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 (1 medium) cauliflower rice, fresh or frozen
- 8 ounces (340.2 g) breakfast sausage links, cooked and sliced
- 6 ounces (113 g) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
- 4 ounces ham, chopped
- 1 small red pepper, chopped
- 10 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (178.5 g) whipping cream
- 3 cloves (2 cloves) garlic, minced
- 1 tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- 1 tsp (0.25 tsp) pepper
- 1/2 tsp 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Not sure where to get heavy hopping cream (LOL)
this may be a dumb question…or 2…but here goes. first question… when using the frozen cauliflower rice, do you thaw it first or just put it in the crock pot frozen? And 2nd question…if I double the recipe then does it need to cook longer and if so how much longer? thank you! I love your recipes!
To your first question, no… don’t thaw it. Just dump it in. To your second question, I really am not sure I can advise. If you’re trying to double it in the same size slow cooker (6 quart), it’s going to take a lot longer because of the depth. If you have a larger slow cooker then you need to figure out how much larger it is.
Thank you! That what I thought about doubling it…I was thinking it would be better to just use 2 slow cookers rather than double it. And good to know about the cauliflower rice! I haven’t had much success with cauliflower rice in other dishes when it calls for it to be thawed then cooked…it always comes out mushy. Thanks for you help!
I used frozen cauliflower rice, didn’t thaw, and used the same ingredients as the recipe . The dish turned out flavorful & will make it again, however very “wet”
Next time I make this I will thaw & drain/squeeze out as much of the liquid as I can from the cauliflower rice.
Thanks again.
I’d love to be able to make this but I don’t have a slow cooker. Is it possible to make this in the oven? Any I deas of time or temp would be appreciated.
Use this recipe as a guide. https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/keto-breakfast-casserole/
I made this but with asparagus instead of broccoli as I had extra asparagus that I needed to use up. Such a flavourful and delicious dish. I ate it for breakfast and supper it was so good. This is definitely a keeper recipe!
Hi! Can this be frozen?
I don’t know, I haven’t tried! Guess you will need to experiment.
This looks great! Could it be cooked in the oven? I don’t own a crockpot
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.
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.
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.
I love to make this when I have family in town! Everyone loves it.
I love how easy this is to make! Perfect day starter!
Perfect brunch recipe!! Easy, delicious and perfect for a crowd!
Love breakfast casseroles! The thought of a low carb casserole, is even better! Then, I can eat more!
I know what I will be having for breakfast tomorrow! This looks so flavorful and light! Yum!
Looks amazing! Any idea what instapot cook time would be?
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/
Mmm..I just love breakfast casseroles!! They are always so filling & so delicious! I’ll be trying this one asap!
This was an amazing day starter! Can’t wait to make it again!
Absolutely love that this is made in the crock pot! So great when I have a house full of people!