Ree Drummond’s Sausage Breakfast Casserole Is the Make-Ahead Recipe You Need

Currently, my daily affirmation comes from the Pioneer Woman: "Every morning should start with potatoes, eggs, and cheese." Amen! However, I admit to never having the motivation to live my best life … that is, until now.

No offense to the semi-conscious cup of coffee I chug every morning before the sun comes up, but if I'm going for a little more substance on the weekend, or when I’m cooking for guests, I try to uphold the illusion that no one's required to eat over the sink.

Luckily, with just the right amount of planning (basically none!), I can assemble Ree Drummond's Sausage Breakfast Casserole up to three months ahead, and warm it up from frozen. I love that I can also put it together a day early, let it chill in the fridge overnight, bring it to room temperature while the oven preheats, and bake it an hour before everyone's ready to eat—no mess, no stress. If you're a "breakfast for dinner" person like me, one bite will have you falling back in love with breakfast for breakfast.

Amounting to a family-sized portion and then some, this casserole can also become a meal-prep showstopper for the rest of the week. Skip the cold bowl of cereal, and wrap a soul-soothing scoop of leftover breakfast casserole in a warm tortilla instead.

The whole kitchen smells like the best retro diner as it bakes, and with barely any hands-on time required, it gives me a little more time to wrangle cattle like Ree's family (my ranch equivalent would be L.A. traffic) or face whatever the day might bring. Fingers crossed for a fun Amazon delivery I totally forgot about.

How To Make Ree Drummond's Sausage Breakfast Casserole

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray. Cook the sausage in a large skillet until browned, then add the chopped red bell pepper and the light parts of the green onions, cooking for a few minutes before taking it off the heat.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, heavy cream, hot sauce, mustard, salt, pepper, and the dark parts of the green onions, saving a handful for garnishing. Add 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar, hash browns, and the cooked sausage mixture, and fold until combined. Pour everything into the baking dish, smooth the top with a spatula, cover it with foil, and bake for 50 minutes.

Then turn the oven up to 400°F, remove the foil, sprinkle half a cup of cheese on top, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until browned and bubbly along the edges, and no longer jiggly in the center. After resting for 10 minutes, garnish with the rest of the green onions and extra hot sauce. Dig in!

Mild breakfast sausage adds a wonderfully sagey, fennely vibe to creamy eggs, tender shredded potatoes, and gooey sharp cheddar cheese. But to be honest, it's really the fresh green onions, Dijon mustard, and hot sauce that set this first-meal star apart from the pack.

Ways To Customize the Casserole

You can use almost any kind of potato—diced hash browns, wedges, tots, or crinkle-cut fries—plus your favorite veggies or meat. I could totally see bacon, or even sliced hot dogs, entering the chat. Since excessive liquid throws a wet blanket on a well-set egg dish, cook off extra moisture by sautéing fresh vegetables before adding them to the mix.

However you customize it, this hearty, make-ahead breakfast casserole is ready before your second cup of coffee.