This Skinny Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole is perfect for feeding a crowd. The "make-ahead" option takes the stress off at breakfast time.
I'll get right to the point. You must make this! Whether it's for Christmas morning (with the make-ahead option) or a lazy Sunday morning, this breakfast casserole must grace your table soon.
Even though I "skinny"-ed up this recipe, the taste will have your family begging for seconds. The crispy potato crust makes this different than your usual breakfast casserole and the turkey sausage curbs that "I need to eat a pound of bacon" feeling that often hits on weekend mornings.
Or is that just me? Say it ain't so.
As you're looking through the ingredients of the recipe, resist the urge to cringe when you read "cottage cheese". It's a great way to add cheesiness and texture without throwing in fistfuls of Cheddar cheese. The cottage cheese will melt during baking, so any of its distinctive texture will disappear, leaving only flavor and gooey-ness in its wake.
If you want to make this for Christmas morning without getting up at 5am, just follow the make-ahead instructions below. You and your kitchen elves can do most of the prep work the night before.
The recipe:
The crust:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly coat a deep 9- by 13-inch inch baking dish with cooking spray.
With a paper towel or kitchen towel, squeeze the excess moisture out of the shredded potato. In a medium-sized bowl, toss the shredded potatoes with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
Transfer the potato mixture to the prepared baking dish, and press the potato evenly on the bottom and up the sides of the dish.
Bake until the potatoes are golden brown on the edges, about 20 minutes.
The casserole:
Turn the oven heat down to 375 degrees F.
Cook the turkey sausage in a large skillet set over medium-high heat until it is almost cooked through. Add the red bell pepper and green onions and cook until the bell pepper is tender, about 2 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, skim milk, cottage cheese, and Cheddar cheese. Stir in the turkey sausage mixture.
Pour the egg mixture over the potato crust. Bake until the egg is set, 45 to 50 minutes.
Cut into 12 pieces and serve.
Make-ahead:
Bake the potato crust as stated in the recipe. Let the crust cool, cover and refrigerate overnight. Prepare the rest of the recipe as stated, but do not pour the filling into the crust. Cover and refrigerate the filling overnight.
The next morning, pour the filling into the crust and bake as instructed.
Other breakfast recipes to feed a crowd:
Whole Wheat Oat Gingerbread Pumpkin Pancakes
Berry Yogurt Parfait Trifle
Baked Egg Breakfast Casserole with Mushrooms, Spinach & Salsa
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Skinny Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
The Crust:
- 2 pounds russet potatoes peeled and shredded
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground pepper
The Casserole:
- 12 ounces turkey breakfast sausage chopped
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 4 green onions thinly sliced
- 6 large eggs
- 4 egg whites
- ⅓ cup skim milk
- 16 ounces low-fat cottage cheese
- ¾ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Instructions
The Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly coat a deep 9- by 13-inch inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- With a paper towel or kitchen towel, squeeze the excess moisture out of the shredded potato.
- In a medium-sized bowl, toss the shredded potatoes with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Transfer the potato mixture to the prepared baking dish, and press the potato evenly on the bottom and up the sides of the dish.
- Bake until the potatoes are golden brown on the edges, about 20 minutes.
The Casserole:
- Turn the oven heat down to 375 degrees F.
- Cook the turkey sausage in a large skillet set over medium-high heat until it is almost cooked through. Add the red bell pepper and green onions and cook until the bell pepper is tender, about 2 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, skim milk, cottage cheese, and Cheddar cheese. Stir in the turkey sausage mixture.
- Pour the egg mixture over the potato crust. Bake until the egg is set, 45 to 50 minutes.
- Cut into 12 pieces and serve.
Make-ahead:
- Bake the potato crust as stated in the recipe. Let the crust cool, cover and refrigerate overnight. Prepare the rest of the recipe as stated, but do not pour the filling into the crust. Cover and refrigerate the filling overnight.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Syd
Just made! Cottage cheese definitely adds a nice cheesy creaminess to it all. Took a little longer than 20 mins to brown the potato crust, but I just kept an eye on it. I'm lactose intolerant, so substituted lactaid brand for the milk and cheese options, and it still came out super tasty! Next time I might add a flavored sausage to give it an extra zing.