Easy Meal With Ground Beef and Eggs

Lean ground beef (or turkey) is seasoned like sausage and layered with cheddar & eggs in this lighter, low-carb Ground Beef & Egg Breakfast Casserole!

Ready or not, it's back-to-school time! And after a lazy, schedule-free summer around here, I've got to get myself in gear and figure out what I'm going to feed these kids each morning at the crack of dawn. So I've been experimenting...and this Ground Beef & Egg Breakfast Casserole is going on my list of winners!

My kids would happily subside on carbs if I allowed it. But I'm of the firm belief that they need some protein in the morning to keep them fueled until lunchtime, particularly during the school week when they're expected to use their brains and such. So even when they request something like waffles or muffins for breakfast, I make sure they at least have a hard-boiled egg and some fruit on the side for balance.

But we've been doing hard-boiled eggs alllll summer. So I thought I'd treat the kiddos to a cheesy, flavorful, low-carb egg casserole once school starts back up.

This ground beef breakfast casserole reheats beautifully, so it's a cinch to bake it over the weekend and keep it in the fridge.

Then in the mornings before school, simply reheat individual portions.

Add a smoothie or a side of fruit and breakfast is served!

Homemade Breakfast Sausage

When I was devising a new egg bake recipe, I really wanted to include yummy sausage, but I wasn't crazy about using such a fatty option.

So I decided to make my own lightened-up, homemade "sausage" with lean ground beef plus all of the herbs and spices typically found in breakfast sausage. I wasn't sure it would work, but it turned out delicious and adds so much flavor to the casserole!

If you prefer, it would also be easy to use ground turkey in this recipe instead of beef.

How to Make It

This ground beef and egg recipe couldn't be any easier to throw together:

1. After browning your beef (or turkey) and mixing in the seasonings, transfer to a 9- by 13-inch baking dish.
2. Sprinkle with grated cheddar.
3. Pour eggs (whisked with milk) over the top.
4. Bake until puffy and golden...and that's it!

As previously mentioned, this is a great recipe for hectic, early mornings before school or work since it can be made ahead of time and reheated. But this breakfast casserole would also be perfect for entertaining overnight guests or hosting a brunch!

How to Make Ahead

If you'd like to freshly bake this ground beef breakfast recipe in the morning, you can always reduce prep time by doing some of the steps the night before:

• Brown/season the beef "sausage."
• Grate the cheese.
• Whisk the eggs.

Then cover the ingredients (separately) and pop everything in the fridge. In the morning, all that's left to do is layer the ingredients in the dish and bake!

Cutting the Recipe in Half

Also, if a full 9- by 13-inch dish of breakfast casserole is more than you need, you can easily cut this recipe in half, bake it in an 8- by 8-inch dish instead, and slightly reduce the cooking time.

If you like, you could even cook and season the full pound of ground beef, then use half of it immediately and freeze the rest for the next time you want to make a half-recipe.

Easy peasy!

So if you need a new yummy, low-carb, protein-packed breakfast idea, this Ground Beef, Egg, & Cheese Breakfast Casserole is sure to fit the bill! Back-to-school time is hard enough. At least it's easier to get out of bed (for parents and kids alike) when there's a tasty, filling breakfast to look forward to. 😉

More Recipes for Breakfast or Brunch

• Bacon, Potato, & Cheese Mini Frittatas {Egg Muffins}
• Green Chile Cheddar Egg Bake
• Cheesy Ham & Grits Breakfast Casserole
• Easy Homemade Breakfast Sausage

• ▢ 1 pound lean ground beef, or turkey
• ▢ 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons dried sage, *see NOTES below
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
• ▢ 1 ¼ teaspoons salt, DIVIDED
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon marjoram
• ▢ Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• ▢ Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• ▢ 6 ounces (about 1 ½ cups) grated cheddar cheese
• ▢ 8 eggs
• ▢ 1 ½ cups milk
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground mustard powder

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

• Place an oven rack in the center position of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9- by 13-inch baking dish (or coat with cooking spray).

• Set a large skillet, pan, pot, or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink, breaking apart and stirring as the meat cooks. In the meantime, mix the brown sugar, sage, basil, ¾ teaspoon salt, garlic powder, onion powder, marjoram, red pepper flakes, and black pepper in a small bowl until combined; set aside. Once the meat is done cooking, drain the grease from the skillet and stir in the spice blend. Remove the skillet from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.

• Spread the seasoned meat in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the meat with the grated cheddar. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard powder, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and ground pepper (to taste) until well combined. Evenly pour the egg mixture over the beef/cheese in the dish.

• Bake for 50 to 55 minutes until the eggs are puffed and golden brown and the center is set. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

• If using dried ground sage, decrease the amount to ¾ teaspoon as it is more concentrated than dried (rubbed) sage leaves.
• A half recipe may be baked in an 8- by 8-inch square dish. Check for doneness after about 40 minutes.
• For extra flavor from the herbs, crush the dried sage, basil, and marjoram in your fingers before mixing them into the spice blend.

Calories: 189 kcal | Carbohydrates: 3 g | Protein: 15 g | Fat: 12 g | Saturated Fat: 6 g | Cholesterol: 151 mg | Sodium: 410 mg | Potassium: 219 mg | Sugar: 2 g | Vitamin A: 350 IU | Calcium: 160 mg | Iron: 1.6 mg

Seasoning blend adapted from AllRecipes

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Source: https://www.fivehearthome.com/ground-beef-egg-cheese-breakfast-bake-casserole-low-carb-recipe/

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