Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole

Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole

Rise and shine dear friends! Today I’ve got a fabulous, sanity saving, dump-and-go breakfast option for you. While I’ve never been a fan of the ‘Christmas Morning Wife Saver’ casserole (the one with egg soaked bread), I’ve always loved the IDEA of it.

I’m so happy to share this simple and DELICIOUS slow cooker breakfast with you. Instead of soggy bread, it starts with canned biscuit dough. The dough gets layered into the bottom of the slow cooker and covered with the other ingredients.

The final result is a fluffy layer of biscuits under a mouthwatering egg, ham, cheddar cheese, and green onion ‘omelet’.

This fix and forget breakfast is incredibly handy for busy mornings, or for special occasions when you have overnight guests. All you have to do is layer in the ingredients and turn the slow cooker on. One and a half to two hours later and breakfast/brunch is ready.

Ingredients for this Recipe

Friends, this recipe couldn’t be any simpler. In fact, there are only seven ingredients to this savoury breakfast delight (not including salt and pepper). However, this ingredient list is also incredibly flexible. You can use your imagination to change up the flavours and ingredients by adding your own favourite toppings.

• Can of Refrigerated Biscuits
• Butter
• Eggs
• Ham
• Green Onions
• Cheddar Cheese
• Milk
• Salt and Pepper

Every grocery store has a section of refrigerated ready to bake canned treats. Find the can of refrigerated biscuits in amongst the sliced cookies and cinnamon rolls. This recipe uses an 8 count can of grand style biscuits, however you are cutting them up so use the biscuits available to you. Or, make your own!

Next, head to the dairy section for the butter, milk, and cheese. You’ll want to give your slow cooker a generous coating of butter before adding the biscuits.

Let’s talk cheese for a moment. I love this recipe with basic cheddar cheese. However, the eggs act as a blank canvas and changing the cheese is a great way to customize this casserole. I might suggest Pepper Jack, Gouda, Edam, Feta, Fontina, Gruyere, Swiss cheese, Pecorino, or even a bit of Parmesan (not a full 2 cups though!).

This recipe is perfect for when you have a lot of leftover ham, such as the morning after Easter Sunday. Alternatively, you can use chopped up ham sandwich meat. Crispy bacon bits and cooked crumbled breakfast sausage would also be delicious in this breakfast casserole.

Crescent rolls aren’t just for breakfast casseroles, if you have leftover chicken you can make your family this comforting Crescent Roll Dinner Recipe with premade alfredo sauce.

Farm Fresh Eggs

The eggs are the star of the show in this dish. They bake up light and fluffy and hold all the ingredients together. There really is no replacement for fresh eggs!

Besides being the ingredient that holds all those ingredients together, eggs are a healthy way to start your day. These perfect proteins supply all 9 essential amino acids which are super important in building and maintaining multiple body systems. 

There’s more good news about incorporating eggs into your diet. Eggs are low in calories, but are packed with important vitamins and minerals such as: Iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E,  Vitamin B12, Folate, Selenium, Lutein and Zeaxanthin.

How to Make Slow a Cooker Breakfast Casserole

Let’s begin by preparing the crock pot insert. To do this, rub a pat of butter along the bottom and 1/3 to 1/2 way up the sides. Or, spray it with cooking spray.

Next, open the can of biscuits and cut each biscuit into four pieces. Arrange the biscuit pieces in an even layer along the bottom of the slow cooker.

Now, let’s get cracking! Whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper together in a large bowl. Next, stir in the ham, cheese, and onions.

Pour the egg mixture over the biscuits. Cover and cook the breakfast casserole on the highest setting for 1 1/2 – 2 hours. It is ready to eat when the eggs are set and the biscuits spring back slightly when poked. Note that the cooking time may vary between slow cookers.

Breakfast Casserole Variations

Ham, cheddar cheese, and green onion are basic flavours that most people love. However, if you are a little more adventurous, feel free to tweak this recipe and make it your own. Other fun flavour combinations are:

Italian Style – Crumble and cook up Italian sausage (hot or mild), add roasted red peppers and chopped artichokes. Pecorino, Asiago, Provolone, or Taleggio would be amazing! You can also add Italian seasoning or fresh basil instead of the green onions.

French Style – Think ham with mild blue cheese, with a bit of Dijon or dry mustard mixed into the eggs. Or tarragon and artichoke with Gruyère…

Greek Style – You can go 100 % vegetarian with this option. Sautè diced onions and red or green bell peppers. Add chopped black olives, oregano and crumbled Feta cheese.

Mexican Style – Crumble and cook spicy chorizo and add some queso fresco. Sautè diced onions and red or green bell (or spicy!) peppers. Top it all off with sour cream and a fresh Pico de Gallo.

Storing and Reheating Breakfast Casserole

Sometimes I make this slow cooker breakfast casserole for just the two of us. The leftovers store in the fridge for a few days and are easy to reheat. I either pop them into the air fryer for 5 minutes at 350 F or warm them in the microwave for a minute or two.