Cheesy Breakfast Biscuit Casserole with Savory Sausage Step-by-step instructions

Before you start

Before starting, gather all necessary kitchen tools and ingredients to ensure a smooth cooking process. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease a 9x13-inch glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or butter.

Grate the cheddar cheese and set it aside. Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and keep them ready for whisking. Ensure the raw ground pork sausage is nearby and ready to go into the hot skillet.

Instructions

Sausage Browning and Biscuit Prep

1. 1Brown the Sausage
   Brown the ground pork sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into small crumbles with a spatula as it cooks. Cook until the sausage is fully browned with no pink remaining, ensuring it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C). Drain the excess grease thoroughly and set the cooked sausage aside.
   Look for The sausage is completely browned and no pink remains.
   Safe temperature 160°F (71°C) internal temperature (ground meat)
   Tip Drain the grease well to prevent a soggy casserole bottom.
2. 2Prepare the Biscuits
   Open the can of refrigerated biscuit dough and separate the individual biscuits. Use a sharp knife to cut each biscuit into small, uniform quarters on a clean cutting board. Arrange the biscuit pieces in an even layer across the bottom of a greased 9x13-inch glass baking dish.
   Look for The biscuit quarters are evenly distributed in the dish.
   Tip Keep the biscuit pieces small so they bake through evenly.

At the end of this phase, the ground pork sausage should be completely browned, crumbled, and cooked through with no pink remaining. It should smell highly savory and aromatic.

The biscuit dough should be cut into uniform, bite-sized pieces and arranged evenly across the greased baking dish, ready to form the base of the casserole. Ensure the sausage is drained of excess fat before proceeding.

Casserole Assembly and Egg Pour

3. 3Layer Sausage and Cheese
   Scatter the cooked and drained sausage evenly over the layer of biscuit pieces in the baking dish. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese uniformly over the sausage and biscuits, ensuring complete coverage.
   Look for The cheese and sausage completely cover the biscuit pieces.
   Tip Use freshly grated cheese for a much better stretch and melt.
4. 4Whisk and Pour Eggs
   Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl. Whisk the eggs vigorously until they are fully combined and slightly frothy. Pour the whisked eggs evenly over the biscuit, sausage, and cheese layers in the baking dish, ensuring they seep into all the crevices.
   Look for The egg mixture fills all the crevices around the biscuits.
   Tip Whisking thoroughly incorporates air for a fluffier texture.

At the end of this phase, the casserole is fully assembled in the baking dish. The biscuit pieces are topped with an even layer of savory sausage and a generous blanket of shredded cheddar cheese. The whisked egg mixture should be poured uniformly over the top, filling the gaps and partially submerging the ingredients. The dish is now ready to go straight into the preheated oven.

Baking and Crust Development

5. 5Bake the Casserole
   Place the baking dish in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C). Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the casserole is puffed, the top is a deep golden brown, and the eggs are completely set in the center. Verify the egg mixture reaches an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) before removing from the oven. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
   Look for The top is deeply golden-brown and the center is set.
   Safe temperature 160°F (71°C) internal temperature (egg dishes)
   Tip Letting the casserole rest makes it much easier to slice.

At the end of this phase, the casserole should be puffed, deeply golden-brown on top, and bubbling around the edges. The eggs must be fully set in the center without any liquid or jiggly spots remaining. A wonderful aroma of baked biscuits, savory sausage, and melted cheese will fill the kitchen. Let the dish rest briefly before slicing to ensure neat portions and a perfect cheese pull.

Common mistakes

One common mistake is failing to drain the cooked sausage thoroughly before adding it to the casserole, which leads to a greasy finish and soggy biscuits.

Another error is using biscuit pieces that are too large; cutting them into small quarters ensures they bake completely through at the same rate as the eggs. Lastly, avoid baking the casserole at too high a temperature, which can burn the top before the eggs in the center cook through.

How to tell it’s done

To determine if the casserole is completely done, look for a puffed, golden-brown top and edges that bubble gently. The center of the dish should be firm to the touch and not jiggle when the pan is gently shaken.

For absolute safety, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the center; the internal temperature must reach at least 160°F (71°C) to ensure the eggs are fully cooked and safe to consume.

• Ground meat: 160°F (71°C) in the thickest part
• Egg dishes: 160°F (71°C) in the thickest part