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.
Shenoa says
Hi! Can this be frozen?
Carolyn says
I don’t know, I haven’t tried! Guess you will need to experiment.
Cari says
This looks great! Could it be cooked in the oven? I don’t own a crockpot
Carolyn says
I am sure it can but I don’t have timing since I didn’t make mine that way. I’d bake it at 350F for probably 30+ minutes.
Judi says
So many keto recipes contain eggs. I have an allergy to eggs now I don’t know what to eat for breakfast anymore.
Any ideas? Unfortunately I am also Celiac and dairy intolerant.
Carolyn says
That’s a tough one for sure. But I have a couple of keto granola recipes that don’t contain eggs and the peanut butter one is hugely popular and you can easily sub coconut oil for the butter.
Becky Hardin says
I love to make this when I have family in town! Everyone loves it.
Toni says
I love how easy this is to make! Perfect day starter!
Taylor says
Perfect brunch recipe!! Easy, delicious and perfect for a crowd!
Kristyn says
Love breakfast casseroles! The thought of a low carb casserole, is even better! Then, I can eat more!
Beth Pierce says
I know what I will be having for breakfast tomorrow! This looks so flavorful and light! Yum!
Sue Pier says
Looks amazing! Any idea what instapot cook time would be?
Carolyn says
Sorry, I haven’t tried it. I do have an IP breakfast casserole that you could put the sausage in. It’s smaller, made to fit in a ceramic pan in the IP https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/instant-pot-keto-breakfast-casserole/
Kristyn says
Mmm..I just love breakfast casseroles!! They are always so filling & so delicious! I’ll be trying this one asap!
Toni says
This was an amazing day starter! Can’t wait to make it again!
Erin says
Absolutely love that this is made in the crock pot! So great when I have a house full of people!
Jen says
This will be so perfect for our Saturday mornings before the kids run off for the day with all of their sports activities. A great way to fuel up for the day.
Tanya Schroeder says
Slow cooker meals are always welcome, they are such a time saver! This looks delicious!
Jamie says
Can you substitute the eggs for eggs whites?
Thank you!
Carolyn says
I guess. I haven’t tried.
Grace says
Do you think I could mix all the ingredients, put the in the fridge and then pop them in an instant pot on the morning while I get ready? I’m not sure how long I would cook it in the instant pot for though. Thanks for this recipe. I look forward to trying it!
Carolyn says
Well, you probably want to do a ceramic pan that fits inside your instant pot. I have an IP breakfast casserole here https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/instant-pot-keto-breakfast-casserole/ I used a springform pan but a 7 inch souffle pan would be better because the pressure caused it to leak through the bottom just a bit.
Dennis says
I just want to say the best thing I have ever had for breakfast . I will be making that often .
John says
Do you think you could substitute milk for the cream? Bacon for the sausage?
Carolyn says
Sure.
Dave says
Once cooked, how long will this last for in the fridge?
Thanks
Carolyn says
4 or 5 days at lest.
Pat T says
I would love to be able to do this overnight in my crock pot but the recipe says 4 – 5 hrs on low. I sleep longer than that as in 6 – 7 hrs. Is your crock pot programmable so that you can set it to turn on at a certain time?
Carolyn says
Yes, mine is programmable. It’s this one: http://amzn.to/2eLVXIZ Super useful.
Does yours automatically turn itself off? That could still be a possibility.