Sausage Croissant Breakfast Casserole Recipe

I made this sausage croissant breakfast casserole ahead of time the night before, then just popped it in the oven to bake the next morning. Crescent rolls, sausage, eggs, cheese, oh my.

What Makes This Breakfast Easy

• Isn’t that just lovely?! To sleep in (more than usual), walk into the kitchen to the smell of a fabulous breakfast cooking and hear the oven go BEEP to let you know it’s ready. Knowing that your morning is going to go well is very reassuring. It takes away from my dreaded mental To Do list I run through in the morning. That’s why I love recipes you can make ahead of time! Assemble this casserole the night before Christmas morning, on some other holiday brunch or any morning that could use a relaxing start into the day.
• The portions are perfect. There are eight very generous servings from one 9×13 pan and they’ll be eaten. I’ve never had a piece of this casserole that didn’t find its way into someone’s tummy. Also, this recipe will double easily in case you’re looking to serve around twelve folks, just make two pans.
• What I like about this casserole is how easy it is to make. The crescent rolls provide a buttery flaky base for the creamy, custardy eggs and mozzarella topping and holds up under the weight of the eggs (not getting all soggy and mushy). It bakes up golden brown and creamy and slices up nicely. Mozzarella is one of those cheeses that doesn’t get all gritty and greasy when melted. It melts into gooey strings and has a mellow flavor that doesn’t overwhelm. And then you have the savory notes of the pork sausage. Jimmy Dean is my favorite because I’ve found it has a good balance of seasoned and not overly greasy.

What to Know Before You Start

• Leaving the casserole in the fridge overnight allows the eggs, milk, spices, and croissant dough to meld together before it is cooked. This will help the casserole cook more evenly, rather than only around the outer layers.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Jimmy Dean ground pork sausage
• one 8-oz. pkg. crescent roll dough
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• salt and pepper to taste

How to Make It

Brown sausage in a frying pan until cooked through. Place on paper towels to drain and break apart.

Remove from skillet and let cool.

Grease a large (9 x 13) baking dish with butter or cooking spray. Roll crescent roll dough into pan.

Spoon cooled sausage over rolled dough. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over sausage.

In a large bowl, stir together eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour egg mixture over crescent rolls. Cover dish with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator overnight.

Remove from refrigerator and bake in preheated 425-degree oven until egg is cooked through. Remove from oven and let casserole set for about 5 minutes.

Cut into squares and serve.

Cook the sausage the afternoon before you’re going to make this, drain, and set aside to cool, crumbling it into smaller pieces as it’s cooking.

If you leave your sausage in large pieces it will be VERY greasy and have a strange texture in the egg. If you want to do this ahead of time, cook and cool your sausage the day before and leave in fridge.

Make the rest of it right before bed.

Use a balloon whisk to mix the eggs and milk together. Make sure there aren’t any streaks of yolk left and it’s well combined.

Your eggs will be smoother if you take the time to mix them up really well.

Assemble and pour eggs on top, cover, and pop into fridge. In the morning, pull out of fridge and pop in preheated oven.

Let sit for 5 minutes after you take it out before cutting or trying to scoop out…everyone will want to dive right in, but the eggs will be much more set if you wait. They’ll still be super custardy but it’ll be easier to get squares out of it.

I like to use a glass dish so I can see if the eggs are getting set on the bottom. It’s difficult to tell with a metal pan, though you can use one.

This is such an EASY make ahead breakfast for those crazy mornings when you’re scrambling to get everyone out the door!

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Butter or use cooking spray to grease a 9×13 baking dish. Make sure to get all of the corners.

Trust me…crescent rolls like to get into those little nooks & crannies. It’s nearly impossible to remove them when they’ve cooked if you’ve forgotten that step.

In the same dish, unroll crescent roll dough & press down to form a layer across the bottom. Try to keep seams as smooth as possible.

Use your fingers to press together. It’s ok if there are small gaps.

Crescent dough likes to spread & will most likely cover the holes during cooking.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook Jimmy Dean pork sausage 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until no longer pink. Drain on paper towels.

Set aside & allow to cool. I wouldn’t say you want it completely cooled but you don’t want to add it while it’s piping hot or it will start to cook the eggs.

While the sausage is cooling, combine eggs, 3/4 cup milk, a dash of salt & a dash of pepper in a medium sized bowl. Beat with fork or whisk until well combined.

A whisk is preferred as it will eliminate any streaks but use whatever you’ve on hand. The smoother you can get this mixture, the better it will cook.

Sprinkle sausage & shredded mozzarella cheese over crescent roll layer.

Once the egg mixture has been thoroughly combined, slowly pour egg mixture over sausage & cheese. Allow to sit for a couple of minutes & you’ll find that it will settle in all of the nooks & crannies of the meat.

The smell of this casserole cooking will have everyone running to your kitchen!! Trust me.

*You’ll be able to slice into perfectly defined portions!!

*I used Jimmy Dean pork sausage but feel free to use whatever brand/type you’d like. You can even use other meats…ham, bacon, etc.

It’s your creation.

*You can also freeze the sausage for use in other recipes. Just place in a ziploc baggie & save.

Step 6: Baking.

Transfer the pan to a pre-heated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes at 425° F, until the casserole is puffed and set. It should be golden-brown on top, a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean, and you should be able to tell through the glass, assuming you’re using a glass casserole dish like I do, that the crescent roll dough looks cooked.

Step 7: Allow it to rest and slice it up.

Remove from oven, transfer to a safe place and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Using a sharp knife or, my favorite for casseroles, a sharp metal spatula, slice casserole into neat little squares.

To get those neat little squares, press the spatula or knife straight down, lift clean and repeat. Serve alongside salsa, some fresh fruit and coffee.

Helpful Tips

• When forming the dough, press the seams together firmly. Take about 30 seconds to make sure they’re staying together.
• Use paper towels to blot as much fat from the cooked sausage as you can. You can press on them lightly with your hand to pull out even more of the grease. You definitely don’t want it to seep into your egg custard.

-Don’t skip the rest time. If you don’t give these 5 minutes off the oven, you’ll end up with a sliding mess instead of neat little squares.

• I prefer low-moisture mozzarella here, but if that’s not readily available, regular mozz will work well. Also, if possible, I recommend shredding your own. Pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt quite as nicely because they add certain powders to keep them from clumping in the bag.
• For a balanced flavor, I would recommend sticking to the listed amount of sausage, not more. You can, however, get creative and add other veggies, meats, etc. This is a holiday morning favorite of ours.

Storage and Make-Ahead

This recipe does very well when made ahead of time. Simply make it according to directions, cover tightly with foil or plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

Remove dish from refrigerator and bake in a pre-heated 425° oven. Baking time may vary a bit, I find that chilling the casserole before baking helps the dough to absorb some of the egg mixture which leads to an overall firmer and more even baked custard.

Can I make these casseroles ahead of time?

Yes. Make them according to directions and chill overnight or as needed in refrigerator.

Take straight from refrigerator to a pre-heated oven.

How do you store and re-heat leftover Breakfast Casseroles?

Leftovers can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for 4 days. Individual squares can be heated in the microwave for about 60-90 seconds or as needed or, the entire dish can be covered and heated in a 350 oven for about 15 minutes.

They will not be as flaky after being in the refrigerator but can be eaten cold. I’m not picky.

Can these casseroles be frozen?

I’ve had success with freezing dishes containing egg and dough and I’ve been disappointed with others. Unfortunately, this casserole falls into the disappointment category.

The egg custard gets a little watery and the dough gets a little mushy upon thawing. For larger get-togethers it’s better to make two casseroles and have plenty of fresh breakfast for everyone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different sausage?

I like Jimmy Dean brand regular pork sausage. It holds together well when baked and the spices are just right.

Use hot for some kick. Maple for a bit of sweetness, which the kids love.

If you are out of pork sausage, crumbled Italian (without casing) could be substituted. Keep in mind that this will alter the final flavor of the casserole.

Whatever type of sausage is used should be cooked and drained.

Can I add vegetables?

I would love for you to play around with veggies in this casserole and report back with your results. Diced bell pepper and mushrooms (sliced thin) sound good.

Baby spinach might be nice. Just remember that veggies contain lots of liquid and will bleed that liquid into the casserole.

This would make the casserole a bit soupy and soften the dough. If you do add veggies, I would saute them first, drain any liquid and lay them atop the sausage before adding the egg mixture.

What other ingredients can I add to a sausage and egg casserole?

You can add whatever you like, but try to limit additional ingredients to a total of about 1 cup so it’s not overloaded and does not fail to set in the middle.

Can I use a cheese other than mozzarella in this recipe?

I like mozzarella in this recipe because it melts well and doesn’t overpower the flavor of the sausage. You can use cheddar or monterey jack with good results.

Monterey jack will melt well and has a nice, buttery flavor. Cheddar has a stronger flavor and can be a bit more greasy.

My second favorite would be half mozzarella and half sharp cheddar. Just be sure to avoid using fresh mozzarella since it has more moisture and will affect the ability of the casserole to set.

How do you know when sausage egg casserole is done?

There are several ways to determine doneness. First, you can always do the toothpick test, as a toothpick inserted into the center of the casserole should come out clean.

When done, casserole will be puffy and not jiggle in the middle when you give the baking pan a good jiggle. A glass baking dish makes it easy to see that the egg part of the casserole has completely baked and the crescent part is nice and golden.

Start checking casserole at 15 minutes since all ovens bake differently. Casserole will take 15 to 20 minutes depending on your oven and also if you remove ingredients directly from the refrigerator.

Can I make sausage egg casserole gluten free?

Unfortunately Pillsbury does not make gluten free crescent rolls and gluten free crescent roll dough is hard to find in the regular grocery store. One option is to use gluten free biscuit dough and pat into a circle to fit the bottom of your pan.

Another option is to make this recipe crustless. Simply add the cheese and sausage to the bottom of the pan, pour the egg mixture over the top and bake in a preheated 350°F oven until set.

You’ll need to make sure that whatever sausage you use is gluten free as well, since most Jimmy Dean products are gluten free but always check packaging to be sure.

What to serve with Breakfast Casserole?

Breakfast Casserole is rich and flavorful. For that reason I love to keep the sides simple and on the acidic side.

Salsa is a MUST. Fruit such as strawberries, grapes, cantaloupe, etc.

If you’re serving Breakfast Casserole for a brunch you could even serve a simple green salad with a light vinaigrette. Otherwise, for a crowd, orange juice and coffee should suffice.

Enjoy!

Related Recipes

• Biscuits and Gravy Casserole, this is also great to make ahead of time and pop in the pan.
• Quick Breakfast Casserole, if you’re looking for a recipe with minimal prep.
• Breakfast Sausage Casserole, another sausage casserole, this one starts with a hash brown base.

Sausage Croissant Breakfast Casserole

Sausage Croissant Breakfast Casserole is an easy, hearty, and delicious morning meal. This casserole is perfect for holidays, entertaining, or any time you’re looking for an easy way to serve a crowd.