This Ultimate Breakfast Casserole is my low carb and gluten-free version of those delicious breakfast casseroles that feature the Pillsbury Crescent Rolls. This recipe features a fluffy egg mixture loaded with breakfast sausage, bacon, and veggies all on top of a tender pastry made from a low carb cheese dough. This casserole is the perfect treat for any special occasion or just a treat for your family.
The Ultimate Breakfast Treat!
My Ultimate Breakfast Casserole will be the next hit around your family table. This recipe is also perfect for that special morning like Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Easter. It is so decadent and delicious that anyone you serve it too will love it and ask for more!
My husband and son are in love with this dish and they request it often. It has savory pieces of sausage, bacon, bell peppers, and onions that are all baked into a deliciously cheesy, egg custard. So when I say it is the ultimate morning recipe to feed your hungry bunch I truly mean it. It also works great as a make-ahead dish that can be portioned out for meal prep during the week
I’ve been making egg casseroles for years and they are always tasty and filling but a while back I attended a homeschooling mom’s conference where they provided us with breakfast. One of the dishes that I scooped out onto my plate was my friend Amanda’s breakfast casserole. I had heard wonderful things about it so I enjoyed every bite of the small piece I took.
Just as I had imagined, it was delicious! But the one caveat is that her casserole was baked with those delicious cans of crescent rolls on the bottom. Which is too carby for anyone that follows a low carb or THM diet like we do.
But that’s okay, it was just a few bites and a special treat so I enjoyed it that day then came home and created this low carb version of her casserole that I could eat and enjoy without the overload of gluten and carbs!
From Crescent Rolls to Cheese Dough!
Before we jump into the assembly and making of the casserole I wanted to talk about how to replace the crescent rolls that are in most the original version of breakfast casseroles like these.
I swapped out those high carb canned rolls with my tired and true recipe for the popular cheese dough that has been a long-time staple in THM and all keto and low carb diets.
This dough is such a staple in our home and I have used it to convert many of our old family favorites into newer low carb recipes. You can find my full post and a video showing the best way to make your dough HERE.
Here are some of the other favorites that I have used the cheese dough to replace crescent rolls: Sausage Cream Cheese Pinwheels, Fajita Ring, and Bacon Ranch Chicken Roll. Check those out after you finish with this recipe!
Mixing and Assembling the Low-Carb, Breakfast Casserole
Baked eggs dishes tend to have issues with becoming too rubbery or watery after cooking. This usually happens when the moisture from your vegetables or the meats you have chosen come out into the egg mixture. But there is a super easy fix to this problem.
Precooking the sausage, bacon, and vegetables before adding them to your casserole helps to lightly dry the food and concentrate flavors. To go a step further I like to lay my cooked veggies and sausage on a paper towel and let them drain for about 15 minutes to get most of the extra grease or water out.
After precooking your meats and veggies you are ready to mix your egg and cream mixture together and start your assembly process. The “hardest” part of the casserole will be the bottom pastry and it really is simple if you follow my instruction video I link to in the recipe card.
Begin building your casserole by laying you cheese dough pastry into your 9×13 baking dish and gently pressing it down into the bottom and corners. Next layer in your sausage, bacon, veggies, and cheese. Then carefully pour over your egg mixture covering all the fillings evenly and it is ready to bake.
Baking Your Casserole
This breakfast casserole bakes in about 40 minutes in a 350-degree oven. The bottom crust and the egg mixture cook up perfectly at the same time so no worries about the soggy bottom here. Nobody wants a raw or soggy crust for breakfast!
Want a nice golden brown pastry on the bottom? Here’s a tip! Bake your casserole on the bottom rack of your oven for the first 25 minutes then move it to the top rack to finish baking the egg mixture for the last 15 minutes. If you prefer a simple method, bake it on the middle rack the entire time.
After the casserole has baked the 40 minutes, you want to check it to make sure it is cooked fulling. To check for doneness use a toothpick inserted in the center of the baking dish, if it’s dry it’s ready.
You can also gently jiggle the baking dish to see if the center moves, you want it to be firm with no wiggles. When the casserole is done remove it from the heat and serve hot. I love this casserole right out of the oven or even at room temperature.
Storing and Freezing Your Ultimate Breakfast
The pastry crust holds up so well and the egg mixture freezer perfectly. So this Ultimate Breakfast Casserole is easily made ahead and stored in the fridge or frozen for later meals. To store it in the refrigerator wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container with a lid. This will last in the fridge for 4-5 days.
To go a step further and free the casserole I like to slice it into the 8 servings and wrap each serving individually in plastic wrap and place them all in a gallon-size plastic bag to freeze. This process makes it super easy to take out as many servings as you need when you are ready to reheat.
When I’m ready to reheat this casserole I use the oven and just reheat it to 350 degrees. I always thaw my slices then bake for 15-20 minutes in the oven to reheat it. You can totally reheat this in the microwave but I love the texture when reheated in the oven.
The low-carb breakfast casserole can be frozen whole as well. If you go this route I advise letting it thaw in the fridge completely then bake it in the oven on the top rack for about 30 minutes to reheat. The casserole just needs to warm through and it is ready to serve.
This recipe serves up to 8 people as the slices are thick and hardy. You can serve a slice up with a small serving of fresh berries or even a side salad if you are having it for brunch or dinner.
Yield: 8 Servings
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
A hearty egg casserole full of breakfast sausage, bacon, veggies, and cheese baked over a tender pastry. My low carb version of a traditional casserole made with crescent rolls.
Ingredients
- 8 ounce of breakfast sausage
- 1 cup of bell pepper and onions, I use a frozen mix.
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese (optional)
- 1/3 cup of real bacon bits or crispy bacon that has been crumbled
- 10 large eggs
- 1/4 cup of cream
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 Batch of My Cheese Dough
Instructions
- Brown the breakfast sausage in a pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, the sausage cooked in, sautee the onions and pepper mixture until they are tender. Drain any excess grease and add to the sausage bowl for later.
- Next, crack the 10 eggs into a large bowl and add the cream and seasonings and beat well. Once you have beaten the eggs set this aside as well to make your dough for the bottom of the casserole.
- To prepare the cheese dough for the bottom of your casserole follow the standard instructions for making the well know cheese dough. You can find the full recipe and step by step instruction for making this dough by clicking on the words My Cheese Dough above in the ingredient list for this recipe.
- Once the dough is ready to roll it out into a rectangle large enough to fit into a 9x13 baking dish. The dough doesn't have to be perfect just large enough to cover the bottom of your casserole dish and up the sides a little too.
- After your dough is rolled out, you'll need to spray of glass 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and gently lay your dough into the dish and press it down into the corners gently.
- Lastly later in the ingredients starting with the sausage and peppers, the shredded cheese (if using), and the bacon. Pour the egg mixture over the top of all the toppings and bake at 350 degrees on the middle rack of the oven for about 35 minutes or until the casserole is completely set in the middle.
- Serve hot or at room temperature. For storage or freezer instructions see the post above.
Keri Bucci
I am a southern girl through and through that loves to laugh, cook, read and spend time with family. My passions outside of home schooling my son are ministering to those in need and creating art in the kitchen! Every day is an adventure in our little house and I wouldn’t trade it or the chance to share here with you for anything!
