Breakfast Sausage and Egg Quinoa Casserole

Steps

1. 1

   Brown the sausage

   • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
   • Add 1 lb breakfast sausage, breaking it into small ¼-inch crumbles with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
   • Stir frequently until browned throughout and cooked with no pink remaining, 5–7 minutes.
   • If excess fat has rendered and the sausage looks very greasy, drain most of it off, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan for flavor.
   • Transfer the cooked sausage to a small bowl.

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   Ready when: Sausage is browned throughout with no pink; internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C)

   Tip: Breaking sausage into small, uniform pieces ensures it cooks evenly and distributes throughout the casserole, rather than clumping.

2. 2

   Cook the quinoa

   • While the sausage cooks, rinse 1.5 cups dry quinoa under cold running water in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs completely clear (this removes bitter saponins).
   • In a medium saucepan, bring 2.25 cups water to a boil over high heat.
   • Add the rinsed quinoa, stir once, then reduce heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer until all water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender with visible white spirals, about 15 minutes.
   • Remove from heat and let rest covered for 5 minutes.
   • Fluff gently with a fork.

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   Ready when: Quinoa is tender, water is fully absorbed, grains are fluffy and show white spiral germs

   Tip: Rinsing is essential—skipping it will leave a soapy, bitter flavor. Don't use a fine strainer or the grains will fall through.

3. 3

   Sauté the onion

   • Add 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet with the cooked sausage (you can leave some of the rendered fat in the pan).
   • Set heat to medium.
   • Add 1 medium onion (about 150 g), diced into ¼-inch pieces, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and just beginning to turn golden at the edges, 3–4 minutes.
   • The onion should be tender but not browned or caramelized—you want its natural sweetness.

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   Ready when: Onion is soft, translucent, and just turning golden at the edges

   Tip: Lower heat and stir frequently to prevent the onion from browning too quickly, which would make it bitter and lose its sweetness.

4. 4

   Mix the custard base

   • In a large mixing bowl, crack 8 large eggs and beat them lightly with a whisk until uniform in color.
   • Pour in 1.5 cups whole milk, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (if using—it adds subtle depth).
   • Whisk vigorously for 1 minute until the mixture is completely smooth and homogeneous with no visible streaks of egg white remaining.

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   Ready when: Egg-milk mixture is smooth, uniform, and pale yellow with no visible streaks

   Tip: Whisk thoroughly—any unmixed egg white will show as white flecks in the baked casserole and create uneven texture.

5. 5

   Assemble the casserole

   • Butter a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking dish with the remaining ½ tablespoon butter, coating the bottom and sides lightly.
   • Spread the cooked quinoa in an even layer across the bottom of the dish, using a fork to break up any clumps gently.
   • Distribute the cooked sausage and onion mixture evenly over the quinoa.
   • Sprinkle 1.5 cups (150 g) of the shredded cheddar cheese over the sausage layer.
   • Slowly pour the egg-milk custard over everything, tilting and gently rotating the dish to help the liquid settle evenly.
   • Using a fork, gently stir the top layer without breaking apart the quinoa—you want the custard to seep down around all the ingredients.
   • Top with the remaining ½ cup (50 g) shredded cheddar.

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   Ready when: All ingredients are layered and custard is evenly distributed throughout

   Tip: Stir gently to avoid mashing the quinoa; rough stirring makes the final casserole dense and mushy instead of light and fluffy.

6. 6

   Bake until setOven 350°F / 175°C

   • Place the assembled casserole in the preheated oven and bake uncovered at 350°F (175°C) until the egg custard is set but still slightly jiggly in the very center when you gently shake the pan, the edges are pulling away slightly from the dish sides, and a knife inserted 1 inch from the center comes out clean (with no runny liquid), 30–35 minutes.
   • The top should be light golden brown.
   • An instant-read thermometer inserted in the center should read 160°F (71°C).

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   Ready when: Custard is just set with a slight jiggle in the very center, edges pull away from pan sides, knife comes out clean, internal temperature 160°F (71°C), top is light golden brown

   Tip: Start checking at 28 minutes—a slight jiggle in the very center signals perfect doneness and ensures the casserole stays creamy rather than drying out.

7. 7

   Rest before serving

   • Remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest on the counter for 5–10 minutes without cutting into it.
   • This allows the custard to set fully and the casserole to firm up, making it much easier to slice into neat portions without the filling falling apart.

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   Tip: Skipping the rest period will result in a warm, loose casserole that falls apart when cut. The 10 minutes is worth it.