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Breakfast Casserole with Sausage and Spinach

4.34
/5
1 hr 20 mins
32 Comments
Jump to Recipe
By: Rachel GurkPosted: 11/09/2011Updated: 06/16/2021

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

White plate containing a square piece of breakfast casserole.

Easy and delicious, breakfast casserole with sausage and spinach can be made the night before. Enjoy it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

White plate containing a square piece of breakfast casserole.

I love to cook with my mom. Whenever we spend time together, half of it is spent in the kitchen. We were cooking together this past weekend and she said, “Isn’t it fun to cook with other people?”

I said yes almost without thinking, but then after taking a moment to think about it, I realized that my mom is one of the only people who I truly enjoy cooking with.

Mom in kitchen, wearing apron, surrounded by cupcakes and cake pops.
Mom helping me prep for my daughter’s 1st birthday party.

I can be a bit of a control freak, but with my mom that is never an issue. We have similar styles, we communicate well, and we can easily divide tasks without even a discussion. We love choosing recipes together, modifying them to fit our tastes, shopping for the best ingredients, and then preparing the meals for our family. We also really trust each other in the kitchen.

I also learned most of what I know about cooking from my mom, which likely contributes to the similar cooking styles. We don’t share the exact same taste for everything but we both share a passionate love of cooking and baking.

As you can probably guess by the photo, this weekend we were baking for a birthday party, making cake pops and pretty in pink cupcakes, but we started the day with this delicious breakfast casserole with sausage and spinach.

This recipe is one that my mom always makes on Christmas morning/afternoon for brunch. While a breakfast casserole is great for special occasions, we enjoy it all year round. A perfect savory breakfast, this casserole with sausage and spinach is hearty enough for dinner, too.

I like to make a big 9 x 13 pan for dinner, and then hubs and I eat it for breakfast during the week. It’s just as good reheated and you can’t beat a yummy hot casserole that can be warmed up in the microwave in a snap.

Another thing I really love about this casserole is that you can prepare it hours ahead, even the night before, and bake it when you’re ready.

It’s a great way to use leftover stale bread. I consider stale bread a treasure. I use it to make this breakfast casserole, or homemade croutons, which are tons better than packaged croutons. Use stale bread to make an amazing asparagus panzanella salad. 

Make this breakfast casserole your own by substituting your favorite veggies for the spinach. Try red or green bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, or broccoli. You can use a different kind of cheese. Try feta or Swiss. Substitute ham for the sausage, or use turkey sausage. Omit the meat and make it vegetarian.

White plate containing a square piece of breakfast casserole on a wooden tray, along with a fork, white napkin and banana.

More breakfast ideas:

Enjoy these breakfast ideas for lunch and dinner, too. Try:

 

  • Crescent Roll Breakfast Casserole
  • Bacon Cheddar Quiche with Sweet Potato Crust
  • Turkey Sausage and Asparagus Quiche
  • Spinach Quiche with Cornmeal Crust
  • Sheet Pan Breakfast Tostadas
  • Overnight French Toast Casserole
  • Air Fryer French Toast Sticks

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

White plate containing a square piece of breakfast casserole.
Recipe

Get the Recipe: Breakfast Casserole Recipe with Sausage and Spinach

4.34 from 3 votes
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr
Additional Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
8 servings
Print Rate Recipe
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Easy and delicious, breakfast casserole with sausage and spinach can be made the night before. Enjoy it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg. (16 oz.) ground breakfast sausage (pork or turkey)
  • 4 cups fresh baby spinach, loosely packed (5 oz. container)
  • 8 large eggs
  • 2 ½ cups milk (see note)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dry mustard powder
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
  • 8 slices white bread (14 oz.), cut into cubes (see note)
  • 2 cups grated cheddar cheese (8 oz. pkg.), divided

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.
  • Brown sausage in a large frying pan over medium heat, breaking up clumps as it browns. Transfer cooked sausage to a paper-towel lined plate to drain fat. Spread sausage on the bottom of the baking dish.
  • Wilt spinach in the same pan over medium heat, covered, tossing occasionally, for a couple of minutes. Arrange spinach over the sausage layer. Sprinkle on 1 cup of cheese. Add the bread cubes in an even layer.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper and dry mustard powder. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread. Press bread down a little, if needed, so that all of it is soaked with the egg mixture. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese over the top. At this point the egg casserole can be be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours (see note).
  • Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until set. To check for doneness, insert a table knife in the center of the casserole. It should come out clean. Remove from oven and let stand for at least five minutes before serving.

Notes

  • Whole milk makes the creamiest casserole but either 2% or low fat milk work fine, too.
  • Almost stale dry bread is best. Use white or whole wheat bread. I like to use a combination of white and wheat bread.
  • Nutrition information is calculated using pork sausage, 2% milk, and white bread.
  • Make ahead: Prepare breakfast casserole, as directed, but don't bake. Cover tightly, and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Remove casserole from refrigerator while oven preheats so it warms up slightly. Increase baking time, if necessary.
  • You can substitute pretty much anything for the vegetables and meat. Try one of these combinations: Sausage and Mushroom, Ham and Broccoli, or Spinach, Red Peppers & Feta.
  • Substitute your favorite cheese for the cheddar.
  • Vegetarian? Omit the sausage, and increase the veggies.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 297kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 220mg, Sodium: 495mg, Potassium: 311mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 2036IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 385mg, Iron: 2mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk
Did You Make This?Be sure to upload a photo & tag me at @RachelCooksBlog. I love seeing what you made!
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Verdict: One of my favorite breakfast foods!
Husband’s take: He loves, loves, loves it when I make this and he can eat it before work. Sometimes I’ll make it as a dinner too, but he prefers breakfast for breakfast (not me–I love breakfast for dinner!).
Changes I would make: No changes other than experimenting with different meats and veggies.
Difficulty: So easy!
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  1. Nutmeg Nanny says

    November 9, 2011 at 8:07 pm

    This looks great! I honestly don’t cook with a lot of people in the kitchen. When my best friend comes to visit I do like cooking with her though. We usually mix baking with drinking….always fun :)

    Reply
  2. Leslie Means @ Her View From Home says

    November 9, 2011 at 8:01 pm

    That looks awesome! I also love cooking with my mom – my sisters and my girls. :) It’s fun…sometimes a little stressful and messy but always memorable!

    Reply
  3. SnoWhite @ Finding Joy in My Kitchen says

    November 9, 2011 at 7:03 pm

    yummy looking breakfast! I’d eat it any time of the day :)

    Reply
  4. Deborah says

    November 9, 2011 at 7:03 pm

    How fun to bake and cook with your mom!! I’m staying with my mom for a few weeks right now, and we haven’t even had a chance to cook together. But we did look through cookbooks last night!! This breakfast looks so good!

    Reply
  5. merry jennifer says

    November 9, 2011 at 7:00 pm

    Somehow, I’ve never, ever had a breakfast casserole, not even for Christmas. Every year I tell myself that *this* will be the holiday that I’ll be prepared and a breakfast ready to go, but I never do. I’m going to try your recipe sometime over the holidays. It looks wonderful!

    Reply
  6. Claire @ Claire K Creations says

    November 9, 2011 at 5:12 pm

    Looks like the perfect brunch recipe.

    I’m a bit like you, not too good at trusting other people in the kitchen. I have to bite my tongue when the man is cooking. Better that he’s in there giving it a go than not at all!

    Reply
  7. Bree says

    November 9, 2011 at 5:11 pm

    This looks great-I love recipes like this that you can make for a crowd. I am definitely saving this one!

    Reply
  8. Heather | Farmgirl Gourmet says

    November 9, 2011 at 1:22 pm

    Looks fantastic Rachel! I think it’s fabulous that you love cooking with your Mom. I loved cooking with mine too!! Great post darlin!

    xoxo
    Heather

    Reply
  9. Jamie @ thrifty veggie mama says

    November 9, 2011 at 1:07 pm

    Looks great! We love breakfast for dinner. I think the spinach and feta variation sounds fantastic.

    Reply
  10. Bev Weidner says

    November 9, 2011 at 10:55 am

    Breakfast casserole makes my decisions for me.

    Reply
  11. brandi says

    November 9, 2011 at 10:35 am

    i’m a kitchen hog :) but i do love cooking with family!

    Reply
  12. diabeticFoodie says

    November 9, 2011 at 9:44 am

    Love that you love to cook with your Mom!

    Reply
  13. Tara @ Chip Chip Hooray says

    November 9, 2011 at 8:50 am

    This looks SO delicious! I love breakfast casseroles (one of my best friends from college makes a mean French toast casserole), and this seems like the perfect use for the breakfast sausage I have in my fridge. Can’t wait to try it! :)

    Reply
  14. Lesa @Edesia's Notebook says

    November 9, 2011 at 8:24 am

    My favorite person to cook with is my sister, but we live two and a half hours away from each other, so we don’t get to do it very often. Your breakfast casserole looks great; I’m with you, I think it would be a great dinner!

    Reply
  15. Christina @ This Woman Cooks! says

    November 9, 2011 at 7:42 am

    Sounds fantastic! I love that picture of your Mom. :) It’s so great that you can cook together!

    Reply
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