Have you tried adding cottage cheese to an egg casserole? It adds creamy flavor and results in tender texture for a delicious breakfast! This Sausage and Egg Cottage Cheese Breakfast Casserole is perfect for serving guests or meal prepping!
Whenever I’m tasked with serving multiple people breakfast, I always lean on delicious breakfast casseroles to be my guiding light.
Not only do they turn out so deliciously with lots of flavor, but they are way to prepare, feed a crowd, and require little effort given how much food results.
One of my classic favorites for years has been my Mediterranean Breakfast Casserole, but I wanted to try something new: cottage cheese.
The addition of cottage cheese results in tender, creamy eggs for amazing texture and flavor. The concept could be compared to adding heavy cream to scrambled eggs, although in this version, we’re adding less fat and much more protein.
I was pleasantly surprised the first time I made this easy casserole, as the texture and flavor is so unique. I wouldn’t want it any other way!
With the holidays in coming up, comforting breakfast casserole recipes like this are an ideal way of feeding the whole family with minimal prep and cleanup.
Plus, you can make casseroles well in advance, which makes them that much more convenient. Also, casseroles always taste better the next day or the 2-3 days following preparation, so don’t be afraid to make it ahead of time.
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for sausage cottage cheese breakfast casserole.
Ingredients for Sausage and Egg Cottage Cheese Breakfast Casserole:
Breakfast Sausage: Pick your favorite breakfast sausage to add protein, delicious flavor, and volume to this easy breakfast recipe.
I like using a sausage that’s slightly lower in fat like a turkey breakfast sausage or chicken breakfast sausage, but classic pork sausage works great too.
Eggs: We need a full dozen eggs to make this delicious cottage cheese egg bake recipe. To lower some of the fat content, you can swap out a portion of the eggs for egg whites.
Cottage Cheese: One of the start ingredients here! Creamy cottage cheese adds moisture and tender texture to the casserole in addition to creamy flavor and lean protein.
I use 0% fat content, but you can also use 2% or higher. This high-protein breakfast casserole is bound to help you meet your daily values of protein!
Avocado Oil: We need some cooking oil in order to sauté the vegetables and brown the sausage.
I like using avocado oil because it works has a high smoke point, making it ideal for cooking at high temperatures.
Vegetables: Onion, Garlic, Red Bell Pepper, Baby Spinach: The fresh vegetables in this lovely casserole.
Onion, garlic, and bell peppers add a great deal of flavor, where spinach boosts the micronutrient levels without being easily detected. This is a great way of hiding vegetables, my friends!
All-Purpose Flour: Because the voltage cheese adds so much moisture to the casserole, we need some flour to help it set up.
I use gluten-free all-purpose flour to make gluten-free breakfast casserole, but you can use regular all-purpose flour if you don’t need the recipe to be gluten-free.
Colby Jack Cheese: A great deal of cheese always makes a casserole taste great!
I love Colby Jack cheese in my casserole recipes, but any kind of melting cheese like cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese, mozzarella cheese, Swiss cheese, or Gouda works in this easy breakfast casserole too.
Green Onions: Chop up some green onions and sprinkle them on top of the casserole before serving for some added vibrant flavor.
Sea Salt and Black Pepper: Season the eggs with salt and black pepper to your personal taste.
Recipe Adaptations:
- If you have fresh herbs like fresh parsley or oregano, toss them in!
- Replace the onion and garlic with onion powder or garlic powder to save some time preparing this healthy breakfast.
- Mix in some feta cheese for more flavor.
- Add bacon, ham, or any of your favorite breakfast meats.
- Breakfast Casserole Toppings:
- Be sure to pick up any toppings you enjoy on breakfast casseroles.
- Sour cream, salsa, guacamole or sliced avocado, chopped red onion, and chopped tomatoes are all great options. Enjoy it with hash browns, potato hash, or breakfast potatoes and fresh fruit.
- Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients for this easy cottage cheese casserole recipe, let’s make it!
Add crispy bacon or turkey bacon if you’re a bacon lover.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Breakfast Casserole:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 9” x 13” large casserole dish with cooking spray.
Heat the avocado oil in a large thick-bottomed pot (such as a Dutch oven) or a large nonstick skillet (I recommend a 12-inch skillet with a deep lip) over medium-high heat.
Add the chopped onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add in the fresh minced garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Transfer the raw breakfast sausage to the pot (or skillet) and use a spatula to break it into small pieces as the meat browns.
Continue cooking and breaking the sausage into small pieces until the sausage is completely cooked through, about 5-8 minutes.
Transfer the chopped bell pepper, baby spinach, sea salt and pepper to the pot and stir well until the spinach has wilted.
Stir in the all-purpose flour then remove from the heat to allow the sausage and vegetable mixture to cool.
Once cooled slightly, transfer the sausage mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer.
Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and whisk well until the eggs are well beaten.
Add the cottage cheese and half of the colby jack cheese to the large bowl and mix well.
Pour the creamy egg mixture into the casserole dish and use a fork or spoon to stir the egg and sausage and veggies together so that everything is fairly well distributed.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the eggs. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 40 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for another 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese is golden-brown and the eggs have set up completely.
If you like crispy cheese on top, you can broil the casserole for 4-5 minutes or until it reaches your desired level of golden brown crisp.
Allow the cottage cheese casserole to cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
If you’d like, serve with chopped green onions on top and/or sour cream, salsa, sliced avocado, or any other toppings you enjoy. Grated parmesan cheese is lovely here too!
Storage Instructions:
To store the casserole, wrap the baking dish in plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
If you have a small amount of leftover casserole, store it in an airtight container. You can freeze casserole recipes in freezer bags for up to 3 months.
The next time you have guests in town or simply want to make a big batch of breakfast ahead of time, make this creamy, dreamy, meaty cottage cheese breakfast casserole with sausage!
Ideal for basic weekly meal prep or special occasions alike, crustless quiche recipes like this are ideal for busy mornings.
This crowd pleaser is the perfect breakfast for Thanksgiving or Christmas morning for a high protein breakfast to keep everyone feeling satisfied for hours.
Make it the night before and enjoy it the next morning!
You don’t have to wait for the holidays to make a habit of this easy cottage cheese egg bake. Make it any time of year!
If you’re looking for more breakfast casserole ideas, also try these reader favorites.
More Breakfast Casserole Recipes:
- Taco Breakfast Casserole
- Chicken and Spinach Breakfast Casserole with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Feta
- Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Breakfast Casserole
- Broccoli Cheddar Egg Hash Brown Casserole
- Sausage Egg Bake
Cheesy sausage casserole for breakfast!
Cottage Cheese Breakfast Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound breakfast sausage
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 6 cups baby spinach chopped
- 1 tsp sea salt to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour*
- 12 large eggs
- 16 ounces cottage cheese**
- 8 ounces colby jack cheese grated
- 1 bunch green onions chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 9” x 13” large casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Heat the avocado oil in a large thick-bottomed pot (such as a Dutch oven) or a large nonstick skillet (I recommend a 12-inch skillet with a deep lip) over medium-high heat.
- Add the chopped onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add in the fresh minced garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Transfer the raw breakfast sausage to the pot (or skillet) and use a spatula to break it into small pieces as the meat browns. Continue cooking and breaking the sausage into small pieces until the sausage is completely cooked through, about 5-8 minutes.
- Transfer the chopped bell pepper, baby spinach, sea salt and pepper to the pot and stir well until the spinach has wilted. Stir in the all-purpose flour then remove from the heat to allow the sausage and vegetable mixture to cool. Once cooled slightly, transfer the sausage mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer.
- Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and whisk well until the eggs are well beaten. Add the cottage cheese and half of the colby jack cheese to the large bowl and mix well.
- Pour the creamy egg mixture into the casserole dish and use a fork or spoon to stir the egg and sausage and veggies together so that everything is fairly well distributed.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the eggs. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 25-35 minutes, or until the cheese is golden-brown and the eggs have set up completely. If you like crispy cheese on top, you can broil the casserole for 4-5 minutes or until it reaches your desired level of golden brown crisp. A great way of determining if egg bake recipes are fully cooked is to take their internal temperature. Insert a thermometer into the center of the egg bake, and if it is 160 degrees F (71C) or above, it is cooked through.
- Allow the cottage cheese casserole to cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
- If you’d like, serve with chopped green onions on top and/or sour cream, salsa, sliced avocado, or any other toppings you enjoy. Grated parmesan cheese is lovely here too!
- To store the casserole, wrap the baking dish in plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. If you have a small amount of leftover casserole, store it in an airtight container. You can freeze casserole recipes in freezer bags for up to 3 months.
Notes
Nutrition
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