I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love breakfast food. It can be eaten for any meal and this Italian Breakfast Casserole is no exception. As a matter of fact, this casserole makes a lovely brunch recipe too.
In addition, this French Toast Bake and Hash Brown Casserole make great brunch dishes too.
Ironically, I’m talking about how I love the versatility of breakfast foods, and on the current season of The Great Food Truck Race, there is a food truck called Breakfast for Dinner (BFD). They’re not my favorite food truck this season, but I loved the name. Haha.
(Squirrel). Can you tell that I get distracted easily?
So, a couple of years ago we went out to eat with some friends at a local spot called Aviary Cafe and Creperie. The menu was a little overwhelming and everything looked and sounded so good.
In short, I ordered what looked the tastiest. Under the Savory Crepes, a dish called The Farmer.
It had scrambled eggs, cheddar jack cheese, and one meat of choice (I went with bacon) rolled in a sweet crepe and served with syrup. I remembered thinking, “syrup?”
Hmmm. That usually goes on french toast or pancakes. Nevertheless, I gave it a try.
However, let me tell you that it was amazing. The flavors were a perfect mixture of sweet and savory.
And yes, I’ve been back since for this very dish.
Well, as I was pulling this breakfast casserole together, for some reason I couldn’t help but think of The Farmer. This casserole has such a medley of flavors and smelled wonderful.
As I mentioned earlier, it’s perfect for brunch too.
Can you prep casserole the night before?
Prepping a casserole the night before is perfection. This make-ahead breakfast casserole allows you to prepare the dish the night before and bake it the next before serving.
Other delicious breakfast recipes:
Smoothie Bowl with Peanut Butter and Chocolate
Six Week Raisin Bran Muffins
Breakfast Home Fries
Overnight Oats with Berries
Bisquick Coffee Cake
Italian Breakfast Casserole Brunch Recipe
Ingredients:
Sweet Italian Sausage
Green onions
Zucchini
Salt
Pepper
Roasted Red Bell Peppers
Italian Bread Loaf
Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Eggs
Milk
Syrup, optional
Instructions to make Breakfast Casserole:
Cook sausage in a large skillet, until the sausage is no longer pink. Drain and return to skillet.
Add green onions, zucchini, salt, and pepper in skillet. Sauté until vegetables are tender. Stir in roasted bell peppers. After that, drain and cool completely.
Spread cubes of bread into a lightly greased baking dish. At this time, top with half of the sausage mixture and half of the cheese. Repeat with remaining bread, sausage, and cheese.
Whisk together eggs and milk. Afterward, pour the egg mixture over the bread. Cover and chill for 8 hours (or longer).
Preheat oven to 325º F. Bake, covered for 1 hour or until bubbly and hot.
Serve your breakfast casserole with fresh fruit. Adding syrup is highly recommended, but optional. (wink-wink)
Refrigerate the casserole within a couple of hours. It can be kept for approximately three to four days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze for up to three months.
As you can see, I tried this casserole with syrup and it did not disappoint. In short, I hope you enjoy this Italian Breakfast Casserole as much as we did.
Italian Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 8-oz. package sweet Italian sausage
- 3/4 to 1 cup green onions, sliced
- 2 zucchini, diced (about 3 cups)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 7-oz. jar roasted red bell peppers, drained and chopped
- 1 Italian bread loaf (14-16 oz loaf), cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 6 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups milk
Instructions
- Remove and discard casings from sausage, if necessary. Cook sausage in a large skillet, stirring until sausage crumbles and is no longer pink; drain. Return to skillet.
- Add green onions and the next 3 ingredients to the skillet. Sauté 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in roasted bell peppers. Drain and cool.
- Spread 4 cups of bread cubes in a lightly greased 13x9" baking dish. Top with half each of the sausage mixture and cheese. Repeat with remaining bread, sausage, and cheese.
- Whisk together eggs and milk. Pour egg mixture over bread. Cover and chill for 8 hours.
- Preheat oven to 325º F. Bake, covered for 1 hour or until bubbly and hot.
Notes
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