until wilted. Transfer the vegetables to the baking dish with the sausage and onions.
- Whisk 12 eggs, 1 cup of egg whites and 1 cup of ricotta cheese in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and then pour into the baking dish. Top with mozzarella and parmesan cheese and bake in a 400 degree oven for 35 minutes covered, then uncover for another 10 minutes.
Can This Recipe Be Made Ahead Of Time?
Yes! We love recipes like this Italian Breakfast Casserole that can be made ahead of time. It makes holiday planning and parties so much easier. You can make and bake this casserole all the way through and then warm it up when you’re ready. Pop the whole casserole back into the oven or cut and warm up individual slices.
Or you can make this casserole up until the point of baking and then store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready. Take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before baking to take the chill off first.
Variations
We love loading this egg dish up with tons of vegetables, but you can really add anything you like. Any type of veggie will work, just cook it like we did in a skillet with some oil and then add it to the casserole. Some other vegetable ideas could include:
- Broccoli
- Zucchini
- Scallions
- Asparagus
- Shredded Potatoes
You can also swap out the Italian sausage for any other kind of sausage. Chicken or turkey sausage works great, even just regular pork sausage. Of course you can omit the sausage altogether for a vegetarian version as well.
For Best Results
- Dice the vegetables into smaller, bite sized pieces so that they’re easier to eat in this breakfast casserole.
- Beat the eggs and cheese together well so that the eggs cook evenly and you don’t have larger pieces of egg white separated from the yolks.
- Check the center of the casserole to see if it’s cooked through. Use a knife to pierce the center, if there’s still liquid present, pop the casserole back in the oven, covered, for another couple of minutes.
- When you pour the egg mixture into the casserole dish, give the ingredients a stir so to make sure the egg settles on the bottom.
A Few More Breakfast Casserole Recipes For You
- Sausage Breakfast Casserole
- Western Hash Brown Casserole
- Disco Fries Casserole
- Taylor Ham Egg & Cheese Casserole
Italian Breakfast Casserole
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 Servings 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeThis Italian Breakfast Casserole is delicious for brunch or meal prepping during the week! Loaded with sausage and vegetables, it packs a protein punch!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 pound Italian sausage (casings removed)
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2 cups diced bell peppers (any color)
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 12 eggs
- 1 cup egg whites
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup ricotta cheese (can also substitute cottage cheese)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add a tablespoon of the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook while breaking up into crumbles. When the sausage is about halfway cooked, add the onion to the skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the onion has softened and the sausage is cooked through. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
- Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet along with the peppers and mushrooms. Cook for 5-7 minutes and then add the spinach, cooking until wilted. Transfer the vegetables to the baking dish.
- Crack the eggs into a large bowl along with 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, the ricotta cheese, salt and pepper. Beat well until the eggs are blended together and then pour into the baking dish. Give the ingredients a little stir to make sure the eggs get to the bottom of the dish. Top the casserole with the remaining cup of mozzarella cheese and the parmesan cheese.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Check the center of the casserole to make sure that no liquid remains. If the center still has some liquid, return the dish to the oven for another 5 minutes.
- Slice into squares and serve.
- Category: Breakfast / Brunch
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
