Zippy Egg Casserole

I tried this recipe because the dish is prepared the day before and baked the next morning. I did not have pepperjack cheese, so just increased the amount of other cheeses (wasn't worried about the amount of "zip"). Everyone really liked the dish - it was a big hit and quickly eaten - a lot of requests for the recipe. I gave it only 4 stars because there's a definite problem with the bake time and/or oven temp. After the time indicated, it was still raw in the center. As it continued to bake, it got a little too brown/crusty along the edges. When I make this again, I'll experiment and try it at 325 for a longer time OR maybe take it out of the fridge for 30 minutes before baking. Someone who requested the recipe from me made it and had the same problem. ****UPDATE**** Made this again, but took it out of the fridge and let it sit for 30 minutes before putting it in a 350 oven. Baked for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Came out perfect!!

I used homemade turkey breakfast sausage, Texas Toast croutons and one can evaporated milk (I don't keep half-n-half on hand). I added a teaspoon garlic powder and a touch Frank's Hot Sauce to the egg mixture. This was very tasty though quite greasy. I'd make this again but I would cut the cheese back by half. I served this casserole with homemade biscuits and Parmesan potatoes.

This is a very satifying recipe! I have used frozen shredded potatoes instead of the bread with terrific results. The pepper-jack cheese is what makes this recipe special. Thanks, Jeanie Bean.

We all thought this was very good!! I used more croutons than required, plus they were unseasoned, used bacon instead of sausage (only because I didn't have any available) and added some chopped green bell peppers (1/2 cup) and green onions (1/4 cup). Also, since I only had dry mustard (not "hot") I added 2 drops of hot sauce in. Perfect amt of kick and taste. Thanks!

This recipe is ALWAYS a hit! It is better than all the other "overnight" egg & sausage casseroles. I think what makes it special is the use of the seasoned croutons instead of bread. I don't change a thing! Yummmmm.....

Yum!! Just made this for an office breakfast and everyone went crazy for it. It's a tad spicy, but the crowd likes spicy. I followed recipe exactly except I used crumbled bacon instead of sausage - it worked just fine. Baked uncovered for 55 minutes and it browned beautifully, and came out super moist. This one is a keeper! Thanks.

I have made this casserole many times, for work and for family. It is very, very delicious and always a hit. I have made one adjustment. Instead of the croutons, I cooked shredded hash brown potatoes until they are very crispy and use them as the base for my dish.

If you wanted, you could top with salsa, sour cream, and even green onions and green olives. It would lend itself to that as well. Very tasty!

I've been making this recipe for about a year and it's always a hit. I have substituted Cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack for Swiss and Pepperjack and it has turned out wonderful. Also, you can substitute ham for sausage--also very delicous. This is one of my recipes for my left-over Christmas ham--Thanks, Susan!

I have tried about 50 different egg casserole dishes and this is FAR and ABOVE the BEST! I only made one small adjustment - I sprinkled the onions on top of the sausage instead of adding them into the liquids (otherwise they just sink to the bottom). I took it out of the fridge 30 minutes before popping it in the oven. Bake time was exactly 1 hour and 10 minutes. Came out perfect. My family cannot get enough of this and I get asked for the recipe EVERY time I make it. This one is a keeper!!

We all thought this was very good!! I used more croutons than required, plus they were unseasoned, used bacon instead of sausage (only because I didn't have any available) and added some chopped green bell peppers (1/2 cup) and green onions (1/4 cup). Also, since I only had dry mustard (not "hot") I added 2 drops of hot sauce in. Perfect amt of kick and taste. Thanks!

Made this for a breakfast that hosted over 100 people. Was a big hit!

This was a fabulous casserole. My roommate hates new things and is a very picky breakfast person...SHE LOVED IT!! I used a few healthy alternatives: I used 2c. red-fat swiss and 2c. red-fat cheddar in place of the cheeses listed, I used Fat-Free half/half, 2% milk and I also used red-fat pork sausage and 2c. of Southwestern Egg Beaters instead of the 8 eggs. I layered it all the same and left in fridge from 2pm-7am the next day and it was GREAT!!! Best breakfast casserole I have ever had!

Baked this for my son's class breakfast. It was mostly eaten by the adults and everyone said they liked it and wanted the recipe. I did not like it. To me it seems there were just too many flavors going on at one time. The strong flavor of the croutons, strong cheeses and meat was too much for me. If I make it again I will omit the swiss cheese and opt for fresh veggies browned in butter in lieu of the meat.

I made this recipe for Mothers Day and my wife enjoyed it very much. It was easy to halve. I used Hot sausage to spice it up a little more. Next time, I will try using broccoli instead of sausage to make a vegetarian variety.

By mistake this last time I didn't get uncooked pork sausage but had on hand pre-cooked sausage links. Instead of another trip to the store I chopped them up and added them the night before, they cooked while baking in the morning. Fantastic solution - takes the messy step out. Will do this in the future. The entire family loves this dish and it's always the 1st eggbake gone at a potluck.

Great recipe! I would recommend lining your baking pan with foil first. I made the mistake of making cinnamon rolls using the same 9x13 and even though I washed it, a trace amount of cinnamon taste came off on to the egg casserole. It ruined the dish. Have made it many times...foil saves it!!!

this was SO good. i made it and baked it right away lol. i'm sure overnight would have been better, but it was still amazing. i replaced the swiss cheese with more pepperjack and put half the cheddar on top and half on bottom of the casserole. i also added in one chopped green bell pepper, 1/2 onion chopped, and a few mushrooms chopped. i added all the veggies to the sausage fry pan for about 5 minutes after the meat was already browned. i also added in a 1/2 t of garlic powder to the egg mixture. so good! thanks!

I made this without any changes to the recipe for Christmas morning and it was a success. I doubled the recipe though, but I still used one pan. It all fit (barely) into my 9X13 pan, although it was up to the VERY top. When baking, it puffed up nicely and cooked beautifully. One note, when that full, the grease from the cheese bubbles up and will spill over into over--I would recommend putting a cookie sheet underneath if it is doubled and in one pan. I also found that it reheats nicely--we are enjoying the leftovers again today! And for those leary of the croutons--don't be! You can't even tell they are there after baking. I will make this again.

Excellent recipe. Very easy and serves to a large group nicely. Not the healthiest but breakfast is sometimes hard to make healthily. I used spicy italian sausage and my husband said not to change that. I also used some extra bread crumbs on bottom because I used a deep pan and didn't have enough croutons, and everything cooked well together. I also used regular mustard. Next time I will use potatoes and add some mushrooms or green peppers for a little differnt color and texture.

This was very easy and had great results. I used Jimmy Dean Hot sausage and added an extra layer of cheese on top before baking. In my haste I accidentally grabbed the Heavy Whipping cream instead of half and half which I suppose only made it that much better. It was AMAZING! Delicious and everyone went for seconds until it was all gone. I say 2 thumbs up and will make this again. I will probably use croissants instead of the croutons as it will make the dish "plumper" and absorb better and maybe cut the milk in half to firm it up better.

Great! My mom has made egg bakes for years, which are very good and she thought this was better than hers - and dad must have said, "really great Julie" 3-4 times! I served it for Easter brunch. I split the recipe in two, making two versions; one w/hot italian sausage and the other w/ asparagas. Both versions included mushrooms and green onions - everyone loved them both. The pepperjack cheese is definitely the secret ingredients. Kids didn't care much for it though. I will keep this recipe and wow my friends and relatives for years to come.

Let me tell you, I am not a cook. Never have been and never will be. Simplicity is key, and this recipe fell right into that category. I knew what all of the ingredients were and had no preblems putting this recipe together. I served the egg bake for my mother and father in law for a Christmas Eve brunch. Everyone had seconds and I was not teased for any kitchen mishaps (a miracle). The recipe was wonderful, and the few leftovers tasted great re-heated! Of course I didn't change the recipe at all, but I wouldn't recommend any substitutions because the Zippy Egg Caserole was wonderful!

This is over the top yummy. The only thing that I do that is not in the recipe is take the casserole out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before bakign to get it more to room temperature. Doing that eliminates the potential of any runniness that others complained about. DELICIOUS!

Definate keeper! Didn't change a thing and it was GONE! I'm one of those "nothing too spicy, please" (heck, I think room temperature ketchup is hot!)...but the pepperjack cheese added just a zing..not a even flicker of heat. Enjoy!

Made this recipe for Easter brunch and it was truly divine. I was thrilled with it! A few substitutions - I used mushroom, bacon and onion instead of the sausage (personal preference). I had made a larger recipe, and I had difficulty telling if I had it right or not, so ended up adding more eggs/half-half/milk mixture. It also was unclear whether to cover during baking or not, so I did, but removed it after 30 minutes. Because I had a lot in the oven, this took me almost 90 minutes to cook, probably could have done it within 80 minutes, but it was hard to tell when it was done. But it was so tasty -- I'll make it again and again. The flavor's great, even the next day. Got lots of praise for this one! Thanks Susan!

This recipe is excellent. I did not need to modify it at all. The croutons create a bread pudding like consistency that is wonderful.

Great Recipe! No soggy bread taste. I prefer it with Jimmy Dean hot sausage. ***I no longer try making other egg casseroles. This is the best one!

I had made this before (and rated it 5 stars). I just recently wanted to make this casserole for a baby shower, but I now live outside the U.S. and am unable to get croutons, pepper jack, swiss or cheddar cheese OR half and half. But, I want to let you all know how flexible this recipe is!! I made my own croutons (using a recipe also from this site), all whole milk, chorizo instead of sausage (for that kick), and American cheese and a hard cheese similar to Swiss (those are all I could get here...). Anyway, it still turned out great! Next time, I'd use a bit less milk, but otherwise, I was pleased!

I made this casserole again yesterday for Easter brunch, and as always, it was a big hit. I added a can of roasted green chilis to the milk mixture and upped the pepper jack cheese. I also used more croutons (the big Texas toast variety). I hadn't made this for a while, but it is going back into the regular rotation!

I scaled this to 4 servings and by mistake put about three times as much croutones as the recipe called for. (It should have been 1/3 of a 5.5 oz packet)I put 6oz of my own home made, whole grain croutones sprayed with olive oil, sprinkled with mixed herbs and spices (Mrs. Dash)and baked in the oven. They tend to be a bit heavier than a white bread but it really soaked up the egg/milk/cream mixture overnight and it turned out really grrrreat! I used chorizo chopped finely and fried with a bit more onion than called for plus green peppers and I added a pinch of paprika,cumin and oregano. Gave it tex mex flavour which goes down well in our house. Next time I will try it italian style, but it´s great on a Sunday morning to just make juice and coffee and everything else is done, because my misteken way cuts out the need to put more bread on the table!!

I took this to worked and it was gone in minutes. Everyone loved it. I loved the pepperjack in this dish! The only thing I did different was that I only added the half-and-half and no milk (since I thought I had some but didn't). I thought it would be dry without the milk, but it wasn't! It was VERY good. Will make again. Four people asked for the recipe.

Delicious! I made three casseroles for a family brunch and this was everyone's favorite. So easy to make!

This is a great brunch dish. I've made it several times, and it is always a hit. I use bacon instead of sausage - personal preference. Works well. Thanks for a tasty recipe!

I have used this recipe for years and it's always a hit. I'm played around with the flavor of cheeses, changed meats, left meat out, added veggies, added hot sauce and everybody loves it! I've also used left over stuffing mix for the croutons. It has now become our Christmas morning breakfast.

This recipe was awesome!!! I made it for my mother for Mother's Day breakfast in bed. I thought one pound of pork sausage was too much so I used about 3/4 to 1/2 of a pound. I also added garlic powder, onion powder and green onions. Next time I will add green peppers, onion slices and mushrooms! The croutons really make this dish delicious and the eggs come out nice and fluffy! Thanks so much for this great recipe!

This was quite zippy! I made this for company. And they enjoyed it very much. Thanks!

This was good. Heavy and greasy, of course, as all breakfast casseroles are, but quite tasty. I think it would have been even better with salsa or other fresh toppings.

This is a SURE thing folks! Preparing it the night before made it even more convenient and it was delicious.

This is a great recipe. I altered it a little by using chopped, cooked turkey bacon instead of sausage and a little more onion. It was a big hit at my office brunch potluck last week. A real keeper!

WOW! This is one of the best breakfast casserole's that we've found! We added a 1/2 cup of onions and green pepper and 1/4 cup green onion. To the egg mixture we added 1 teaspoon of onion powder, garlic powder, and Emeril's essence. We also used bacon instead of sausage. You can add whatever veggies and spices that you prefer for this casserole. It tastes like a big fluffy omelet with alot of flavor!

I'm not an "egg" person. But I LOVED THIS! It is more cheese, half and half and croutons than eggs. Super delish! The first time I had it, it was made just as the recipe called for and it was to die for. I just made it myself for the first time and used all medium cheddar, bacon instead of sausage and 1% milk mixed with a little butter (about 5 tablespoons melted into milk) and it was awesome! I love the versatility of this recipe. I think I could use endless combinations of cheese and meet or veggies and it would turn out great every time.

Very good. Made two...one with sausage and one with bacon. Both were delicious.

I've been using this recipe for years. My go-to egg casserole. Perfect as written, but easy to change up (bacon instead of sausage, add veggies, etc.). Last year I made my own croutons with gluten free bread because we were having Christmas with family - still delicious!

Made this for Easter, and while it was good, it wasn't great. It was rather bland.

THANK YOU FOR THIS RECIPE!I have made this casserole three times for different gatherings and every time I get great reviews. I have always made it with ham instead of sausage. Everything else is exactly as recipe suggests and it turns out delicious every time!

All of our guests raved about this casserole. Leftovers mirowave well.

This was delicious! My only caution is that if you prepare at a high altitude (I was at Tahoe), increase temp by 25 degrees and time by 15 min or more. Once I figured that out, it was a winner. I was also tempted to add the peppers & onions that others have, but resisted since this was for a diverse crowd which included some pickier eaters. (Sounds great to me, though!)

I thought the crouton flavor was too strong and the dish wasn't spicy at all. I prefer breakfast casseroles with a hash brown or crescent roll base, rather than croutons. It wasn't horrible, but I won't be making it again.

Made this many times. Everyone loves it! I add a pinch of oregano to the ingredients.

wonderful! the whole family loved it and I am making it again within only a few days at their request! thanks for sharing!

Made it according to recipe with the exception that I used hot Chorizo sausage instead. It was GREAT! It was nice to be able to do other things while breakfast was 'cooking itself'! I will definately made this again!

I used only sharp cheddar, and reduced the amount to about 2 cups, increased the eggs to 10, and used Jimmy Dean hot sausage. This provided just the right amount of spice for a diverse crowd.

This recipe is amazing especially for a large group. It's a family favorite. There are no alterations needed, however I've made it a few different ways by using whatever I had. I've used feta cheese instead of regular cheeses and cubed stuffing instead of croutons. I've also added mushrooms and spinach another time. Really you can pretty much add anything you want in it. Even a little jalapeño if you prefer something with a little spice.

This is one of the best breakfast casseroles I've ever had! I always omit the swiss cheese and use extra cheddar in place of it. I also like to add a little more onion and some chopped green pepper. I've tried it with spicy sausage and that's great, but with the spicy cheese it might be a little too much for some people. Regular sausage is nice, too.

Very good! I eliminated the croutons and added my favorite veggie, zucchini, along with some green pepper. I didn't have any dry mustard so I used a tad of regular mustard (a trick my mom taught me a long time ago) Instead of layering, I mixed everything together and threw it in the pan. So my dish was more like "Zippy Baked Omelette." Pepper jack cheese is a great addition to this recipe. Thanks!

I made this recipe exactly as the recipe. It turned out wonderful! I cooked it the entire 60 minutes. Everyone loved it. I will be cooking it again.

This is a great base recipe. I like bacon instead of the texture of sausage. Also, I add fresh torn baby spinach, fresh sauteed mushrooms, and saute the onions for a healthier twist. We love it and I made it for my family and they loved it too!

had friends over for brunch and made this - they loved it! Plus for me it was super easy as I could put it together the night before. I was torn b/w a few of the other breakfast casseroles but went with this one based on the other reviews - so glad I did! Croutons were much easier (and just as good) as cubed bread!!!!!

I made this casserole for a brunch tailgate, and it was a huge hit! We had to travel about an hour to the game, and it was was just as appetizing-looking then as when I had taken it out of the oven. Followed the recipe exactly - delicious!

this one is always a hit! great to do the day before, easy to switch to fat-free cheese/cream & turkey sausage.

This was good, but not great...it still needed some spice, some 'pizazz'. I'm giving it 4 stars for being so easy to prepare and the potential for being great! I used HOT sausage as was recommended by other reviewers. I even used seasoned croutons, and salsa cheese. Maybe I'll add some mushrooms and peppers next time. I will make this again, but add a few more spices. Thanks!

Since we don't eat red meat at our house, I used ground turkey sausage instead of the pork sausage. I took it to a church breakfast buffet and there were no leftovers. Thanks!

This was fine but I have had better egg dishes. I did love the simplicity of the croutons in the bottom. I subst. italian sausage that I removed from the casings to add more flavor. But still, just okay for us, nothing spectacular.

we loved this. I did have to change the cheeses beccause someone ate all my swiis and most of the cheddar cheese. I kept the total amounts the same. I'm sure it would be great as written too. Thanks

This recipe was just okay. My family thought the texture was weird. I followed the recipe exactly only I had to cook it for 70 mins. I will not make this again.

Wow, I am surprised and disappointed! I amde this recipe as directed, except saved some of the cheese for the top of the casserole. After an hour of cooking and then standing, it still seemed milky. Finally, it did firm up enough to serve, but even then, I thought it was just ok. I guess maybe I was expecting to much for all the rave reviews. I used turkey sausage and you couldn't even tell due to the spicy-ness of the jack cheese, (which pleased my Italian husband & father-in-law), but overall, I have had much better breakfast casseroles. Will not make again.

Delicious! You definitely have to let this casserole set for the full 20 minutes because it is very cheesy. This recipe was a hit!

Excellent. Made to the recipe exactly. Not enough for 12 because everyone wants seconds. I like the fact that everything is done the night before. Highly recommended.

Great casserole. The pepperjack cheese does give it some pep!

I have been using this recipe exactly as written for at least 10 years. Every time I take it to church I get many complements and requests for the recipe. A better quality sausage gets the most complements. I have tried it with diced ham also. Again, the quality of meat has a big impact.

Made this 1st time this morning for work breakfast. Have been asked for recipe a number of times already and complimented by others. Great to make night before and simply pop in oven - but it does take more time than 60 minutes (20 more for my oven!)

Delicious... This is the most requested breakfast when we have company overnight. It has also gone over very well at work brunches. I always use the Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage...

Great recipe! Usually make this for Thanksgiving and Christmas breakfast beacuse it can be made the night before and popped in the oven that morning.

YUMMY - one of the best egg casseroles i've had. I didn't have the pepperjack cheese but instead used Colbyjack & it was still great.

I enjoyed this recipe greatly. The Pepperjack really added a nice zip. I used a crescent roll crust and made 2 of them, one with mushrooms and one without. Everyone called a Quicherole. I will definitely make this again.

Excellent recipe! Great for a large crowd or brunch! Fluffy and flavorful!

I despise the traditional breakfast casseroles where there is soggy icky bread on the bottom. This has croutons as the foundation which cook up perfectly! This is my alltime favorite breakfast casserole.

We love this casserole for brunch! It has become a huge hit with my family. I have used regular sausage one time and then turkey sausage the next time. Either option is very good.

Served this at a brunch I had for 12 along with 3 other make ahead recipes and it was well recieved. Would make aagain.

This was recently given to me after a death in my family. It was intended to be used the next morning. We didn't bake it until 2 mornings had passed. How wonderful it was. It was the perfect breakfast to serve for my grieving out of town guests. Thanks to my friend who made this for me and thanks to ANY14TNS for posting it.

I made this for an early morning meeting for my co-workers and everybody loved it. I really liked how I could prepare it the night before and just pop it in the oven in the morning. Next time I'll probably add a little more pepperjack. Thanks for the recipe Susan.

This is a keeper. Recipe took me longer to make than 10 min but everyone loved it! Plus I made it and immediately put it in the oven to bake. Not issues what so ever. Very good recipe!

I halved the recipe to put in a 9x9 pan and used all cheddar and mont. jack w/jalapenos. Delish!

I made this casserole to serve at a brunch...I wanted something a little different. It was great! I didn't want it too spicy, so I decreased the amount of Pepper Jack cheese, but next time I will try it as the recipe suggests. Also good with bacon!

I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out great. This is the best egg casserole I have had. Love it

This one is a keeper! Made no changes, was a big hit with the whole family!

Excellent...Took this casserole to a brunch and received many compliments. People who don't care for baked eggs even liked this one!

Excellent recipe! It quickly became a family favorite. I will make this for Christmas morning. You're right about the dish being popular at church brunches -- it was the first thing to go!

This is a great recipe for a cold, winter morning. Next time, I might add a little green pepper and fresh onion because our family likes them. Based on another review, I took it out of the fridge and let it sit at room temp. for 30 minutes before baking. Mine came out golden brown, bubbly and yummy.

I made this for a work function. Everyone loved it so much that I had to make copies of the recipe!!! Thanks

I made this two weekends in a row for guests. I cut back a little on all three cheeses and thought it was great. I may have baked it somewhat longer than it called for, but that could have been my oven. Thanks for a great recipe.

Fixed this for my sis-in-law's 60th but even spicy it was a big hit. Hubby says this one stays for the B&B crowd that we run. Served with juice and Blueberry coffeecake that I baked at the same time. Fab - makes me hungry for some more. Thanks. Offerd the garnishes but everyone said no the liked it just the way it was.

This recipe was excellent! Perfect for Christmas morning. We just made one change. We browned some hashbrowns in butter with garlic and onion powder and lined the bottom of the dish with them instead of croutons. Yum!

Excellent and easy. I used ham instead of sausage. Everyone loved it.

Our family has enjoyed zippy egg casserole for years thanks to my daughter, Kris McGann who found it.

My family loves this. I use turkey sausage and put the onions and sausage on top of the croutons.

I made this for a workplace potluck brunch, and it received MANY compliments! I am making it again for a New Year's day brunch for the family, an even harsher bunch of critics!

Not Bad.We found it a little dry.I did bake it in a glass dish,probably overcooked it.Would make it again.