Description
This Pancake Sausage Casserole is a delicious, hearty breakfast dish that combines fluffy pancake batter with savory breakfast sausage and melted cheddar cheese, all baked together and topped with a drizzle of maple syrup. It’s perfect for feeding a crowd and offers a delightful twist on traditional pancakes.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 1 pound breakfast sausage
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Other
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and set it aside to prevent sticking.
- Cook Sausage: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the breakfast sausage until browned and fully cooked. Drain any excess fat and set the sausage aside to cool slightly.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt until well combined.
- Prepare Wet Mixture: In a separate bowl, beat the eggs thoroughly. Add the milk and vanilla extract to the eggs and mix well to combine.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the batter light.
- Add Butter: Stir the melted butter into the batter until it is smooth and evenly incorporated.
- Layer Batter: Pour half of the pancake batter into the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly to cover the bottom layer.
- Add Sausage: Evenly sprinkle the cooked sausage over the batter layer in the dish.
- Add Cheese: Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the sausage layer to add richness and flavor.
- Top with Batter: Carefully pour the remaining pancake batter over the cheese and sausage layers, spreading it evenly to cover all layers.
- Drizzle Syrup: Drizzle the maple syrup evenly over the top layer of batter to add sweetness.
- Bake Casserole: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top turns golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the casserole from the oven and let it cool slightly for a few minutes before slicing and serving warm.
Notes
- You can substitute turkey sausage for a leaner option.
- For extra flavor, add chopped green onions or herbs to the batter.
- This casserole can be made the night before and baked in the morning for convenience.
- Leftovers reheat well in the oven or microwave.
- If you prefer, use a non-dairy milk alternative to make it dairy-free (omit or substitute butter accordingly).
