This easy slow cooker breakfast casserole will make your mornings all the brighter. Packed with veggies and protein for a healthy start to your day.
This lightened up CrockPot Breakfast Casserole takes healthy breakfasting to a whole new level. It’s a cinch to assemble, full of flavor, and packed with protein. It’s a perfect keto breakfast for busy weekday mornings or a leisurely holiday brunch.
I made it recently and was once again wowed by both the texture and the flavor. My whole family happily gobbled it up as breakfast-for-dinner. And my husband and I fought over the leftovers for post-workout meals. We agreed that this easy slow cooker breakfast casserole needs to happen more often.
No complaints here! We’re already planning on serving it for Christmas morning, alongside some keto blueberry muffins. I can hardly wait.
Why you must try this recipe
This is actually a very old recipe that was very much in need of an update. I’ve been creating keto recipes for so long, I have some old gems hidden in the archives that are worth dusting off and polishing up. It’s a very slow process but worth it.
Turns out that slow cookers are a wonderful way to whip up an easy breakfast casserole. You simply need toss your favorite add-ins like sausage, ham, and cheese, and pour some beaten eggs overtop. Then set the crockpot on low and let it work its magic!
And this low carb breakfast casserole is so much healthier than the conventional kind. It swaps the over-processed frozen hash browns for cauliflower rice, making it a lighter, veggie packed meal.
If you have a programmable slow cooker, you can even set this to cook overnight and stay warm. That way, you have a delicious hot breakfast waiting for you in the morning!
Ingredients needed
- Cauliflower rice: This is the perfect low carb substitute for hash browns! Honestly, I was impressed with the overall texture and consistency. It made the casserole lighter and fluffier, but also more filling. You can use fresh or frozen cauliflower rice, it will cook about the same.
- Breakfast sausage: I recommend using pre-cooked breakfast sausage so the casserole is even easier to cook. Choose a good low carb brand like Applegate or Pederson’s.
- Chopped ham: Again, look for a good brand without added sugars. I have found Wellshire farms to be a good choice.
- Red pepper: A little chopped red pepper gives the casserole a nice pop of color.
- Cheese: Cheddar is classic in a breakfast casserole but you can branch out and try things like pepper jack or gruyere.
- Eggs: As with any breakfast casserole, this takes plenty of eggs!
- Heavy hipping cream: This makes the casserole fluffier. You could also use coconut cream.
- Green onion: I like to add a little sliced green onion for garnish. You could also do chopped parsley or cilantro.
- Kitchen staples: Garlic, salt, pepper.
Step-by-step directions
- Grease the ceramic interior of a 6 quart slow cooker well.
- In the bottom of the slow cooker, mix together the cauliflower rice, sausage, 4 ounces of the cheese, the ham, and red pepper.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, whipping cream, garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes until well combined. Pour over the cauliflower rice mixture. Top with the remaining cheese.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, until lightly browned around the edges and set in the middle.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting into pieces and serving.
Expert tips
I recommend cooking this crockpot breakfast casserole on low at all times. Higher heat tends to brown the edges too fast and makes the eggs a bit rubbery.
Pre-cooked sausage is great for simplifying this recipe. But I recommend still browning it in a pan for better flavor.
Feel free to customize with your favorite additions. Switch up the cauliflower rice for chopped broccoli, or use cooked bacon in place of the sausage and ham. You could even make it fully vegetarian with sautéed spinach and mushrooms (drain off the liquid!) or asparagus.
A few readers have asked if you can make this with eggs whites. You can certainly try but I think it will cook through much faster. Whole eggs also make it far more flavorful.
I do not recommend making this particular breakfast casserole in an instant pot. The pressurized cooking of an IP requires a much different approach, as well as a different pan. But I do have an Instant Pot Breakfast Casserole that you can check out!
Frequently Asked Questions
Most breakfast casseroles include eggs, cheese, and breakfast meats like bacon or sausage. They can also contain a variety of vegetables. Many recipes include hash browns but this keto breakfast casserole uses riced cauliflower for a lower carb meal.
Conventional crockpot breakfast casserole has about 20 to 25g of carbs per serving, from the added potatoes. However, this lightened up breakfast casserole recipe has only 5.1g of carbs and 1.4g of fiber per slice. So it has 3.7g net carbs per serving.
Absolutely! Simply assemble everything in the slow cooker, cover it and refrigerate for up to a day. You should plan on cooking it within 24 hours because of the raw eggs.
You can also fully cook the casserole and refrigerate it, then warm it up gently when you are ready to serve.
More make-ahead keto breakfast recipes
Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 ounces cauliflower rice fresh or frozen
- 8 ounces breakfast sausage links cooked and sliced
- 6 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese divided
- 4 ounces ham chopped
- 1 small red pepper chopped
- 10 large eggs
- ½ cup whipping cream
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 medium green onion thinly sliced
Instructions
- Grease the ceramic interior of a 6 quart slow cooker well.
- In the bottom of the slow cooker, mix together the cauliflower rice, sausage, 4 ounces of the cheese, the ham, and red pepper.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, whipping cream, garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes until well combined. Pour over the cauliflower rice mixture. Top with the remaining cheese.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, until lightly browned around the edges and set in the middle.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting into pieces and serving.
Roxana | Roxana's Home Baking says
I used to skip breakfast or just grab something on the go. A big cup of coffee was all I need, i kept telling myself. Now, I can’t make it till 10 o’clock if I don’t fuel up with a big breakfast and most of the time I rely on egg dishes. What a great idea to use broccoli instead of potatoes! yum!
Harlow says
I think I did something wrong. There was alot of liquid in my pot and the end result was very dryish.
Carolyn says
That doesn’t sound right at all. Do you mean liquid like condensation?
Donna @ The Slow Roasted Italian says
Oh my! We love Jones Farm and this looks like the perfect easy breakfast for special occasions with so many possibilities. Thanks, pinned!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
I’m newly in love with my slow cooker too – especially for things other than dessert. This is perfect – I’m pretty sure I’m going to use it for Christmas morning when I have 1000 things to fit in my oven at once!
Peabody says
You had me a slow cooker. 🙂 It looks like a super yummy breakfast.
Amanda says
This looks amazing!!
Lisa says
I’ve not tried JDF sausage but I’ll look for it next time out to the store. This time around I’ll just make my usual homemade organic ground turkey sausage, sans forming patties. I like the broccoli addition and I may split it with spinach and/or asparagus/shredded brussel sprouts and add some crumbled uncured smoked bacon. Perfect dinner for today..the only summer-like day we will have from here on out in our neck of the woods. 🙂
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
until now it never crossed my mind that a casserole can be converted into a breakfast dish. thanks for sharing the idea and recipe, it is one that i definitely will be recreating.
Shawn @ I Wash You Dry says
This looks fantastic Carolyn! I’m imagining breakfast for dinner. Wrap that sausage and egg goodness in a tortilla with some sour cream and salsa… mmmm! So easy too!
Mary says
This looks delicious, Carolyn!! Way to go with another awesome crock-pot recipe too.
Amy says
Thanks for this recipe! Once a month we go to Costco for a huge stock-up and by the time we get home for lunch we’re always starving and cranky – I’m going to put this in the crock before we leave so we can come home for a hot lunch!
Angie says
Thank you for another great slow cooker recipe! I’m looking forward to more of them in the future!
Deborah says
First of all – I’m totally making this. I am not a morning person, so this would make things so much easier!
Second – I am the biggest Jones Dairy Farm fan. They honestly make the best pork products!!
Carolyn says
Agreed, I am loving JDF!
Judith says
Probably about 12 yrs into LC, I developed an aversion to eggs, (actually it started earlier with HBE). I will check out the slow cooker cake for breakfast, though. Thanks, again.
Carolyn says
I am so sorry to hear that!
Eric H says
Broccoli? Way to ruin it ! Just add more cheese and garlic
Maybe use diced or carmelized onions instead of the Broccoli?
Carolyn says
Well, gee, thanks. Add whatever you prefer, but I love the broccoli and stand by it as written.
Jennifer Ghafoor says
Broccoli all day and all night, Carolyn! Eric is just trolling!
Charlene Turgeon says
I hear you, not a fan either. Hoping to use baby spinach to keep the “green” in the recipe.
Jen @ Jen's Favorite Cookies says
Slow cooker breakfast is seriously the BEST idea ever!
Lori @ RecipeGirl says
Wishing I had this for breakfast right now! So delicious!
Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen says
So incredible! I know my boys would go crazy for this!
CARLA says
OH WE WOULD LOVE THIS TOO!!!
Becca from ItsYummi.com says
I love baked eggs and the fact that I can make this overnight is twice the reason to love this recipe!
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
I am SO with you on breakfast. It is my absolute favorite meal of the day hands down.
I have been trying to use my slow-cooker more, because it’s just so darn EZ. This looks like my next attempt! Pinned!
pat farrell says
Can I freeze this