Breakfast Casserole with Italian Sausage
Breakfast Casserole with Italian sausage also has mushrooms, cottage cheese, and cheese, and it’s great for people who love Italian Sausage! And this tasty casserole is just the thing to make for Weekend Food Prep, and you can enjoy the leftovers another day.
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I created this tasty Breakfast Casserole with Italian Sausage when I had a few sausages in the fridge that needed to be used. And at the time I was proud of being frugal and making something delicious out of leftovers! Now years later I’m still making this tasty breakfast casserole regularly!
And this is a long-time favorite breakfast for me now, so I’m reminding you about it for my Friday Favorites pick this week. And the updated version in this post makes a bigger casserole that uses the whole package of Italian sausage links!
If you’re a fan of Italian sausage like I am, this might become one of those breakfasts you make over and over. And I’m so glad I had the slightly crazy idea of putting leftover Italian sausage into a breakfast casserole; I hope you try it soon!
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What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)
- uncooked turkey or pork Italian sausage
- olive oil
- sliced mushrooms
- grated Mozzarella cheese
- green onions
- cottage cheese,
- eggs
- Spike Seasoning (affiliate link) or Salt Free Spike Seasoning (affiliate link), or any other seasoning blend you like with eggs
- coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
What gives this breakfast extra Italian Sausage flavor?
This Breakfast Casserole with Italian Sausage has fewer eggs than many of my low-carb breakfast casseroles, letting the flavor of the Italian sausage and mushrooms really shine through!
What Italian Sausage did I use for this casserole?
I originally used Jenni-O Turkey Italian Sausage, but now I’m having a hard time finding that. Pork sausage will also be delicious in this recipe, and you might prefer that if you’re wanting it to be Keto. I love the spicy sausages, but for kids you might want to use Sweet Italian Sausage, which is flavorful but not spicy.
What cottage cheese do I use for Breakfast Casserole with Italian Sausage?
These days I love Good Culture Cottage Cheese which has slightly fewer carbs and more protein than most cottage cheese. I like to rinse the cottage cheese and drain, or just drain it in a colander to make it less watery. But some readers report they skip that step.
What mushrooms did I use for this recipe?
You might have noticed I’m a big fan of brown Cremini mushrooms, but regular white mushrooms will also be delicious in this recipe.
How low in carbs is this Italian Sausage Breakfast Casserole?
This tasty breakfast with sausage, mushrooms, cottage cheese, cheese, and eggs has only 5 net carbs per serving with 36 grams of protein!
How to Make Breakfast Casserole with Italian Sausage:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Preheat oven to 375F/190C and spray a large casserole dish with non-stick spray or olive oil.
- Brown the Italian sausage of your choice and add it to the casserole dish. (Don’t rush this step.)
- Then brown the washed sliced mushrooms and layer them over the sausage in the casserole dish.
- Sprinkle half the grated cheese and the green onions over the sausage-mushroom mixture. (Oops, I didn’t get a photo of that!)
- Rinse the cottage cheese in a fine-mesh colander and let it drain well.
- Beat eggs. Add Spike Seasoning, cottage cheese, and Parmesan cheese to the eggs and pour it over the sausage-mushrooms-cheese mixture;.
- Then take a fork and gently stir so ingredients are well-combined.
- Season with a little fresh-ground black pepper and sprinkle the other cup of grated cheese over the top.
- Bake 30-35 minutes, or until the middle is completely set and the top is starting to lightly brown.
- Serve the Breakfast Casserole with Italian Sausage hot, and enjoy!
- This is good with a little sour cream on top if you’re a sour cream fan.
- Leftovers can be kept in the fridge and quickly reheated in the microwave.
Make it a Low-Carb Meal:
When I have some on hand, I love to serve this with one of these low-carb breads or muffins:
Want more tasty ideas with Italian Sausage?
Check out my huge collection of Low-Carb and Keto Italian Sausage Recipes for more ideas with this favorite ingredient of mine.
Weekend Food Prep:
This recipe for a breakfast casserole with Italian Sausage has been added to the category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Breakfast Casserole with Italian Sausage
If you like Italian sausage, you'll love this low-carb Breakfast Casserole with Italian sausage, mushrooms, and cheese!
Ingredients
- 19.5 oz. uncooked turkey or pork Italian sausage
- 2 tsp. olive oil + 2 tsp. olive oil (more or less, depending on your pan)
- 1 lb. sliced mushrooms (pre-sliced mushrooms make it easy, but rinse them before you slice if you're not using those)
- 2 cups grated Mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions, plus more to sprinkle over the top (optional but good)
- 1 cup cottage cheese, rinsed and drained
- 10 eggs, beaten until whites and yolks are well combined
- 1 tsp. Spike seasoning (optional but recommended, can also use any other spice blend you like with eggs)
- 1/4 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Spray a large casserole dish (about 9" x 13") with non-stick spray.
- Add 2 tsp. olive oil to a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat, squeeze Italian sausage out of casings, and cook until sausage is done and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. I used the sharp side of a metal turner to break the sausage apart as it cooked.
- When sausage is done, spread out in a layer in the casserole dish.
- Wash mushrooms if needed, spin or pat dry, and slice (or use pre-sliced mushrooms.) Heat another 2 tsp oil in the same frying pan and cook mushrooms until all liquid is released and evaporated and they're starting to brown slightly.
- Layer mushrooms over the sausage in the casserole dish.
- Sprinkle 1 cup grated cheese and 1/4 cup sliced green onions over the sausage and mushrooms.
- While sausage and mushrooms cook, put cottage cheese into a fine strainer, put strainer in sink and rinse cottage cheese gently with cold water and let drain well. (Some readers report they skip this step, but I prefer doing it for a firmer breakfast casserole.)
- Break eggs into bowl or large glass measuring cup, then beat with a fork until yolks and whites are well combined. Add Spike Seasoning, drained cottage cheese, and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and stir together.
- Then pour the egg mixture over the ingredients in the casserole dish.
- Use a fork to gently stir so all ingredients are well-combined.
- Sprinkle the other cup of grated cheese over the top.
- Bake 30-35 minutes, or until the center is completely set and the top of the breakfast casserole is starting to lightly brown.
- Serve Italian Sausage Breakfast Casserole hot, garnished with more green onions if desired.
Notes
This is good served with a dollop of sour cream.
Egg casseroles like this can be kept in the fridge for up to a week and reheated quickly in the microwave. Be careful not to microwave too long.
This recipe first created by Kalyn in 2009 when she was trying to use up what was in the fridge! Updated with new photos in 2018.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 389Total Fat 24gSaturated Fat 9gUnsaturated Fat 13gCholesterol 340mgSodium 759mgCarbohydrates 6gFiber 1gSugar 3gProtein 36g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Breakfast Casserole with Italian Sausage, Mushrooms, and Cheese is great for low-carb eating plans, including Keto if you use pork sausage. If made with turkey Italian sausage and low-fat cheese, this is a great dish for any phase of the original South Beach Diet, although you might want to use a bit less cheese if you’re strictly following South Beach.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Breakfast Recipes to find more recipes like this. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for This Recipe:
Italian Sausage Breakfast Casserole was first posted in 2009! I’ve made it so many times since then. The recipe was updated with better photos in 2018 and was last updated with more information in 2026.
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42 Comments on “Breakfast Casserole with Italian Sausage”
This is so tasty, and for the lady who asked, it does reheat really well! Some Sunday nights, I bake a recipe this size in a 9×13 pan, cut it into 8 servings and let it cool. Half goes in the fridge, covered in the pan it cooked in to be eaten that week. The other 4 servings get cut into four little squares each, wrapped in 4-piece servings in parchment, and placed in a zip-top bag in the freezer. The small pieces will thaw and warm up in my microwave in about 3 1/2 minutes on 70% power, flipping once halfway through and maybe rotating the pieces 180 degrees within their parchment. Served this way they are very much like a certain large national coffee chain’s little round egg bites, but cheaper. OK, the texture isn’t quite as silky smooth as those, but it is worth the savings in money and honestly even time to run in for take-out breakfast. Thanks so much for this recipe!
So glad you have enjoyed it Emily. I love hearing your tips about freezing it; I haven’t ever tried doing it that way.
Can this be made the night before and then cooked I the. MorningÂ
I haven’t ever done that with this kind of breakfast casserole. I worry about taking it from the cold fridge and putting it in the oven. I think you’d have to let it come to room temperature, which kind of defeats the purpose of making it ahead. But if you do try it, I’d love to hear how it works.
Super tasty recipe for breakfast! Thank you for sharing.
Lisa, my first thought would be bell pepper, but you can use almost any veggie that goes with sausage. I'd precook most vegetables.
Would anyone have a suggestion for replacing the mushrooms? Seems like a huge part of the casserole but I'm allergic… :-/
Yes, I think goat cheese would be good, or you can certainly just omit the cottage cheese.
I cannot do cow dairy. I can figure out the cheese part and milk part but not the cottage cheese part. Any ideas. How about soft goat cheese?
So glad you enjoyed it. Your additions sound great. Spike is a big favorite in my family.
What a tasty casserole! I added a half of cup of diced tomatoes and some green onions only because I wanted to use them before they went bad. The Spike seasonings was great. Never used it before reading about it here.
Kim, that's great. Hope it is a big hit!
My parents come to visit us and stay the weekend quite often. We always end up at Bob Evans or IHOP for breakfast, simply because it tends to be a bit easier. But next time they visit, I am forcing them to stay home and try this! It's something that would please the entire family. I can't wait to test it out this weekend on my husband and daughter!
HerbalChef, your version sounds great! So glad you liked it.
Corey, thanks for letting me know yo liked it; I always love hearing that!
I had been eying this recipe for a few weeks and I finally made it this morning. It was delicious. I didn't have enough mushrooms, so I added orange bell peppers and scallions. It's really rich and creamy, and a lot more filling than a frittata.
Natalie, that sounds great. Glad you liked it.
i just made a variation of this with red and yellow peppers, spinach, red onion, and Whole Foods cinnamon apple sausage. Yum!!
This looks fabulous!!! I am definitely taking notes.
Now that is a tasty breakfast!
Very nice breakfast recipe. I often do something similar with sausages, green peppers, onions, 2 eggs and dress it with Holland sauce
Kalyn, this looks so delicious and healthy I just had to link to it! Am having it for a nice Sunday breakfast this weekend. Thank you for all of your low carb recipes!
I know exactly what you mean.I remolding my kitchen last year and my life and home was a mess.Love your casserole is perfect for my husband´s birthday brunch
I have to make a casserole like this, what a treat it would be for us…we eat lots of eggs and I’m getting bored. This looks delicious!
Looks great! Heck, we are all being frugal these days with such sorry economic times. I pretty much make soup with leftovers from suppers.
Tina
Great looking Casserole! I am loving it
Breakfast casseroles are a favorite in my house (especially for a take-away lunch) & this one looks delicious!!
This looks yummy! I added you to my blogroll. hope that’s okay.
I am always looking for bargains. It is fun and necessary these days! Great breakfast idea!
Damn that looks good right now.
I’m determined to have a frugal month. I’ve been overspending on the food budget and really need to tone it down.
This looks so incredible – I love breakfast casseroles – they are easy, feed a crowd and are great as leftovers!!
What an opening line Kalyn! I’ve been making more careful use of things in the fridge.
I always get either chicken or turkey sausage (can’t remember when I bought pork) and use it all over especially breakfast eggs and on my pizzas. Something like this will be on our table this weekend with company.
SGCC and Anonymous, it’s probably not completely necessary to rinse the cottage cheese, but I’m thinking the creamy part that gets rinsed off will make the eggs set up a bit less. I’m trying to remember where I heard this idea of using cottage cheese like this as a cheese substitite, because that’s where I got the idea of rinsing it. If anyone tries it without rinsing the cottage cheese, would love to know how it comes out.
Trish, thanks. I love Spike, and love to buy kitchen stuff at thrift shops too! Most of the dishes I shoot my food photos on are from thrift stores.
Immaculada, thanks. That means a lot to me. (And your English is a lot better than my Spanish!)
Trish, thanks. I really loved it.
Jesse, the low fat cottage cheese curds melt just like cheese and are great with eggs.
Lydia, isn’t it fun coming up with new combinations!
Chicajo, Thanks. Would love to cook it for you, but it’s rather a long trip.
Bibi, egg casseroles can be frozen but you should be aware that when you thaw it, some liquid will be released from the egg. For best results, thaw in fridge and then microwave (don’t thaw from frozen.) I used to freeze them a lot more often but recently I started using a smaller pan and just making enough to keep for a week in the fridge.
Kaylyn,
This looks like a winner ! ( No surprise 🙂 )Do you think this is freezable?
Delicious! Would love to have this for breakfast!
Like you, but without the house renovation to spur me on, I’m becoming a more frugal cook. Soup is my savior; I’m fearless about tossing all sorts of leftovers into a soup pot and creating something one-of-a-kind. Frittatas are my second way of using leftovers. I love the breakfast casserole idea (which could also be a brunch or dinner casserole!) as another way to use up little bits and pieces of things that might otherwise end up in the compost bin.
Brilliant! That looks so amazing… can’t believe how healthy it is too. I would never have thought of putting low fat cottage cheese into my eggy dishes…
That looks and sounds really good.
I am subscribed to your recipes by email for some months now I am ashamed on not telling you how much I appreciated all of the recipes you gladly share with us… they have inspired me on making my own recipes many times.
I do usually keep them in my folder “to do” and it´s getting pretty big with your nice recipes.
Please accept my warmest thanks (and please forgive English, it´s been a long time since I don´t use it).
Best regards from Spain.
What is the purpose of straining the cottage cheese?
What a terrific look breakfast or brunch. I too love to use up leftovers and this combination of leftovers means you are probably one heck of a cook. I use spike tons too…better than salty seasonings. Most of all, I am impressed that you shop at thrift stores …. recycling leftovers AND recycling dishes…you are my kind of gal!
I think we’re all being more frugal with our ingredients these days. This is such a great way to use up all the bits and pieces in the fridge. I love breakfast casseroles- even for dinner! I’m wondering, though. Why did you rinse the cottage cheese?