Time-Saving Prep Work
The evening before you want to enjoy this delicious casserole, heat up some olive oil over a medium heat. If you aren’t already regularly using olive oil for all of your paleo frying needs, then you really should be. Not only does it add a nice hint of olive flavor to many recipes, but it’s an excellent source of heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids as well. Olive oil has been shown to play a significant role in reducing your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. (1) After heating up the oil, add in your Italian sausage and cook it until it’s no longer pink.
While the sausage will add a slightly spicy kick to the casserole, you’re also going to want to add in some fresh veggies to help balance things out. This recipe calls for broccoli florets and sweet potatoes that have been cut into cubes. Both of these vegetables will provide your casserole with an abundance of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Cook them both in olive oil and then combine them with your Italian sausage. Season this mixture with salt and pepper, and then place it into a baking dish.
Next up is preparing the eggs. As with many of my paleo casserole recipes, I like to whisk together six eggs and mix them with parsley. The eggs help to up the protein and healthy fat content, while the parsley is full of antioxidants and may even help to improve your digestion. (2) Once your egg mixture has been prepared, simply pour it over top of the sausage and veggies and then let it chill overnight.
As soon as you wake up in the morning, preheat your oven to 350°F and throw the casserole in. You can then go about your morning routine and let the casserole bake for about 45 minutes or so. And voila! A warm, delicious breakfast casserole all ready to go before you leave the house that doesn’t take any time out of your morning routine.
P.S. – If you’re looking for inspiration for some other healthy paleo breakfast ideas, then I’ve got a few excellent recommendations for you:
#1 – Paleo Granola Breakfast Cups with Homemade Cashew Yogurt
Ingredients
- 2/3 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 2/3 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp parsley plus extra for serving
- 6 eggs
- salt, black pepper to taste
Directions
- In a skillet heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the sausage and cook until the sausage is no longer pink.
- Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet add the remaining olive oil.
- Add the sweet potato and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the broccoli florets and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Return the sausage in the skillet and mix to combine.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste and remove from the heat.
- Pour the sausage mixture in a lightly greased baking dish.
- In a bowl whisk the eggs.
- Add the parsley and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Mix to combine.
- Pour the eggs evenly over the sausage mixture.
- Chill, covered overnight.
- Bake in preheated oven, uncovered, at 350°F for 35 to 40 minutes.
- Sprinkle with extra fresh parsley, slice and serve.
This was good! I loved how simple it was to put together and that I could put it in the refrigerator overnight. All I did was add some hot pepper flakes to the eggs as I only had sweet Italian sausage. I even had all the ingredients, without going to the store. That’s a first! Thank you!
Does this have to chill overnight or can it be baked immediately? Thank you!
The only advantage to letting the prepared pan sit overnight is that some of the flavors may blend. That is a minor and possibly nonexistant factor in this recipe, so this dish could definitely be baked right away.