Sausage Croissant French Toast Casserole is tender, buttery, and flavored with sage and Gruyere cheese! Perfect breakfast or brunch recipe to make for company, or just because.

A Sausage Breakfast Casserole is great for the holidays and this one is a winner!

Sausage Croissant French Toast Casserole serving on a small white plate

Why You Must Make

  • I’ve made loads and loads of French toast casseroles over the years. Known by other names like savory bread pudding,  strata, or overnight French toast casserole, they all have a bread component. But this was the first time using croissants!
  • Paired with  Italian sausage and sage, this was one stupendous brunch recipe over the holidays.
  • Both boys and the hubby gave this easy breakfast casserole rave reviews. When I sent some leftovers home with our oldest, Bill was a little concerned that I’d send TOO much in his care package!

Ingredient Notes

  • Kitchen Staples – Large Eggs, Olive Oil, Kosher Salt, Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • Croissants – About 5 to 7 or 1 pound,  split in half lengthwise
  • Bunch of Scallions – AKA green onions, the white part only, sliced thin
  • Mild Italian Sausage – Bulk or links with the casings removed. May use spicy Italian sausage if that’s your preference/
  • Fresh Sage – Finely chopped. Use ⅓ the amount if substituting dried sage.
  • Whole Milk – 3½% Milk Fat
  • Heavy Cream – 36% Milk Fat
  • Gruyère – Grated. May substitute other favorite Swiss cheeses like Emmental or Jarlesberg.

Sausage Croissant French Toast Casserole in a white baking dish

Recipe Tips

A friend (Hi, Mary!) shared this New York Times recipe on her Facebook page. It looked so cheesy, tempting and EASY that I knew I’d be making it ASAP. Much as the family would love this every week, the cheese, the croissants, and the cream make it a special occasion breakfast. This easy French toast casserole is definitely worth the caloric splurge!

  • Toasting the croissants before soaking them in the egg mixture helps dry them out. This allows them to soak up more of the custard mixture.
  • Whisk together the eggs, milk, and cream until they’re well combined before stirring in the cheese, etc. This helps ensure a smooth custard.
  • Feel free to use bacon instead of sausage or a breakfast sausage instead of Italian sausage if that’s your preference. We like the nuttiness of Gruyere cheese, but sharp cheddar would taste delicious, too.
  • The goal is to add the custard to the croissant and sausage mixture and give the croissants time to soak up the rich liquid. This gives you the perfect opportunity to prep your brunch dish the night before. Then just pop it in the oven about an hour before you plan to serve it.
  • But, you can also shorten the soaking time to 4 hours if needed. Just keep it covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated no matter which time frame you choose.

Overhead view of Sausage Croissant French Toast Casserole in a white baking dish

 

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A slice of  sausage croissant french toast on a white plate with a fork

Sausage Croissant French Toast Casserole

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield 10 servings

A savory French toast casserole made with croissants and sausage. Adapted from the NYT.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound croissants (about 5 to 7), split in half lengthwise
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 bunch scallions, white part sliced thinly
  • ¾ pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage
  • 8 eggs
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 8 ounces Gruyère, grated (2 cups)
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 400°. Spread croissants on a large baking sheet and toast, cut side up, until golden brown, about 5 minutes (watch carefully to see that they do not burn).
  2. Let cool, then tear them into large bite-size pieces.
  3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add sliced scallions and sausage meat; cook, breaking up the sausage until mixture is browned and crumbled, about 5 minutes. Stir in sage, and remove from heat.
  4. In a large bowl, toss the croissant pieces and sausage mixture. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and cream. Then mix in the 1½ cups cheese, salt, and pepper.
  5. Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Add the croissant mixture into the pan, spreading it out evenly. Pour the custard over the croissants. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  6. When you’re ready to bake the casserole, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle the rest of the grated cheese over the top of the casserole.
  7. Bake until casserole is golden brown and set, about 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 591Total Fat: 42gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 258mgSodium: 986mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 1gSugar: 10gProtein: 25g

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Sausage Croissant French Toast Casserole - Tender, buttery and full of flavor from sausage, herbs and Gruyere