This easy egg bake recipe is perfect for those who love to meal prep! Make this broccoli, cheese, and chicken sausage egg bake on the weekend and enjoy the remaining slices throughout the week for a healthy and hearty breakfast!
Nothing makes me happier in the morning than a savory, filling, and healthy breakfast. However, weekday mornings can be a bit of a struggle for this gal. I’m not a morning person, my husband and I both need to get to work, and we have a toddler we need to get ready for the day too. Suffice it to say, weekday mornings can be pretty hectic at our house. If we don’t plan ahead, breakfast becomes a stressful event. Enter our breakfast in shining armor: egg bake. This easy egg bake recipe is quick to put together (we will often do this mid-day on a Sunday or in the evening after the babe is in bed), and reheats beautifully in the microwave. Meaning we can have a healthy breakfast, get out the door on time, and reduce stress. Win, win, win!
This high protein breakfast casserole recipe is an ideal breakfast meal prep idea, and we make it a lot. It’s also a great option for a family with a lot of mouths to feed as it creates 8-10 servings. It is an egg bake with hash browns (no bread!), broccoli, cheese, and chicken sausage. Reheat slices of this egg bake in the microwave throughout the week for an easy and healthy breakfast.
If you’ve been looking for a way to make your mornings easier, give this egg bake a try! Or, if you have time to make this and eat it right away, this is a great option to serve for a weekend brunch with family and friends.
TELL ME ABOUT: BROCCOLI, CHEESE, & CHICKEN SAUSAGE EGG BAKE
Level of difficulty: Easy. This egg bake recipe requires very minimal chopping, and is mostly layering ingredients in your pan.
Flavor: Depending on the flavor of sausage you choose, that may be your dominating flavor. Otherwise, broccoli and cheese are the predominant flavors in this egg bake.
Time: Including prep and cook time, plan for 55-60 minutes to make your broccoli, cheese, & chicken sausage egg bake. The key is making sure your egg bake is cooked all the way through. I like to check my bake at the 45 minute mark and give it a gentle shake. If the center jiggles, it needs more time in the oven. If you’d prefer to measure the temperature, use an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the egg bake. Your eggs are cooked when the temperature reads 160°F.
KEY INGREDIENTS TO MAKE BROCCOLI, CHEESE, & CHICKEN SAUSAGE EGG BAKE
- Eggs: This egg bake recipe uses 18 large eggs. This gives you about 2 eggs per serving (slightly more if you slice up 8 pieces from your bake, and slightly less if you make 10 pieces from your bake).
- Broccoli: Use the florets of a fresh head of broccoli in this recipe.
- Cheese: I’d recommend a shredded cheddar for this egg bake (cheddar and broccoli make a winning combination!). However, colby jack, cheddar jack, and Mexican blends are also good options. We generally use pre-shredded cheese to save time, but grating your own block of cheese can save a little money and freshly grated cheese is always delicious.
- Chicken Sausage: This easy egg bake recipe uses chicken sausage for a few reasons. Chicken is a lean meat, so while it adds extra protein to your egg bake (keeping you full longer), it doesn’t add as much fat as other sausages or bacon would. Most chicken sausages that you can buy are also pre-cooked, so you don’t need to do any additional cooking prior to putting your sausage into your egg bake, reducing the amount of prep time. We’ve used several brands and different flavors in this egg bake – find the one you like best! We’ve enjoyed chicken breakfast links and maple chicken sausages best.
- Frozen Hash Browns: You don’t need to overthink this one. Buy pre-grated, frozen hash browns and measure out what you need. Hash browns often come in large bags, so either save remaining for a future egg bake or use in another fun recipe!
OVERVIEW: HOW TO MAKE BROCCOLI, CHEESE, & CHICKEN SAUSAGE EGG BAKE
- Preheat oven & prep your pan: Preheat to 350°F, then spray 9×13 pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside
- Prep your ingredients: Wash and chop your broccoli, slice your chicken sausage into discs, and measure out your remaining ingredients. Crack & whisk your eggs in a large bowl with salt and pepper.
- Layer your ingredients in your 9×13 pan: Layer your ingredients in the following order for the ultimate egg bake experience: potatoes, half of your cheese, broccoli, chicken sausage, and then eggs. Top with remaining cheese
- Bake: Bake approximately 45-50 minutes, until eggs are done
- Cool: Cool for about 5 minutes prior to serving, and enjoy!
- Store leftovers: store cooled egg bake in an air-tight container (or cover your pan with a lid, foil, or plastic wrap), and keep in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
- Reheat leftovers in the microwave: for those who made this recipe to meal prep, reheat individual slices in 30 second increments (until you know how long it takes your microwave to get your slice of egg bake to your preferred temperature).
TIPS & TRICKS FOR THIS EASY EGG BAKE RECIPE
Can I make this egg bake vegetarian? Definitely! Just leave out the chicken sausage, and you’ve got yourself a delightful vegetarian egg bake option. Because the chicken sausage has a lot of spices in it, if you choose to leave it out you may want to add some additional spices to add some more flavor. Try your favorite spice blend, Italian Seasoning, or even Taco Seasoning to give your vegetarian version a little pizazz. Leaving out the chicken sausage also ensures your egg bake is a gluten-free breakfast option if that is a dietary restriction you’re trying to accommodate (many sausage casings include gluten, who knew?!).
Can I add more vegetables to this egg bake? Yes! If my husband isn’t looking, I like to ribbon in anywhere from a half cup to a full cup of fresh spinach into this egg bake too. One of the best things about egg bakes is that they are totally customizable! A lot of people also like to add sautéed bell peppers to their eggs bakes, but I find bell peppers to kind of take over flavor-wise which I don’t always want. Adding in a sautéed onion is a great choice too.
EQUIPMENT FOR MAKING BROCCOLI, CHEESE, & CHICKEN SAUSAGE EGG BAKE
9×13 Pan: You really don’t need a lot to make this egg bake! The main item needed is a 9×13 pan. If you do not already own one, I love my lidded Pyrex 9×13 glass baking dish. Since it comes with it’s own lid, you can store the meals you prepare in this dish without wasting plastic or tin foil, making it a more sustainable option.
Instant-Read Thermometer (Optional): If you are more comfortable taking the temperature of your egg bake, an instant-read thermometer is something you’ll want to have on hand. I highly recommend getting a waterproof model (you’ll be using it around water, wet ingredients frequently, and we may or may not have destroyed a few cheaper models with accidental drops…just trust me, waterproof is good!).
LOVE THIS HIGH PROTEIN BREAKFAST CASSEROLE RECIPE? YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY:
Broccoli, Cheese, & Chicken Sausage Egg Bake
Ingredients
- 2 C frozen hash browns
- 1 C shredded cheese, divided (I recommend cheddar)
- 1 medium head of broccoli, florets cut into bite-sized pieces
- 7.5 oz chicken sausage, sliced into discs*
- 18 eggs
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 pan and set aside
- Evenly distribute hash browns across the bottom of the pan
- Sprinkle half of the cheese over the hash browns
- Place broccoli and chicken sausage over the hash browns
- Whisk your eggs with salt and pepper. Pour eggs over the ingredients in the pan. If any ingredients are dry or sticking out, gently push them down into the eggs
- Top with remaining cheese
- Bake 45-50 minutes, or until center of bake is not jiggly
- Let cool at least 5 minutes before serving
- Refrigerate leftovers in an air-tight container (or foil covered pan) for up to 5 days
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