Paleo Breakfast Casserole (Whole30)

This easy Paleo Breakfast Casserole is a colorful, healthy way to start the day!

It’s made with sausage AND bacon because why choose?

Mix in eggs, vegetables and seasonings and you’ve got a healthy Paleo breakfast for a crowd, brunch or meal prep.

Plus it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, low carb and Whole30 friendly!

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Whole30 & Paleo Breakfast Casserole

Breakfast casseroles can be such a hearty, easy way to make a big meal that a lot of people will like.

But they’re often filled with bread, milk and cheese, which won’t work if you’re Paleo.

So I decided to make a few tweaks.

Out goes the bread and in goes a lot of protein (thanks to breakfast sausage and bacon) and vegetables.

Not only that, but the sausage and vegetables cook IN the bacon fat, adding all that bacon-y flavor and cutting down on food waste.

Instead of regular milk, this Paleo egg bake uses almond milk (but any nut milk would work).

And we’re swapping out the cheese for nutritional yeast, which adds a savory, cheesy flavor (but is optional if you don’t have it or don’t like it).

Add in some seasonings, bake in the oven until set, slice and serve!

Leftovers keep well and are great cold, room temperature or slightly warmed up. See below for details.

 

What you need for this Paleo Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

• 12 large eggs
• 1 pound breakfast sausage – If you can’t find Paleo/Whole30 friendly breakfast sausage (without sugar, additives, etc.), just use my recipe for Paleo Breakfast Sausage. You don’t even need to form it into patties!
• 4 slices bacon (Whole30 if necessary)
• 1 bunch lacinato/dino or curly kale
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 medium/large red or yellow onion
• 1/2 cup unsweetened plain almond milk (or any nut milk or full-fat unsweetened coconut milk) – This adds creaminess but is optional.
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast – This adds cheesy flavor but is optional.
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• avocado oil spray or olive oil spray, for greasing the baking dish

Equipment:

• a 9×13″ baking dish
• a large mixing bowl
• a large skillet
• a cutting board
• a chef’s knife
• measuring spoons
• measuring cups
• a measuring glass
• a whisk
• cooking tongs or a slotted spoon
• a colander
• a spatula (the kind for stirring, not flipping)
• a plate lined with paper towels

Step-by-Step Instructions

Heat the oven to 350°.

Grease a 9×13″ baking dish with cooking spray.

Add the bacon to a cold, dry large skillet. Cook over medium heat until browned and not too crispy, about 6-8 minutes, flipping the slices once halfway through. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels.

While the bacon is cooking, peel and dice the onion.

Once the bacon is removed from the skillet, add the breakfast sausage and onion. Use a spatula to occasionally break up the sausage and stir the onion.

While the sausage and onion cook, chop, rinse and drain the kale, discarding the stems. Don’t worry about getting it completely dry.

Once the sausage is browned and the onion is soft (about 8-10 minutes), add the chopped kale and cherry tomatoes, plus 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir occasionally until the kale is mostly wilted, about 5-6 minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking in the skillet, in a large bowl whisk together the eggs, almond milk, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

If the vegetables finish cooking before you’ve finished making the egg mixture, remove the skillet from the heat.

Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage and vegetables to the baking dish and smooth out to an even layer. Pour in the egg mixture.

Chop or crumble the bacon, then sprinkle over the casserole.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, until puffed and slightly golden around the edges. Let cool for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

 

Expert tips

I have you prep the vegetables while other ingredients are cooking (the onion while the bacon cooks, the kale while the sausage/onion cook, etc.). This cuts down on your prep time but if you’d rather prepare everything before you start cooking, that’s fine too. It’ll just take longer before you get the casserole in the oven.

While you don’t have to get the kale perfectly dry before adding it to the pan, just be aware that there might be water in the bottom of the pan (this can happen even if you do dry your kale completely). That’s why you shouldn’t just dump the contents of the pan into the baking dish.

Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage and vegetables to the baking dish, leaving the moisture in the pan.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

 

Can I make substitutions?

Yes! Instead of pork breakfast sausage, you can use beef, turkey or chicken. Chicken can be leaner so you might have to add more oil to the pan – the bacon fat might not be enough.

You can use either curly-leafed kale or lacinato kale (sometimes called “dino” kale due to the texture of its leaves). But any sturdy leafy green would work, such as spinach, Swiss chard (save the stems to sauté later) or collard greens.

You can omit the onion or the cherry tomatoes and instead use one chopped bell pepper (any color) or poblano pepper.

You can make it spicy by adding red pepper flakes to the egg mixture.

You can use any milk you like. If you need it to be dairy-free/Paleo, use any unsweetened plain nut milk or unsweetened full-fat coconut milk or lite coconut milk. If you need this to be a Whole30 egg casserole, make sure the milk is Whole30 compatible.

You can omit the nutritional yeast if you don’t like it or don’t have it.

 

Can I assemble this casserole ahead of time?

Yep. Assemble everything in the baking dish according to the recipe, except the bacon. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

Take the dish out of the fridge while the oven heats up. Uncover, sprinkle on the bacon and cook per the recipe.

 

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes. Let the casserole cool, then cover the dish with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

You can enjoy it cold, room temperature or warmed up in a low oven (uncovered).

 

Can I freeze this Paleo egg casserole?

Yes. Remove the casserole from the baking dish and place on top of a large piece of plastic wrap. Wrap the whole casserole tightly in 2 layers of plastic wrap, then store in an airtight container.

You can also freezer smaller pieces or square slices the same way.

The casserole can be frozen for up to 1 month.

Thaw overnight in the fridge.

You can enjoy it cold, room temperature or warmed up in a low oven (uncovered).

 

Can I cut this recipe in half?

Yep. Cut the ingredients in half and use an 8×8″ baking dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

 

Related recipes:

1. Taco Casserole (Paleo, Whole30)
2. Pizza Casserole (Paleo, Whole30)
3. Queso Chorizo Casserole (Paleo, Whole30)
4. Italian Egg Bake (Paleo, Whole30)

 

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