This rich, tasty and filling keto breakfast casserole is made with sausage, eggs, spinach, and cheese. You can make it ahead of time and reheat.
This tasty casserole has quickly become one of my favorite breakfasts to make when I invite friends over for brunch. It's rich, flavorful, and so easy to make. And I can make it in advance and reheat, which is always a plus.
Many casseroles are tasty but not very pretty to look at, but this one is actually gorgeous, which is another advantage. The cheese topping becomes golden as it bakes, and the spinach adds a really nice color.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this keto breakfast casserole. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
Eggs: I use large eggs in almost all of my recipes, this one included.
Heavy cream: I like to add it to the egg mixture for extra creaminess.
Seasonings: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. You can use fresh garlic instead of powder. The red pepper adds a hint of spice. I don't find it overpowering. But if you're not into spicy foods, use just a pinch, or omit it altogether.
Shredded cheese: I like to use sharp cheddar. But you can use any melty cheese. Provolone and gruyere are also very good in this recipe.
Fresh pork sausage: I buy mine at Whole Foods. You can also make your own by mixing fresh ground pork with spices. And if you don't eat pork, you can use ground chicken or ground beef instead.
Fresh spinach: I use whole baby spinach leaves in this recipe. I don't chop them. If you'd like to use frozen spinach leaves, you should defrost them first, and drain them REALLY well, as well as humanly possible, so that they don't make the casserole watery.
Instructions
How to make a keto breakfast casserole? It's easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the bais steps:
You start by whisking together eggs, heavy cream, shredded cheese, and seasonings.
Now, cook the sausage in a large skillet. Make sure to break up the meat into small chunks as you cook it. When the sausage is cooked, you can turn the heat off and stir in baby spinach leaves. The spinach will slightly wilt in the pan's residual heat.
The next step is to arrange the sausage mixture in the bottom of a baking dish and pour the eggs on top. Sprinkle the top of the casserole with more cheese, then bake it for about 25 minutes in a 400°F. That's it! Easy, filling, and delicious.
Serving suggestions
I often make this casserole for brunch, and then I serve it with oven bacon, keto biscuits, and keto scones. When we eat it on a weekday morning, we just grab a piece and have it with our morning coffee. ☕
Variations and substiutions
I love this recipe as is and almost always make it as written. But in case you'd like to vary the basic recipe, here are a few ideas for you:
- You can use any type of sausage that you enjoy. Breakfast sausage will obviously have the traditional flavors that we associate with breakfast meat. But there's no reason not to use, say, Italian sausage or spicy sausage.
- You can replace the heavy cream with softened cream cheese or with whole-milk Greek yogurt.
- Use any cheese you like as long as it's relatively melty. Gruyere is fabulous in this casserole, and I also like Monterey Jack cheese.
Frequently asked questions
The classic ingredients are those that most of us consider as breakfast foods, so definitely eggs, often milk (or heavy cream in our case), breakfast meat such as sausage, cheese, and - for non-keto casseroles - usually bread. I like to add a veggie too, and spinach is perfect.
Yes. I prefer to bake it right after mixing the ingredients and putting them in the baking dish. But once bakes, you can then reheat the entire casserole, covered, in a 250F oven, or you can cut squares and reheat them in the microwave.
Any sausage labeled as "breakfast sausage" would be a classic choice, since it's seasoned in a way that we have come to associate with breakfast foods. However, there's nothing wrong with using any type of sausage you like, enjoy, and have on hand. For example, Italian sausage is very good in this casserole.
Storing leftovers
Leftovers keep well for 3-4 days in the fridge in a sealed container. They taste great after a gentle reheat in the microwave on 50% power. Don't tell anyone, but sometimes I cut myself a piece and eat it cold, straight out of the fridge!
Sometimes I make two casseroles, just to make sure I have tasty leftovers for that week! On weeks when I make this casserole, I don't need to make breakfast egg muffins.
More casserole recipes
One of my favorite casseroles to make for my family is this kale casserole. With ground beef and cheese, it's a complete meal that we all greatly enjoy.
And this tasty cabbage casserole is my own version of my beloved grandma's stuffed cabbage leaves. It's not as good as her recipe, but it's very good.
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Recipe card
Keto Breakfast Casserole with Sausage and Cheese
INGREDIENTS
- 8 large eggs
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese divided (4 oz)
- 1 lb. pork breakfast sausage (I use the Whole Foods brand which actually contains 14 oz)
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves (2 oz)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a square 9-inch pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the heavy cream, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. Use a rubber spatula to mix in ½ cup of the shredded cheddar. Set aside.
- Heat a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. There’s no need to add oil. Add the sausage and cook, stirring and breaking it up, until browned, 5-7 minutes.
- Turn the heat off and mix in the spinach leaves (you can leave them whole), just until they are very slightly wilted from the pan’s residual heat.
- Transfer the sausage-spinach mixture to the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly on the bottom.
- Give the eggs another mix, and then pour them into the pan on top of the sausage mixture. If needed, you can gently stir the mixture inside the pan to more evenly spread out the sausage and spinach.
- Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of cheese on top.
- Bake the casserole until the eggs are set and the cheese is golden brown. In my oven, this takes 25 minutes. Your first clue that it’s ready will be the AMAZING smell that will fill your kitchen!
- Allow the casserole to rest for 10 minutes before cutting it into nine squares and serving.
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NOTES
- You can use any type of sausage that you enjoy. Breakfast sausage will obviously have the traditional flavors that we associate with breakfast meat. But there's no reason not to use, say, Italian sausage or spicy sausage.
- You can replace the heavy cream with softened cream cheese or with whole-milk Greek yogurt.
- Use any cheese you like as long as it's relatively melty. Gruyere is fabulous in this casserole, and I also like Monterey Jack cheese.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 