I really love a good breakfast casserole. However, until a few years ago, I believed that the only way to make a truly good breakfast casserole was to use canned, cream of mushroom soup and boxed croutons. As I started getting more and more comfortable in the kitchen and with cooking from scratch, I began to play around with re-creating those favorite recipes from scratch.

I think I’ve gotten it down. The process is really easy, the recipe is super versatile, and it makes a great breakfast, lunch or dinner. On top of that, it is SO stolen moments friendly. I had this casserole in the fridge by 10 this morning and then just popped in the oven 45 minutes before we were ready to eat. Does it get any better than that?

Country Breakfast Casserole

• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 4 large potatoes, diced into small cubes
• 1/2 – 1 lb. fully cooked breakfast sausage (you can use bulk or link sausage. For this casserole, I used a box of brown-and-serve links that I picked up for $1.)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 5 eggs
• 1 1/2 c. milk
• 1 t. cumin
• 1/2 t. garlic powder
• 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion, green pepper and potatoes. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, until potatoes are just fork tender. Stir in the sausage, season to taste with salt and pepper and cook an additional 5 minutes, until browned. (NOTE – If you are using bulk sausage, just cook it without oil in the skillet, then add the veggies. If using uncooked link sausage, slice and add with veggies.)

2. Cool veggies and pour into a lightly greased 13×9 casserole dish.

3. Combine the eggs, milk, cumin and garlic powder in a bowl and whisk together. Pour into casserole dish and top with shredded cheese. Bake immediately at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes, until egg is fully cooked. Or, refrigerate and bake before eating. (If you want to serve this for breakfast, you can make it the night before and place in the refrigerator over night.)

4. Let casserole sit for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

You can definitely play around with this by mixing up the veggies, meat or cheese. And if you don’t like casseroles, you could just make the potatoes and veggies and serve with meat and eggs.