Breakfast Taco Casserole is breakfast taco ingredients layered in casserole form. This gluten free breakfast recipe is cheesy and satisfying!
It feels like everyone I know has been to Austin, TX sometime in the past 6 months and the taco shots they’ve been sharing on Instagram have me drooling
Chicken tacos, pork tacos, and—oh yes—breakfast tacos. We adore tacos but the breakfast ones in particular aren’t exactly ‘wild mornings + 3 young children’ friendly. Until things are a little less chaotic, I’ll be layering classic breakfast taco ingredients in a casserole dish, dousing them with homemade cheese sauce, then calling it a day.
Or rather, Breakfast Taco Casserole.
This twist on traditional breakfast casserole will knock your socks off!
Breakfast Casserole with a Taco Twist
Cooked breakfast sausage, sauted onions and peppers, and fluffy scrambled eggs are layered in a casserole dish with corn tortilla strips then drizzled with homemade cheese sauce and baked until bubbly. SO DELICIOUS!
This breakfast casserole is perfect for taking to a work potluck or serving on a holiday morning to feed a crowd, but it also reheats wonderfully so you can bake once then reheat and eat for easy breakfasts all week long.
The cheese sauce gets nice and saucy again after being warmed in the microwave — it’s such a treat.
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Brown breakfast sausage.
Start by browning gluten free breakfast sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat then scoop into a bowl and set aside. I like Jimmy Dean brand breakfast sausage.
Step 2: Saute peppers and onions.
Heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in the skillet then add chopped green peppers and yellow onion. Season with salt and pepper then saute until the vegetables are tender, 8-10 minutes, turning the heat down slightly if they begin to burn. Scoop into a bowl then set aside.
Step 3: Scramble eggs.
Turn the heat down to medium then add eggs that have been whisked with milk, salt, and pepper. Scramble just until they’re set then, you guessed it — scoop into a bowl or plate and set aside!
Step 4: Make the homemade cheese sauce.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat then sprinkle in gluten free flour (or all-purpose flour if you don’t need to eat GF) and whisk for 1 minute. Slowly stream in milk while whisking to create a smooth sauce then turn the heat up slightly to bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.
Turn the heat back down to medium/medium-low then stir until the sauce has slightly thickened, a couple minutes. Finally, remove the pan from the heat then add freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese and stir until smooth. Season with salt to taste.
Recipe Tip
DO NOT let the milk boil, which can lead to a grainy cheese sauce! Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a very gentle simmer.
Step 5: Slice tortillas into strips.
Last step is to slice gluten free yellow corn tortillas into 1″ (ish) strips. I like Mission Yellow Corn Tortillas.
Step 6: Assemble then bake casserole.
Spray a 9×13″ baking dish with nonstick spray then spread 3/4 cup cheese sauce in the bottom. Next add 1/2 the tortilla strips, 1/2 the sausage, 1/2 the vegetables, 1/2 the eggs, and 1/2 the remaining cheese sauce.
Repeat the layers one more time then cover with nonstick sprayed foil and bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees, or until the cheese sauce is bubbling.
Let the casserole sit for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. I’m telling you – total breakfast epicness!
Keep the leftover casserole in the fridge then slice, reheat, and eat for breakfasts all week long. Enjoy!
More Filling Breakfast Recipes
- Billionaire Bacon
- Mini Egg Bites
- Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole
- Roasted Poblano and Sausage Breakfast Casserole
- Gluten Free Pancakes
- Make Ahead Breakfast Bowls
- High Protein Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs
- 1/4 cup milk, any kind
- salt and pepper
- 1 lb gluten free breakfast sausage, I like Jimmy Dean brand
- extra virgin olive oil
- 2 small green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 14 6" gluten free corn tortillas, cut into 1” strips, I like Mission brand
For the Cheese Sauce:
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 3 Tablespoons gluten free flour
- 2 cups milk, any kind, at room temperature
- 8 oz freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees then spray a 9×13” baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside. Add eggs, milk, salt, and pepper to a large bowl then whisk to combine and set aside.
- Add breakfast sausage to a large skillet over medium-high heat then brown. Remove to a plate then set aside. Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to the skillet then add peppers and onions, season with salt and pepper, and saute until the peppers are tender, 8-10 minutes, turning heat down slightly if vegetables begin to burn. Remove to a plate then set aside. Turn heat down to medium them add whisked eggs to the skillet and scramble until set (do not overcook.) Remove to a plate then set aside.
For the Cheese Sauce:
- Add butter to a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour then whisk for 1 minute. Slowly add milk while whisking constantly until smooth. Turn heat up slightly to bring sauce to a simmer while stirring frequently, then turn heat back down to medium and cook, stirring constantly until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat then add shredded cheese and stir until smooth. Add salt to taste.
Assembly:
- Add 3/4 cup cheese sauce to the bottom of the baking dish then spread into an even layer. Add half the tortilla strips, half the cooked sausage, half the vegetables, half the scrambled eggs, and half the remaining cheese sauce. Repeat layers. Cover the baking dish with nonstick sprayed foil then bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese sauce is hot and bubbly. Let sit for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Delicious! Because of dietary challenges had to make some adaptations for limited dairy and kidney disease so used chicken sausage (1# ground chicken/turkey, 2 tsp poultry seasoning, salt & pepper), cut cheese in sauce down—thank you Iowa Girl for making the sauce instead of using 100% cheese—added 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp+ mustard, sprinkle of Worcestershire to enhance flavor, then cumin & chili powder for flair. Since I was tired, stirred vegis into sausage. Her idea of strips instead of quarters for the tortillas gives much better coverage, easier and faster. Loved suggestion to not let sauce bubble to avoid grainy texture, it works. Flavors great, went together faster than I expected. Her enthusiasm and creativity are a blessed boon. Thank you!
I’m so glad you were able to make this recipe work for you, Karen! And thank you so much for your helpful comments and lovely note. I truly appreciate it!
Sooo good and easy to make! Even my picky eater loved it. We used chorizo on half and sausage on the other half. Breakfast taco casserole is going to be a regular in our meal rotation.
Love the addition of chorizo! So glad it was a hit!
Do you think flour tortillas would work in this? I’m just not a fan of corn tortillas
Sure!