Do you have holiday food traditions?
Not your normal turkey-at-Thanksgiving or ham-at-Christmas, but other holiday food traditions?
Thanksgiving will always, always be my favorite holiday, but I do love Christmas morning – and not just for the gifts.
Christmas morning means:
Early wake up
Bed head pictures while opening stockings
Moving into the room with the tree and shiny bows and name tags from Santa
Taking turns opening gifts
Maybe, sometimes, accidentally giving away the presents before the person actually unwraps the gift…
And then breakfast, with extended family
In pajamas
Coffee, 5 Alive, fruit, donuts or danishes, and breakfast casserole
Mom’s and Jill’s versions, a piece – or two – of each, please
Laughs, oh the laughs we have
Retelling stories that we’ve heard a thousand times and still smiling at the memories
It’s not often that my mom makes her breakfast casserole. It’s such an easy dish to make, but for some reason, we save it for those special holiday breakfasts with family and friends. Just the way I like it.
And for me, it’s the one dish I think of when I think of using sausage.
I have such great memories tied to this dish, and I never want to lose them.
So no matter where I am on Christmas morning, I’ll more than likely be shoveling in a few pieces of this breakfast casserole.
For the memories, for the flavor, for the fun.
If you don’t have a holiday breakfast tradition, try this out. You may decide you need to start a new one this year.
Breakfast Casserole
Makes: 12-18 servings
Ingredients:
- 1/2 – 1 pound sausage
- 1 package crescent rolls
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 5 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 Tsp oregano or rosemary
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Place a skillet over medium heat and add the sausage. Break up the sausage as it cooks, letting it brown completely.
- Unroll the crescent rolls and spread them out in the bottom of a 9×13 pan, pressing the seams together to make one large sheet of dough.
- Spread the sausage over the dough.
- Sprinkle the cheese on top of the sausage.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk, oregano or rosemary, salt, and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the top of the casserole.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the crust is golden and the eggs are set.
Blog for a Cause
A month and a half ago, I was invited with a group of bloggers to Milwaukee to learn about Johnsonville‘s holiday Blog for a Cause event. We had a great time meeting their team and got to do some fun stuff in the short 2 days we were there – we wrapped a bunch of presents for the Salvation Army, got to cook with Antonia(!) from Top Chef, and learned more about the company and their holiday fundraiser that I get to be a part of.
Johnsonville is letting each blogger choose the charity they want to support this holiday season, and for every comment on this post about your favorite sausage recipe, they’ll donate $50 to that charity up to $1,000!
My charity of choice is probably no surprise if you’ve been reading for a while.
I picked Jovenes en Camino, the orphanage my family and I support financially and personally throughout the year. Jovenes is an all boys orphanage, an hour outside of the capital of Honduras, and is a place that is so so special to me.
These boys are a big part of our hearts, and visiting their country the last three years has made huge changes in my life and the life of my family.
Every year, it gets harder and harder to leave them and come back home. These boys have lived rough lives before getting to the orphanage. Many of them were living on the street as young as 2 years old, often already pick pocketing and addicted to drugs. This is where Jovenes comes in.
The staff there is dedicated to giving these boys a healthy and supportive environment to grow up in, one that will give them a good education and shape them into responsible men.
My family and I do all we can to support them, but they need more than we can give. Running an orphanage for 70 boys costs a lot of money, and the more I can do to help them, the better.
This is where you can help them out, too!
Just leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite sausage recipe OR one you’ve been wanting to try, and Johnsonville will be donating up for $1,000 to Jovenes this holiday season.
That’s it – easy, right?
I hope you’ll take a minute to comment – it would mean the world to me to have them get this extra donation this year. A big thanks to Johnsonville for this opportunity and for sending me to Milwaukee to learn about this fundraiser – and a bigger thanks to all of you!
Thank you for reading, for comments, for sharing, for giving.
{ 206 comments… read them below or add one }
What a great post and a fabulous idea! My mum always makes a sausage pasta ragu for Christmas Eve with spicy Italian sausages and lots of herbs. It’s become a Christmas tradition now before we get stuck into the heavy Christmas foods. It’s definitely my favourite sausage recipe.
What’s 5 alive?
I love sausage grilled in the summer and I love it in lasagna in the winter.
But I just looked on there website and I think I’m going to make it on my pizza next time.
it’s a type of orange juice we used to have all the time
Your mom’s b-fast casserole does sound like a great tradition to start Christmas morning with. Yum! We always had Pilsbury cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning, so I can’t help but think of that beautiful day any time I smell sticky-sweet cinnamony icing.
I’m not terribly big on sausage, but I do like to make red beans & rice for my husband sometimes, so I guess that’s my sausage contribution. This sounds like a really great cause, and I’m happy to help you support it.
Yum! I am making this! Great cause and post too btw
Well look at us on the exact same page today
Our casseroles are different, but hey, great minds.
And that is really wonderful that you support such a great cause.
We have breakfast on Christmas morning, too! For us it’s pancakes, bacon, Canadian bacon, and creamy chipped dried beef on toast–along with coffee, fruit, and juice of course!
haven’t really been eating sausage since going vegetarian
but i used to love using chicken sausage in my stuffed peppers!
Reading this post, I felt like you were at my house Christmas morning. We have the EXACT same traditions!! I love my mom’s breakfast casserole after all the presents are open
Thanks for reminding me, now I’m even MORE anxious for December 25th!!
Chorizo with beans and cheese! Honduras style…
What a lovely idea!! I love to make sausage balls—they always go fast!
I haven’t eaten sausage in a very long time, even prior to being a vegetarian. I remember having random cravings for chicken sausage with eggs for breakfast.
I know what you mean about breakfast traditions. Christmas just isn’t Christmas without my mom’s cranberry scones. My mother-in-law served scones Christmas morning last year, ut it just wasn’t the same.
As far as sausage goes, you can’t go wrong with biscuits and gravy.
Ya know, if we scootch that piece of sausage over juuuust a tad, I could fit right in for a snuggle.
(love this!)
Awesome post (and a very worthy cause)! I am sort of obsessed with chorizo, especially in spicy dishes.
I love this sausage alfredo pizza I made a few weeks ago. It was divine!
thank you to YOU for supporting the charity and sharing the recipe and thank you to Johnsonville for helping!! That’s amazing. (oh and this will be our Christmas breakfast this year)
What a great cause! My favorite sausage recipe is a traditional breakfast sandwich with eggs and sausage!! Love your tradition. I totally forgot about five alive!
Amazing recipes & stories-I cannot wait to make this for my husband’s family : )
This sounds delish! I like to make a spinach and sausage lasagna when I’m cooking with sausage.
The sausage dish I now want to try is yours – it sounds delicious!
I guess it would be a little crazy if my favorite sausage receipe involved anything but biscuts but…..
1 lb of velveta, 1 lb sausage, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 1 can rotella heat and viola you have a marvelous dip for sturdy chips. I usually add a drop of my favorite hot sauce (no I will not reveal the name) and it will light you up. But, use a mild to hot sausage and you have a nice midlevel product.
My favorite recipe with sausage is my grandma’s swedish meatball recipe: pork sausage, ground beef, allspice, cream, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Served with homemade mushroom gravy – yum!
Such a great cause! I made my savory pumpkin bread pudding with sausage, so let’s go with that one as my favorite
Baked Ziti using Johnsonville Italian Sausage………..Delicious!
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 pkg. (19 oz.) Johnsonville® Sweet Italian Sausage, casings removed (can use mild or hot sausage)
1 small eggplant, cut into ½ inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 cup red wine
1 can (28 oz.) crushed plum tomatoes
4 cups ziti, cooked al dente
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/3 cup Kalamata olives, chopped
2-1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente.
Drain and rinse in cold water, cover and set aside.
Position a rack in the upper third of an oven and preheat to 400°F.
In a 12” nonstick fry pan, heat 1 Tbsp. oil over medium heat.
Add decased sausage and cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink and cooked through about 5-7 minutes.
Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl.
Using the same pan, heat 4 teaspoons of the olive oil. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and the edges are starting to brown, about 6-8 minutes.
Remove from heat and transfer to the bowl with the sausage.
Set the same pan over medium heat and warm the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil.
Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up any brown bits.
Cook until the liquid is almost evaporated, about 3 minutes.
Add the can of crushed tomatoes and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
In the bowl with the eggplant and sausage, add the cooked pasta, basil, olives, 2 cups of the mozzarella and the tomato sauce and mix to combine; season with salt and pepper.
Transfer this mixture to a 9X13” lightly oiled baking dish (or the oven proof 12 inch fry pan).
Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese on top.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.
Uncover and broil for 2-4 minutes, keeping a close eye, until the cheese is lightly golden.
what an awesome opportunity to raise money for something dear to you!
i’m posting a breakfast recipe next week that features sausage..it’s definitely one of my faves
My Sunday school class does breakfast every week and we get lots of sausage/egg/cheese combos. Delish!
This sounds really good, B. I’m actually thinking of making your Sausage Breakfast Pizza for Christmas Morning. I think everyone will love it.
The recipe you posted looks incredible!! I don’t really like sausage, but I would be willing to have it in this!
sorry i don’t use sausage at all let alone have a favorite recipe for it since i’m a veggie so i don’t know if this will “count” but it is such a worthy cause i thought why not ….
thanks for commenting anyway! i appreciate it
This casserole looks amazing!!! Such a great cause you are blogging for too!
The breakfast casserole sounds amazing. I’ve made these little sausage and potato bites that are great for parties. And whenever I don’t know what to cook, I usually make sausage and peppers or sausage and tomato sauce.
My mom makes a breakfast casserole for Christmas morning too! I used to make a sausage, artichoke and sun dried tomato pasta dish from Giada that was always a big hit. Of course I make it with the fake stuff now. :/
One of my favorite sausage recipes is sweet basil chicken sausage with pesto gnocchi!
My favorite sausage recipe is for dressing and it has butternut squash, kale and sausage in it.
What a great post. I love making sausage balls but I am going to try your recipe next week when I go camping.
Great idea, I love JEC
Thank you! We do, too
Your recipes look really great! And I love what ya’ll are doing for JEC! Such a special place to so many!
Yat this is so exciting! Very dear to my heart. For sausage I would have to say sausage quiche! Egg cheese and Sausage mixed together and baked in the oven like a pie.
My roommates and I loved to make sausage balls in college…
I don’t have a recipe on me right now, but I want $50 extra dollars for the boys! Happy Holidays!
looks great…
Our favorite is sausage balls: Bisquik, cheese and sausage. We always have them at New Years. Yum!
Great idea for raising awareness & $$$!
Recipe looks delicious -cant wait to try it !
Happy Thanksgiving!
Love the website and we love to eat sausage with my xmas casserole
My mom also always makes a similar breakfast casserole every Christmas morning so it can cook while we get up, get coffee and open presents! This will very likely be my first Christmas ever away from my family since my husband and I just moved to California (they’re in Virginia) so I’m definitely planning to make breakfast casserole so I can have a little piece of home out here
We call them sausage balls but they may have another name. I don’t have an exact recipe for you(simply don’t have it memorized and really just do it by feel).
mix up your favorite biscuit recipe (or use a box mix)
1 package of spicy breakfast sausage
1 package of grated cheddar cheese (I like sharp but medium, mild or colby will work too)
OPTIONAL jalapeno (diced very fine)
Mix everything together (do not cook the sausage ahead of time). Use your hands…it gets very thick and hard to manage with a regular hand mixer. Roll the biscuits in to 1-2 inch balls and bake according to biscuit recipe directions. Very simple savory biscuits.
I love that you chose a cause that holds personal meaning to you. A cause of any kind is great, but that personal touch really brings about a way for readers to connect in a personal way too.
What a great cause. I really enjoy a good breakfast casserole as well, so I will definitely have to try this recipe out asap!
Thanks!
One of our favorite sausage dishes is “Bubble ‘n Squeak”. Take a one-lb chub of low-fat breakfast sausage and brown it in a large pan, breaking it up into chunks. When the sausage is brown, toss in a whole package of coleslaw mix from the salad aisle (shredded cabbage w shredded carrots). Mix it up and sauté, just until the cabbage is a little wilted. Tastes like the inside of an egg roll. Kids love it! We generally serve it with baking powder biscuits alongside. Easy, easy, easy. And nutritious, too!
Just had to let you know that I use Johnsonville sausage in my lasagne as well as in my Spinach Sausage Bowtie Pasta (love it and its quick. A little garlic, a little chicken stock mixed all together…Yum! But my favorite is the exact recipe you blogged about, only our tradition is for an Easter Family get together where we have a brunch and have the kids color the Easter eggs. It has become a wonderful tradition to both my family and my husbands family…
Want to thank you for the loving the unloved by the world. Hard to imagine, but so grateful for those who want to make the world a better place for the lost and forgotten. Love the holiday traditions and ours was breakfast burritos, hand made by Dad with all the trimmings, coffee, OJ, homemade salsa and quacamole.
This would hold us until Christmas Dinner and what wonderful memories were made on these special days. Love the Jonsonville Chicken Sausage which I use in all my recipes that call for sausage, and want to thank them for the generous donation to your heart charity.
I am really looking forward to trying this. Looks delicious, and I think everyone in my family will eat it. My group loves sausage and cheese balls!
I have made a Southwestern version – just add two cans of drained chopped green chili and substitute a Mexican or Taco shredded cheese blend instead of cheddar. Outstanding!
Monkey bread at my in-laws defines Christmas for me, but now this dish will definitely be joining the party!!
Way to go, lady! This looks yummy…maybe I’ll make it next week!
My current favorite sausage recipe is one you make the night before. Brown sausage. Beat eggs, milk, and dry mustard. Layer bread cubes, sausage, and cheese (and I often add veggies like sauteed onions, peppers, broccoli, etc), and pour the egg mixture over it. Cover and let refrigerate over night, then bake in the morning. It’s a huge crowd pleaser every time!
This recipe looks delicious and I will definitely have to try it when I get back to the States. Sausage over here is so different and I miss delicious American sausage! So far I haven’t been able to find anything that tastes like sausage I’ve been used to!
I have made Sausage balls before, and everyone loved them… So the next get together, I’m definitely going to have this for the morning , hoping I might be able to make it ahead if time.
Thanks,
Karen
just made it this weekend. 4yr old loved it…munched it all up! thanks for the recipe, now it is in my permanent recipe box.
i’m so glad you liked it! it’s one of my favorites.
Our tradition is to have an Easter brunch in which we have a sausage and egg casserole, fresh fruit and danish. This year we made your families traditional breakfast casserole and it was so quick, easy and delicious. I think it will now be apart of our Easter tradition. Thank you.
I’m so glad you liked it! It’s one of my favorite food traditions.
My daughter requested your breakfast casserole recipe for her birthday breakfast! Can’t wait to try it. There are several ways my family made sausage, My favorite is “Baked Sausage Pie” which is very easy to make, especially if you purchase the pre-made pie crust. You just cook sliced potatoes till they are still firm not quite cooked the whole way, put in pie crust with diced onion, ground sausage and, sprinkle salt and pepper and then put pie crust on top and cut holes in top crust to vent. Bake till crust is browned. Delicious served with a sweet sour lettuce, you take mayonnaise add sugar and little vinegar to make a dressing and add to lettuce. Awesome cold weather meal!
Have you ever made this b-fast casserole a day in advance and baked the next morning?
Yes, you can definitely make it in advance! Layer everything together, then just pop it in the fridge and bake it in the morning. You may need to add a few minutes since everything will be cold, but it still turns out great.
Brandi – So sorry if this comment is too late to help the orphanage, but how generous of you to give them your support and this exposure!!! This really is a great cause!
I can’t wait to try this recipe – we will try it on Mother’s day…. Did I miss a copy of the recipe for Jill’s casserole, or is it this same recipe, just her version…. Sorry if I overlooked it; I am always looking for yummy “special occasion” breakfast items.
Take care!
Hi Karen – thank you so much for the note! I really appreciate it.
I think her’s is essentially the same – they taste a bit different, so maybe she uses different seasonings?
I actually make sausage in a pasta. I use rotini pasta, sliced link sausage, broccoli, I simmer the rotini with frozen broccoli and chicken stock for flavor. You saute the sausage in a frying pan. After the pasta/broccoli is cooked, drain it and add the sausage. You can add a little lemon zest and parmesan cheese… It is yummy and my kiddos love it!
I love sausage! I will deffinately be trying this recipe, but my favorite use of sausage is breakfast burritos.
Browned sausage crumbles
2-3 diced up, browned potatoes with seasoned salt
3-4 eggs
After sausage and potatoes are nice and brown, combine and add eggs and a hand full of shredded cheese. Wrap up in a warm tortilla, add some salsa and sliced avacado!
Such a simple, but mouth watering breakfast!
My favorite sausage breakfast casserole dish is so easy and tastes like sausage and biscuits.
One 8 oz package of cream cheese
One pound of sausage
2 cans of crescent rolls
Brown sausage
Mix sausage with cream cheese
Roll out one can of crescent rolls in the bottom of a casserole dish
Spread cream cheese and sausage mixture over crescent rolls
Roll out the other can of crescent rolls on top
Bake until crescent rolls are done and golden brown.
Everyone I know that has tried this loves it. My son begs me to make it. lol. So simple!!
* I meant that it tastes like sausage GRAVY and biscuits…..;-)
Love Italian sausage and peppers cooked in a tomatoe sauce with red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning slow cooked all day, serve over rice Yummmmy!!
THIS! is my favorite sausage recipe! {yum}
You are an inspiration for helping those little boys…I have two recipes
Simply biscuits and gravy with the original sausage, browned, milk, little flour pepper and sometimes a little butter…over refrigerated biscuits.
The other use the sausage in your favorite egg roll recipe…d-lish!
Johnsonville, your doing a good thing.
I want to try this one of course!
What a wonderful eyeopening blog. I’m making the sausage casserole right now and am planning on researching more into the boys home right after! Wonderful wonderful cause, thank you
Sweet and sometimes Hot Italian Sausage, hamburger, diced onions; black beans; stewed Italian tomatoes, chopped tomatoes, chili seasoning(McCormacks is always my fave) – best chili!
I make a tator tot casserole using johnsonville brats instead of hamburger. Just remove casing and fry like sausage. Hopefully this post counts toward your fundraiser!
What a lovely cause to support! I hope Johnsonville donates the whole $ 1000 for the kids. I use johnsonville sweet italian sausage links in my meatballs, for my spaghetti and meatball recipe. This dish is always a fantastic hit with everyone.
Trying this this week! Thanks!
Do you cook the crescent rolls first? This was good but they were all soggy in the middle even after 25 minutes.
You don’t cook the crescent rolls first – they won’t be crispy at the bottom when the casserole is done; they’re definitely softer and more tender than if you were just baking the rolls on the their own.
Sausage Pinwheels
Make one biscuit recipe using Bisquick, roll out the dough to about 1/2 inch thick and crumble raw sausage on it. (Dough shape should be oval)
Roll like Jelly-roll, wrap and freeze. Slice while frozen and place pinwheels on cookie sheet bake 450 degrees 8-10 minutes. Great with Orange juice for that Christmas Morning snack.
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I make a breakfast casserole every Thanksgiving morning also. I use torn up bread, breakfast sausage, and bacon. I will definitely try with crescent rolls.
love your charity, my favorite sausage is Italian sausage with spaghetti sauce served on your favorite pasta.
I would have to say this is my favorite so far! I love making this, so easy and the family loves it!
I share my version of this (with a picture) here: http://oursomewhatlife.blogspot.com/2012/07/saying-yes-through-compromise.html
I hope you will come check it out. Thanks for the recipe, it was great!
oops here http://oursomewhatlife.blogspot.com/2012/07/whole-food-dinners-pizza-and-casserole.html sorry!
Haven’t tried this sausage casserole yet, but having company this weekend and plan to fix it for them. Thanks for doing all you do for the orphanage. Those boys look so precious and sweet. Hope this helps!
I love cooking Johnsonville sausage in just about any quiche and crustless quiche. We also enjoy sauted peppers and Johnsonville bratwurst in the summer! Yummmmo!
Sausage is the secret ingredient in my homemade chili : )
Do you use fresh herbs or dried?
i normally use dried, but i’ve used fresh, too.
hi i am making this for breakfast tomorrow morning…and i was wondering if i can make it the night before and bake it the next morining ?
so sorry i’m just now getting to this – i was out of town over the weekend! Yes, you can definitely put it all together at night and then bake it in the morning. turns out great!
Made this today-excellent! Subbed Italian Sausage and used both rosemary and oregano. Hubby declared it a keeper!
so glad you liked it! it’s one of our favorites.
I know this is an older post, but I’m hoping there will be an answer. I love this recipe and have already thought of how I’d adapt it for our family, but I’m wondering how “Jill’s version” is different. Have you posted that recipe?
I’m not exactly sure, actually! I’ll have to ask. It’s very similar.
I am wondering how long this contest goes on for since your post was so long ago?
Here’s a recipe:
Kielbasa and Cabbage soup
2 pkg of kielbasa sausage
5 or 6 large potatoes
3 cups chicken broth
1 stick of butter
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
1/3 to 1/2 head of cabbage
canning salt and lots of pepper to taste
Half the sausage lengthwise and slice 1/4 inch slices. Cut potatoes in about 1 inch cubes. melt butter in large pan add sausage, potatoes chicken broth, salt and pepper to pan add water so that potatoes and sausage are only just covered with water. Cook on medium heat until boils then reduce to simmer. Meanwhile slice cabbage. Simmer uncovered until potatoes are tender. Add cabbage and let cook until cabbage wilts and is tender.
I am happy to see someone else who celebrates Christmas morning with FOOD! My mom started the Christmas breakfast tradition when I was a child, and I carry it on today. I have 4 sons ranging from 12 – 20 years old, who’s favorite part of Christmas is brunch. We make a braided cresent roll casserole filled with bacon or ham, cheese AND cheese sauce, scrambled eggs, green onions, mushrooms and spinach. My middle son also makes his own version of biscuits and peppered sausage gravy, because it is his favorite food of all times (he’s a 230 pound college football player)! We cook for days to outfit our brunch table
This is really good as well if you add some shredded hashbrowns. My kids devour it this way!!!!
i made this, this morning.. my kids loved it so much they ate 2nds and wanted 3rds!.. thanks for posting!
Can’t wait to try this. We have a lake house so on holidays I’m slammed !! Always need easy, fast, tasty dishes to feed LOTS!!
So thanks
Wow, this recipe looks really good and really easy too! The best of both worlds, I can’t wait to try it for me and my Husband!
Can’t wait to try this recipe. It sounds so perfect for Christmas morning! My “comfort food” recipe with sausage includes Johnsonville Hot Italian Sausauge (1-2 Links), onion, garlic, a bag of spinach, chopped, and chicken broth (not too much.) Sometimes I use a packet from a box of chicken noodle soup mix. Simple, nourishing for body and soul!
i love to smell sausage cooking. im going to try the crescent roll breakfast casserolle. it sounds awesome and very quick and easy.
One of my favorite sausage dishes is Penne Vodka (with sausage) and of course it must be Johnsonville. After having lived in Wisconsin for 13 years I can/will use nothing but the best – Johnsonville!!!
I have been making one similar for years and everyone wants the recipe. I use 1 lb sausage; 1 2/3 cup milk; 8 eggs, beaten; 3 cups Monterey Jack/Colby grated cheese mix; 2 cans crescent rolls. Preheat oven to 425. Fry sausage, crumbled. Press rolls in bottom of 9×13 pan. Mix eggs and milk. Pour over rolls. Sprinkle sausage on top and the sprinkle grated cheese. Bake 20-25 minutes.
Note: My husband goes to prayer breakfast and when it’s his time to cook everyone wants him to bring this. I fry the sausage the night before and it takes about 5 minutes in the morning to throw this together.
I think you are doing a wonderful thing for all of those poor boys. My favorite sausage recipe is…I love to put sausage into my stuffing. I love to combine the regular and the hot together, it adss such a great flavor. Keep up your great work.
I am going to make your recipe for Christmas morning. I can hardly wait to taste it!
Made this for breakfast this morning. Delicious!! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe.
Thank you for sharing!! It’s a great idea — especially for us doing breakfast for dinner and a wonderful cause! Thank you!!
Here is a delicious recipe that takes 3 ingredients. It’s a rice stir fry,,Ingredients are 2 packages of minute rice, 1 jar of banana peppers (hot or mild). I use mild, because I don’t really like anything hot, but its up to you, and (2) 1 pound rolls of sausage, hot or mild, what ever you like. Brown your sausage, while its browning, add your banana peppers, I usually cut them up in not so big pieces, after those are mixed together, put it over your rice and mix it all together,, a great little meal all by itself. I make it several times a year. If it would happen to be dry, you can add some of the juice from the banana peppers. If anyone tries it,, please let me know if you liked it. I love it myself. Bon appetit !!
I really love sausage balls every Christmas morning.
my grandma makes sausage “smokies” for breakfast. I think of Nana when I think of smokies. I am trying this casserole tomorrow morning. Good luck to your orphanage!
I have been to that orphanage twice . Definately a worthy cause.
Wow, really? That’s great! Those boys are so precious.
My husband cooked mild Italian sausage with onions, red peppers, green peppers & garlic & put them on Italian sub buns. Great.
My family’s favorite pasta dish is, baked pene. It has sauce as the first layer, followed by the cooked pene then a mixture of cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, colby jack cheese, 2 eggs and salt and pepper to taste. I cook the sausage and sprinkle it on top of the cheese mixture and top that with more sauce. It’s almost like a lasagna, but with pene pasta. It’s the one dish I go to when I’m in a hurry.
I love using the sausage crumbles when making some scrambled eggs on a busy morning! The ease is ALMOST as tasty as the product!
Although a good old sausage sandwich will always be held near and dear to my heart, as I was raised by Pennsylvania Dutch grandparents. Just the smell of green peppers & onions cooking with some sausage links will forever make my heart warm with beautiful memories of my grandfather anxiously awaiting his dinner. Reminiscing of his mother making it for him. Until we meet again in heaven, I will enjoy one in his honor every chance I can!
Thank you for sharing this recipe, I’m looking forward to making this & creating our very own traditions!
My son LOVES Johnsonville Vermont Maple Syrup Breakfast Sausage. In fact, for a while, it was the ONLY sausage he would eat. My local grocery store does not carry it so I drive 20 miles once a month to the commissary at Ft Sam Houston and stock up for the month. I also love their chorizo, which also isn’t carried by our local market. Thank goodness for the commissary!
Your recipe sounds so good, cant wait to try it. My fav recipe with sausage has to be cheese dip. This is our holiday must-have. So simple, just velveeta, cooked sausage and rotel tomatoes. Of course, i like to spice mine up with chipotle peppers. The first bite is oh so dreamy!
My boys favorite is sausage balls, where mixed bisquit, sausage, and shredded cheese. It is great for snack or a walk out the door breakfast. Hope this help you get money for organization.
Wow! What a wonderful thing for Johnsonville to do. Love it! I also LOVE to add sausage to any kind of egg dish, one of my favorites is a hashbrown, sausage and egg scramble using bell peppers (if on hand) and onions and topped off with cheddar cheese. Good for breakfast, GREAT for a quick, easy, and healthy dinner with fruit on the side. My kids love it, too. YUM!
I like sausage in Lasagna soup.
What a nice cause. We like to grill onions and peppers and Sausages and then slice up the sausages and mix them all together as a side dish. Season with salt and pepper and I also sauté the onions and peppers in some wine. IT is a delicious side.
This looks so scrummy!
Is this recipe in the Yummly index?
If so, would you mind sharing the link?
I’m not sure if it’s on there, but the recipe is on this page if you want it!
Brandi, your breakfast casserole sounds yummy! But more importantly the memories you describe are so familiar to that of my childhood. Both my parents are with the Lord now, and there are days when I miss them terribly. So, it warms my heart to hear of families that realize what is truly important. Treasure these memories sweetheart. You think it will last forever, so do not take any family tradition for granted – soak it all in and teach the younger generations in your family to do the same. NOW, your recipe, I will be making this for my family!! I praise you and your family for making a difference in these boys lives! God bless you. Thanks to Johnsonville for jumping on board!! Best sausage ever! Every thanksgiving I use sausage in my stuffing recipe. Back when there was Regis and Kathie Lee, the recipe was shared on one of their shows. Kathie Lee’s Mom has used it for years. If you want the recipe, just email me. I will continue to pray for the Jovenes en Camino and the 70 boys there.
Glad to find your sausage recipe that is easy to fix and can cook immediately for only 30 min. I have searched far and wide for breakfast casseroles and was delighted when recently I found one on Pinterest that called for sausage and GRITS! (lived in Alabama for 25 years). It was so good. But don’t want to wait 50 min on Christmas morn for it to cook. So I can hardly wait to try yours. Thanks.
This recipe is awesome!! I just made it. Eating it as i type. My husband at more than half of the dish. Its a keeper! So simple too! Thank you!
I’m so happy you liked it! It’s one of our favorites.
This looks SO good!! In the picture it shows a white shredded cheese, it is cheddar for this recipe?
yup, I used a white cheddar, but you can use any cheese you like!
Just wanted to leave a comment so you could get more money. This sounds great and I plan on making it for our Christmas morning breakfast.
I loved this breakfast casserole recipe. I did add 2 cups of hash browns (the frozen shreded kind thawed) added them after the sausage layer. I forgot to add the milk and I used 7 eggs instead of 5. I cut these into squares and put them into the freezer for those days I am in a hurry and do not have time to make breakfast. Thank you for sharing. Found this blog on pinterest.
Tradition is such a wonderful thing for families to continue. We too do a breakfast/sausage/egg dishlike you that’s made the night before so on Christmas morning it can be baking and filling our home with great smells while we gather around our Christmas tree to share and exchange gifts before Breakfast.
I’m keen to serve something new this Christmas. Thanks for sharing this recipe on pinterest.
Tradition is such a wonderful thing for families to continue. We too do a breakfast/sausage/egg dish like you that’s made the night before so on Christmas morning it can be baking and filling our home with great smells while we gather around our Christmas tree to share and exchange gifts before Breakfast.
I’m keen to serve something new this Christmas. Thanks for sharing this recipe on Pinterest
Tradition is such a wonderful thing for families to continue. We too do a breakfast/sausage/egg dish like you that’s made the night before so on Christmas morning it can be baking and filling our home with great smells while we gather around our Christmas tree to share and exchange gifts before Breakfast.
I’m keen to serve something new this Christmas. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Looks like I’ve found what to make for dinner! Yum!
This sounds really, really good. The only thing is, I’m not a fan of cresent rolls (I know – I’m weird) so I’m wondering if pizza dough would be just a good??? I think I’ll give it a shot. I love the idea of the eggs being poured over top! BTW, awesome pictures!!
Hmmm…I’m not sure! I think it would work with pizza dough, but you may have to bake it for a different amount of time.
Oh my gosh this sausage casserole looks sooooooooo yummy. I want to make it and take it church on Sunday
mmmmm mmmmm
My simple recipe using sausage is bagel slices with browned sausage covered with a slice of velveeta cheese and broil keeping an eye on them until cheese melts.
Love this. Added some hash browns to the mix, above the cheese. It was really good, and didn’t last long. Thank you for sharing it. And my roommates thank you too.
Thanks so much for sharing. I love breakfast dishes for the holidays. This is perfect.
Looks great…cannot wait to try it!
I can’t wait to try this recipe, I am thinking I will try it in the next couple of days! My favorite sausage recipe is traditional biscuits and sausage gravy, yum!
Hi, I have not tried this yet but I will have to soon. It sounds great and not hard!! My favorite recipe with sausage is for Thanksgiving! I make sage stuffing and add sage or italian sausage to it! I use bakery breads in italian, and french and pumpernickel along with the crouton type stuffing mix in the herb flavor. I use vegetable broth, butter, sage, and onion soup mix, all together in a pan on the stove . After mixing all of the breads and croutons together in a big foil pan I add the browned sausage, mix, then I add some of the broth, mix, etc until it is very moist. Put this in an oven at 375. Stir occasionally and add broth as it get more dry. I bake mine for a couple of hours on Wed., then refrigerate it until morning and put it in the oven to warm up in time for Thanksgiving dinner. [ Make sure the stuffing is cool to the touch on the bottom of the pan when you go to refrigerate it.]
Just tried this recipe with chicken sausage (since we don’t eat pork) and it is delicious! My family is big on extra flavor, so I seasoned the sausage while browning it in addition to what’s called for, and IT IS FABULOUS! Thank you for thi new tradition.
I have made this for Thanksgiving and Christmas morning for years…it’s an easy, tasty tradition!
Hi,
I just found your website, hope my comment isn’t too late to help the boys. Your story sure touched my heart. My family loves sausage. I will try your recipe. It really looks good.
I use the italian sausage in spaghetti. Family loves it, and the brats have replaced the weiners for hot dogs. Even the young kids like them better, for hot dogs.
Im trying your breakfast recipe this morning. Was looking for something that had all of the ingredients I already had in the fridge…I kept reading and saw the boys that you and your family help with. Im a mom of 3 boys and it touched me. My eyes swelled with tears. How can my family help in someway? One day We would love to go on some sort of a mission trip but right now they are to little 7,6, and 2. Do they have a web site or a church supporting them? I would love some more info. God bless you and your family~
Hi Amber – thank you so much for your note! It looks like they’re working on their site, but you can still donate through their main page and find out more once their site is back up: http://www.jovenesencamino.org/
Love sausage in a baked mostacolli Italian dish
Full of chunky red sauce and topped with
A heaping amount of mozzarella/provolone
Cheese combo, oh so good
We love sausage at our house and I think I’m going to try this recipe for dinner tonight as a preview for Christmas morning! I know they are going to love it!
Let me know how you like it! It’s one of our favorites.
My favorite sausage recipe is now the one you just posted.
making this tonight! Bought a jar of gravy to slather it with! \thinking it will be Great…and great leftovers for Saturday morning!!!
yummm. cant wait to try!
I love sausage, so it is hard to choose. Right now, I suppose it would be the sausage and cheese biscuits from the King Arthur website, but only because I made them recently and am craving more. The recipe you shared looks really good, too!
Hi there – Bailey the Yellow Lab here. I have to say that my favorite sausage dish is sausage straight (no chaser – teehee). By becoming a very finicky eater I have trained my “person” to give me a little sausage every night mixed in with my dry dog food. I can only see from the floor but I think she is putting about a 1/5 pound of sausage in the pan then frying at high temp for lots and lots of sausage grease. Then she adds about 3 cups of dry dog food (Pet Smart brand) right into the pan, stirs it all up so yummy sausage grease is on every piece and little bits of sausage are spread all through it. After mixing she splits it between Spenser – my brother by a different mother (a Golden Lab) and me! WE LOVE IT and lick our bowls every night. Johnsonville is the VERY best and it’s cheaper than that yucky canned dog food!!!
Love sausage/egg biscuits, but only with Johnsonville Sausage. Good luck with your charity and God Bless.
great new family Tradition !!!LOVE IT
I am so making your dish this yr. It sounds delish & quicker than any recipes I have for breakfast. My family loves sausage balls & Hidden Valley ranch stars on Christmas eve. Of course everyone knows how to make s balls w/Bisquick, but I’ve discovered how nicer they come out when cooked on a silicone cookie sheet. Absolutely no sticking!! The HV ranch stars are cooked sausage, cheddar & m jack cheeses, olives(whichever your family prefers) we use green, & ranch dressing baked in wonton wrappers. Hence “stars”. Hope you enjoy & have a very Merry Christmas!
I use johnsonville products to make “kielbasa and sauerkraut.” Thank you to Johnsonville and your wonderful cause! If able I am going to post on FB.
1 pound sausage
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoonsalt
4eggs, beaten
2 cupsmilk
6 sliceswhite bread, toasted and cut into cubes
8 ouncesmild Cheddar cheese, shredded
1.Crumble sausage into a medium skillet. Cook over medium heat until evenly brown; drain.
2.In a medium bowl, mix together mustard powder, salt, eggs and milk. Add the sausage, bread cubes, and cheese, and stir to coat evenly. Pour into a greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.
3.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4.Cover, and bake 45 to 60 minutes. Uncover, and reduce temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until set.
Great recipe, and a great cause. Thanks for sharing it.
I would love to find a good stuffed mushroom recipe! Sausage, cheese and mushrooms go so well together!
Don’t laugh! my favorite sausage ‘recipe’ is something I’ve made for my kids and others for years and years. I call it a BOB… breakfast on a bun. I made these before McDonalds and Burger King and Sonic. I use a hamburger bun and put sliced cheese on each side, brown a patty of sausage and cook an egg, put it all together and into the micro for 15 seconds to gooey it up really well. Hits the spot on the run.
I am going to start bringing your breakfast cacerole to our anual Christmas breakfast, I remember asking for sausage at the hospital, it was just a tinny patty, I learned to ask for something else the next 3 months.
I love sausage with maple syrup and pancakes.
Or in a breakfast burrito, yumm
My husband loves Johnsonville’s Italian sausage. I always use it in my spaghetti sauce and with lean ground beef in my meatloaf. Fortunately for him, I happen to have two types in the fridge…and crescent rolls. So your recipe will be made as a surprise for him in the morning. Thanks for sharing your family tradition and your inspirational story. Merry Christmas to you.
Recipe says cheddar cheese and in picture it shows white cheese?
Yup, I just used a White Cheddar!
Always,Always! Make our holiday cornbread dressing with Johnsonville browned sausage in it….sherried oysters in one end of pan….Johnsonville sausage crumbles at the other end………been a favorite for’evah.
Love your cause and would be genuinely interested in volunteering anytime…Thank You Johnsonville!
PEACE LOVE HAPPINESS to all, in the New Year!
We do a similar one to yours – always a favorite
Sounds yummy and what a blessing to help your cause! We have always done Christmas morning breakfast but never a casserole. I think I will use yours to start a new tradition! Thanks!
I stumbled across this on pintrest looking for a yummy recipe to share with my sunday school class. Thank you for sharing your story, you will be in our prayers.
Going to try this casserole for Christmas morning! My fave is sausage gravy and biscuits, Great cause and so wonderful that you can help while being helped <3 Merry Christmas!
I like to make mine with sage sausage, spinach and Swiss cheese. Many blessings to the orphanage and your family.
I made a delicious italian white bean sausage soup! So yummy!
Looks so good I am making it for Christmas! Thank you!!! My old favorite is the same basically without the crescent rolls. It was always missing something.
Headed to the store to buy the sausage for Christmas morning casserole!
Love this recipe very easy and great for a christmas morning wake up with the family. (as a bacon lover I also added bacon as well
)
I just made this for Christmas morning breakfast and OMG delish!!!! Definitely will be making this again thank you!
Awesome – glad you liked it!
Made his for our Christmas morning breakfast. Really good! I used the full lb of sausage and cheddar-jack cheese. Everyone loved it. Thanks for a great recipe!
I’m glad you liked it! We made it yesterday, too
We made this for Christmas morning breakfast and my family loved it. Thanks so much for the recipe!
So glad you liked it! we had it, too
I made this for Christmas morning and it was a HUGE EASY HIT!!! Thank you for posting it!
Our Christmas tradition is Sausage Balls and Crockpot Beer Weiners made with small smoked sausages. Your recipe for Breakfast Casserole looks delicious. Tell your mom “thanks”.
Loved reading this recipe! I use basicly the same recipe to make pizza. A can of cresent rolls, a lb of Jimmy Dean sausage (precooked) 1/2 lb of ground chuck (precooked), pepperoni, bacon bits, sliced mushrooms and black olives, tomato sauce with lots of Italian seasoning mixed in as a base over the cresent roll crust, and LOTS of mozerella cheese! Throw it in the oven and cook until the crust is golden brown! My kids LOVE it!
I am definitely going to try your breakfast casserolle ASAP!!! I have 3 very active, growing boys and am always looking for any new breakfast ideas. My husband just came home with 10 lbs of fresh sausage from a little farmer in Tennesee, so now I have another idea of what to do with it.
One of my favorite sausage recipes in just good old fashoined sausage balls, but I only use half of the Bisquick that the recipe calls for. Add a couple shakes of hot sauce, and they are delicious!!
Every Christmas and special brunch I make an egg sausage strata. Honesty, I’m getting tired of it and am ready to try something new. Something the same, but different. This breakfast pizza with egg/sausage sounds like my next recipe to try. And of course I’ll use Johnson sausage. I hope the donations are still being made to the orphanage. Seems like a great cause and obviously something you are passionate about.
I have always loved my all time favorite biscuits and gravy with extra sausage in it. That is what my dad used to make for all of us Christmas morning. He would make everything from scratch.
I love this recipe….it sounds delicious….I also love sausage…,I know its fattening but I cant help myself…..My favorite dish is the cheese dip with Hot Rotel and and Velveeta cheese…. Love it during football season
Great cause!!
I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Fantastic recipe! So yummy! Even my picky eaters love it! I’ve made it with sausage and/or bacon. But I use 8 eggs; 5 is not enough to cover the entire thing.
So glad you liked it!
HEAR IN IDAHO WE LIKE GOOD OLD COMFORT FOOD AND THIS IS RIGHT UP OUR ALLY! THERE IS LOTS OF VERSIONS OF THIS , SO IF YOU DONT HAVE EVERYTHING ….MAKE IT YOUR OWN!!!! THANKS STACY
Love this recipe! I added spinach for more healthy benefits-wonderful!!
I know I’ll love this…am looking forward to making it. Perhaps I can start a new tradition in our family using this recipe for a holiday yum! Bravo to Johnsonville…I hope they will donate for this year as well! I love to make sausage pull-aparts with bisquits, grn onions and mushrooms…Oh my you can’t stop! Blessings to you and your family!
Well, I just made this and ate it for dinner lol. Will be eating it for breakfast and most likely lunch tomorrow too…excellent recipe! Thank you!
I made this for supper tonight – the only change I made was to use hamburger instead of sausage, as that’s what I had in the freezer. Quick and easy to make, and everybody liked it — into the rotation it goes! Thanks for a great recipe
Loved hearing bout Jovenes and the great work they do and will definitely make your sausage casserole! My favorite holiday recipe is sausage stars…it is an easy combination of cooked sausage, red roasted peppers, cheddar cheese and ranch dressing. Microwave these ingredients then add to wontons that you have put into mini cupcake pans and baked (SO YOU HAVE A LITTLE CUP) and bake for 15 minutes….know the recipe is a little sketchy but that is how iI cook!
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