Easy Biscuits and Gravy Breakfast Casserole Step-by-step instructions

Before you start

Before you begin cooking, gather all ingredients and equipment. Chop the refrigerated biscuit dough into uniform quarters and set them aside. Shred the sharp cheddar cheese from a block rather than using pre-bagged cheese.

Warm the pre-made sausage gravy slightly if it has been refrigerated. Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and whisk them until completely smooth. Greasing the 9x13-inch baking dish beforehand ensures a seamless transition when assembling the layers.

Instructions

Preparing and Layering the Biscuits

1. 1Preheat the Oven and Prep the Dish
   Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Cut the refrigerated biscuit dough into uniform quarters and arrange them in a single even layer at the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
   Look for The biscuit pieces should evenly cover the bottom of the dish.
   Tip Keeping the biscuit dough cold until cutting helps them puff up beautifully.
2. 2Layer the Sausage Gravy
   Warm the sausage gravy if it is cold. Pour the thick sausage gravy evenly over the arranged biscuit pieces in the baking dish, ensuring all the biscuits are well coated.
   Look for The gravy should cover the biscuits in a thick, uniform layer.
   Tip Using warm gravy helps the biscuits bake more evenly in the oven.

At the end of this phase, the baking dish is filled with biscuit quarters covered in warm, savory sausage gravy. The gravy must be smooth and evenly distributed over the biscuit pieces, ensuring they are well coated before you proceed to adding the liquid egg mixture.

Adding the Eggs and Cheese

3. 3Pour the Whisked Eggs
   Whisk the large eggs in a bowl until smooth and pale yellow. Pour the whisked eggs evenly over the biscuit and gravy layers, allowing the liquid to seep into the crevices between the biscuit pieces.
   Look for The egg mixture should settle into the gaps around the biscuits.
   Tip Whisking the eggs thoroughly incorporates air for a lighter texture.
4. 4Top with Shredded Cheddar
   Sprinkle the shredded sharp cheddar cheese evenly over the top of the egg and gravy layers, covering the entire surface to create a cheesy crust.
   Look for The cheese should form an even blanket over the casserole.
   Tip Freshly shredded cheese melts much better than pre-shredded packaged cheese.

At the end of this phase, the whisked egg mixture has been poured over the biscuit and gravy layers, settling into the crevices. The entire surface of the casserole is covered in a generous, uniform blanket of shredded cheddar cheese, ready to go into the oven.

Baking to Golden Perfection

5. 5Bake to Golden Perfection
   Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. For fully cooked eggs, ensure the center reaches an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C). The cheese should be melted, bubbly, and golden brown, and the biscuits puffed and cooked through.
   Look for The center should be set and the cheese beautifully melted.
   Safe temperature 160°F (71°C) internal temperature (egg dishes)
   Tip If the cheese browns too quickly, tent the dish loosely with foil.

At the end of this phase, the casserole is puffed, golden brown, and bubbling at the edges. The melted cheddar cheese forms a beautiful, stretchy crust. A toothpick inserted into the center of a biscuit should come out clean, and the center of the casserole should feel firm, not jiggly.

Common mistakes

One common mistake is using cold gravy during assembly, which slows down the baking process and leads to undercooked, doughy biscuits in the center. Always pour the gravy while it is warm.

Another error is over-whisking the eggs until they are too frothy, which can cause the egg layer to puff up excessively in the oven and then deflate into a dense texture. Finally, avoid using pre-shredded cheese, as its starch coating prevents a perfect, stretchy melt.

How to tell it’s done

To ensure the casserole is perfectly cooked, check that the biscuits are puffed, golden, and cooked completely through without any raw doughy pockets.

The cheese on top should be melted, bubbly, and lightly browned around the edges of the baking dish, while the center remains firm with no jiggling.

For those who prefer their eggs fully cooked through, the internal temperature should reach 160°F (71°C) on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the casserole.

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