The Greatest Sausage and Croissant Breakfast Casserole

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Today, we casserole. This is my Southern Sausage and Croissant Breakfast Casserole and she’s a beaut, no? A truly delicious and very ultimate breakfast casserole, this one pulls out all the stops. We’re talking spicy breakfast sausage, tangy buttermilk, fresh garlic and scallions, a hit of cream cheese, and of course, croissants. If you’re going to casserole, then casserole right. This is my go to, and everyone always loves it.

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The Ultimate Sausage and Croissant Breakfast Casserole

Southern Sausage and Croissant Breakfast Casserole FAQ’s

Can I substitute something else for the sausage?

If you’d like to go a different route with this casserole, say a vegetarian one, then the answer is absolutely yes. The sausage makes it extra delicious sure, but I’ve also made this with tons of wild mushrooms, prepared essentially the exact same way, and it was so wonderful.

What does sausage and croissant breakfast casserole taste like?

This casserole tastes like the best breakfast you’ve ever had all in one bite. It tastes like your favorite breakfast sandwich as well. The top gets nice and crispy, especially if you allow lots of pieces of croissant to stick up as it bakes. The interior is very custardy, thanks to all of those eggs and cheese. And the sausage just brings a super savory note to the whole thing, helping us all remember why breakfast casseroles are a truly great food group.

Can I make Sausage and Croissant Breakfast Casserole in advance?

One of the most lovable things about this recipe is the fact that you can make it in advance. Just like most bread-based casseroles, stratas, or bread puddings, this one does get better if it has time to sit and really get to know itself. Just like with my children, a little quiet time to think and reflect never hurts. If you have the time, a good eight-hour soak in the fridge before baking is ideal here.

It gives the croissants a chance to really soak up that custard. But honestly? I’ve made this after an only 30-minute soak, and it was fantastic. So if you want to make it in advance, you can. If you don’t comment you don’t have to. How’s that for flexible?

How do I reheat a sausage breakfast casserole?

To reheat your breakfast casserole, you’re going to want to pull it out of the refrigerator, cover it tightly with foil, and place it in a 250° oven. This keeps it from totally cooking through, but allows it to get nice and warm.

What you’ll need to make my Ultimate Southern Sausage and Croissant Breakfast Casserole:

This list of ingredients for this Southern Sausage and Croissant Breakfast Casserole reads very familiarly, I’ll admit that. But as I do with most of my recipes, I’m always trying to find ways to make the very best version of something, the most delicious one. Here, the use of fresh garlic and cream cheese really help take things over the top. Also, I cook the scallion whites along with the sausage, and use the greens to top everything when it comes out of the oven. I love using scallions this way, because you essentially get two functions from one single ingredient. You can’t beat it.

Southern Sausage and Croissant Breakfast Casserole INGREDIENTS

1 pound hot pork sausage
1 bunch green onions, chopped, white and green parts separated
4 ounces cream cheese
4 garlic cloves
6 – 8 large croissants, torn into big pieces
2.5 cups half and half
2/3 cup buttermilk
5 eggs
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1 cup shredded Fontina cheese (Swiss or Gruyere work great as well)

Southern Sausage and Croissant Breakfast Casserole Ingredients

Hot Pork Sausage: You can use any type of bulk sausage you like here. But, I love the additional spicy note that the hot variety lends to this casserole. Let’s be honest, this casserole is rich and a little bit of spice helps to balance that.

Green Onions: Green onions do double duty in this recipe, as we will use the chopped white parts in the body of the casserole, sauteed with the sausage. And then we’ll scatter the fresh, oniony green bits all over the finished casserole when it’s fresh out of the oven.

Cream Cheese: To me, the cream cheese is what really seals the deal here. As it tends to do with anything it touches, it just makes everything better. Taste that mixture when it comes out of the skillet, that sausage and garlic and cream cheese mess, and you’ll know exactly what I mean.

Garlic: Use as many cloves as you like here, or none at all. The sausage technically has garlic in it, so I suppose you could leave it out. But I just think it makes a good thing even better.

Half and Half: Instead of combining milk and cream, I almost always just reach for half and half. It’s perfect for this custard, and it’s made even better with the addition of some buttermilk.

Buttermilk: Speak of the devil! This is where the “Southern” part of the recipe comes in. I always have a carton of buttermilk in my fridge, because it’s so fantastic in so many things. It lends a little bit of brightness and acidity to a very rich dish, so it serves a balancing purpose just like the spicy sausage.

Eggs: Not much to say here. Eggs are eggs. Can’t have a custard without them.

Parmesan Cheese: This is a two-cheese casserole, and we’re using each individual cheese for a reason. The parmesan brings a nice nutty saltiness to the custard. The fontina is a wonderful melting cheese that adds its own unique flavor to the top of the dish. It breaks down and melts into the custard and all over the tops of the croissants and it’s just dreamy.

Fontina: See above!

How to make this Southern Sausage and Croissant Breakfast Casserole

This is a very straightforward and standard preparation of a very straightforward and standard casserole. Okay actually, it’s not standard. This is like your favorite breakfast casserole but just ratchet it up several notches. The fact that we’re using croissants as the bread component tells you almost everything you need to know. But I find that adding fresh garlic and cream cheese just makes it absolutely divine. I’ve never described anything on this site as divine before, but alas. Here we are.

You’re going to need a large skillet and two bowls as you prep this sausage and croissant breakfast casserole. The sausage and scallion whites are browned in the skillet, and then combined with torn up pieces of croissant in your greased baking dish. Then the custard comes together in a flash, it’s just half and half + buttermilk, eggs, salt and pepper, and parmesan cheese.

That mixture will drown the sausage and croissants in the baking dish, and let it sit for at least 45 minutes, and up to 8 hours. Then a shower of fontina cheese goes over top. Fontina is my favorite melting cheese of all time, period, it’s so great. Remember me waxing on about it in my Marry Me Chicken recipe? Shew. So good.

But it’s also a little pricier than other cheeses, so please feel free to substitute whatever cheese you like. You literally cannot go wrong

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350°F and adjust the rack to the middle position. Spray a large baking pan or casserole dish with nonstick spray (mine is about 9-by-13-inches).
Cook the sausage and the white parts of the green onions in a large skillet over medium heat until browned. Add the garlic and cream cheese and cook for another minute or so. Transfer this mixture to the prepared dish, Along with the croissants. Give it all a stir to evenly combined.
In a second bowl, combine the half and half, buttermilk, eggs, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Beat until well mixed. Pour this mixture in the dish, over the croissants and sausage. Stir to ensure everything is evenly dispersed throughout the pan. Scatter some of these shredded fontina or Swiss over top.
Cover loosely with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake for about 15 more minutes, or until bubbly and deeply browned on top. Top with the reserved scallion greens and enjoy warm.