Christmas Breakfast Casserole

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Start your holiday off right with this delicious Christmas breakfast casserole. Easy to make the night before or in the morning, this casserole is loaded with eggs, sausage and cheese on a buttery biscuit base.

Hand using a spatula to lift a slice of Christmas breakfast casserole.

If you’ve been around here for a while, you know that I love a good breakfast casserole.

When I was a teacher, I brought my make-ahead breakfast casserole to every staff breakfast and the pan was nearly licked every time.

I’ve since started rotating in other breakfast casserole recipes, like Bisquick Breakfast Casserole and Overnight French Toast Casserole.

This Christmas breakfast casserole is a new favorite. It is perfect to prepare on the morning of the holiday and can also be prepared the night before. You know we love it!

White plates holding Christmas breakfast casserole slices and fresh strawberries.

What is Christmas Breakfast Casserole?

Okay, I know the name of this recipe implies it’s for Christmas morning, but I promise this breakfast casserole is delicious any time of year.

The casserole has a canned biscuit base. It is topped with eggs, sausage, peppers and plenty of cheese. When you bake, you get that tasty egg casserole on top and biscuit layer on the bottom.

It’s similar to my make-ahead breakfast casserole, but with a biscuit base instead of dipping the diced bread into the egg mixture.

Don’t worry: the biscuits don’t get soggy in this recipe. So if you’re not a fan of the texture of bread pudding and have given up on trying my make-ahead breakfast casserole, this is the recipe for you!

Fork off a corner from a slice of Christmas breakfast casserole.

How to make this Christmas breakfast casserole

There’s nothing I love more than a simple, hearty breakfast on a vacation morning. Give those kids and yourself some protein to help you survive the excitement of opening presents, right?

Even better if it’s something I can do before I’ve even had a cup of coffee in my system.

Ingredients you will need

To prepare this Christmas breakfast casserole you will need:

1 lb. breakfast sausage
1 can of biscuits (16.3 oz.).
1 red or orange pepper, seeded and diced
4 shallots sliced
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8 large eggs
½ cup of milk
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Black pepper

Ingredients for Christmas breakfast casserole arranged on a work surface.

I encourage you to use your favorite breakfast sausage in this recipe. My family typically likes mild pork sausage, but feel free to use chicken or turkey sausage or turn up the heat with spicy sausage.

We’ll use a good old biscuit tin for the base of the casserole. Honestly, you can use any cookie you like.

I usually use the original Pillsbury Grands cookies, but Buttermilk or Butter Tastin versions would be great too. Use your favorite! Just make sure there are at least 8 cookies in the tin.

If your family really doesn’t like peppers, leave them out. Same with shallots!

Prepare this casserole

To start, cook breakfast sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through. Depending on the type of sausage you use, you may want to skim off the fat once cooked.

Ground breakfast sausage cooked in a black skillet.

Now open that can of cookies. Separate the cookies and place them in the bottom of a greased 9×13-inch baking pan. Use your hands to press the cookies into an even layer on the bottom of the pan.

Top the biscuit layer with the cooked sausage, followed by the peppers, scallions and cheese.

Sausage, peppers and cheese layered in a baking dish for breakfast casserole.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and several grinds of black pepper. Pour it over all the other ingredients in the pan.

Bake the casserole for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the center is puffed and the eggs are cooked through. Serve hot alongside other breakfast favorites such as million dollar baconpuff pastry cinnamon rolls or kolaches, fruit salad with yogurtand iced shaken espresso coffee.

Baked Christmas breakfast casserole in a white baking dish.

After you

I know not everyone wants to get up and make Christmas breakfast casserole first thing in the morning. Luckily, it can absolutely be prepared in advance!

Assemble the casserole as described. Cover the unbaked casserole and refrigerate for several hours or up to overnight.

When you’re ready to cook it, let the casserole sit at room temperature while the oven preheats. This is especially important if you’ve used a ceramic or glass saucepan – it takes the cold out of the pan before placing it in the hot oven.

Cook the casserole as directed and enjoy!

White plate holding a slice of Christmas breakfast casserole and fresh strawberries.

Recipe variations

Consider my version of this Christmas breakfast casserole as your starting point. There are so many ways to tweak this recipe to make it your own!

Use hot breakfast sausage and add a few dashes of hot sauce and/or diced jalapeño peppers for a spicy version.
Use chicken or turkey sausage instead of pork sausage, or swap the sausage for cooked, crumbled bacon.
We love this recipe with sharp cheddar cheese, but try it with Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Gouda, or your favorite cheese.
Change the vegetables or add more! Other great options include diced onions, frozen and thawed broccoli florets, or sauteed mushrooms.
Omit the meat and add more veggies for a vegetarian version.
Add any fresh herbs you have in the fridge, such as chopped parsley, thyme or chives.

No matter how you prepare this Christmas breakfast casserole, it’s sure to be a great way to kick off your holiday morning.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease (1) 9×13 inch baking pan. Set aside.
Cook breakfast sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through and browned. If necessary and desired, drain the grease. Set aside.
Arrange the biscuits on the bottom of the greased baking tray. Use your hands to press the cookies into an even layer on the bottom of the pan.
Top the biscuits evenly with the cooked sausage, diced bell pepper and sliced shallots. Cover evenly with grated cheese.
In a bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Pour evenly over the remaining ingredients in the pan.
Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the center is puffed and the eggs are set.

To make this casserole ahead of time, assemble the casserole as written. Cover, uncooked, and refrigerate up to overnight. When ready to cook, allow the casserole to remain at room temperature while the oven preheats. Cook as directed.

Calories: 576kcal, Carbohydrates: 31G, Protein: 25G, Fat: 39G, Saturated fat: 14G, Polyunsaturated fats: 7G, Monounsaturated fats: 15G, Trans fats: 0.1G, Cholesterol: 235mg, Sodium: 1232mg, Potassium: 423mg, Fiber: 1G, Sugar: 4G, Vitamin A: 1115UI, Vitamin C: 21mg, Soccer: 282mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is calculated automatically, so should only be used as an approximation.