The ultimate make-ahead breakfast with a zesty kick.
Feeding a small crowd for brunch or breakfast before everyone goes HANGRY CRAZY can be, well, how do I put it…
Downright stressful.
And I don’t know about you, but I’m already a BEAR in the morning…
So the last thing I want to do on Christmas morning or a relaxing family weekend is slave away over a hot stove at the crack of dawn.
After years of this struggle, I’ve finally found the solution…
And it’s in the form of this baked Mexican Breakfast Casserole.
Really it’s just like a taco, lasagna, and frittata had a delicious, food baby.
Once you prep it ahead of time all you have to do is pop the whole thing in the oven when you wake up on busy mornings! It’ll feed your whole crowd and can easily be made gluten-free.
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- Cheese. Any type of shredded cheese may be used though cheddar, Monterrey jack, or a Mexican cheese blend are the best options.
- Ground Meat. A combination of ground beef and ground breakfast sausage is recommended. Feel free to substitute one for the other or swap out the beef for ground turkey or chicken.
- Taco Seasoning. This is where the majority of the flavor comes from in the dish. It’s best if you can make your own homemade Taco Seasoning so you can control the amount of spice and salt added. However, store-bought mixes may also be used.
- Salsa. Use mild or medium heat salsa depending on how spicy you’d prefer it to be. Try making your own with Roasted Tomato Salsa, Fresh Tomato Salsa, or Tomatillo Salsa Verde.
- Tortillas. Corn tortillas work best in this recipe. It is not advised to substitute with flour tortillas since they will become gummy after baking with the other ingredients.
Step-by-step Instructions
Please see the recipe card below for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
Make the base.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Add oil, onions, and peppers to a large skillet and sauté for 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Stir in the ground beef and sausage, cooking for 6-8 minutes until browned. Use a potato masher to crumble the meat, then add taco seasoning, salt, and pepper, stirring to combine.
Prep the layers.
In a medium mixing bowl combine salsa, corn, and black beans. Stir it all up.
In a large bowl mix eggs, ¼ cup milk, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Cut 8 corn tortillas into quarters.
Build the casserole.
Spray a 13×9-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.
Layer half the meat mixture in the bottom, then top with 16 tortilla quarters. Pour over half the salsa-corn mix and sprinkle 1 cup of cheese. Repeat the layers, then pour the egg mixture evenly on top and finish with the remaining cheese.
Bake in the oven.
Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake the breakfast casserole in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and continue cooking for an additional 15-25 minutes.
You’ll know the casserole is done baking when the middle no longer jiggles and the top is golden brown.
Serve it up.
While this casserole tastes delicious when served on its own, you can also try out a few different options. Any of your favorite taco toppings would be delicious, including:
- Hot sauce of your choice
- Finely chopped cilantro or green onions
- Dollop of sour cream (or dairy-free sour cream such as Tofutti brand.)
- Diced avocados or homemade guacamole
- Fresh tomatoes (here’s how to dice a tomato)
- Homemade salsa or pico de gallo
FAQs
You can definitely freeze breakfast casserole! Be sure to tightly wrap it and keep it in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 to 3 months.
You can reheat a casserole in the microwave or the oven. The microwave will be quicker, but the oven will ensure you maintain that golden brown top.
It is best to cover a breakfast casserole for the first part of the baking process, then uncover it. This keeps the top from burning while the eggs have enough time to cook.
What to serve with it?
While this casserole is delicious on its own, you can easily add any of these breakfast recipes to complete the meal.
Add something sweet, like Gluten-Free Pancakes, Blueberry Pancakes, Lemon Poppyseed Muffins, or Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread.
Don’t forget the Roasted Tomato Salsa, Fresh Tomato Salsa, or Tomatillo Salsa Verde.
Sweet Potato Hash Browns really round out this meal.
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Mexican Breakfast Casserole Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil or butter
- 1 small green bell pepper
- 1 small sweet onion finely
- 1 teaspoon salt divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ pound ground sausage regular
- ½ pound ground beef or turkey 93/7
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 cup salsa mild or medium
- 1 cup canned sweet corn drained
- 1 cup canned black beans rinsed and drained
- 12 large eggs
- ¼ cup milk cashew, almond, or soy milk
- 8 corn tortillas cut into quarters
- 2 cups shredded cheese cheddar or Monterrey Jack
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 °F.
- Add oil, onions, and peppers to a large skillet and sauté for 2-3 minutes over medium heat.2 tablespoons oil, 1 small green bell pepper, 1 small sweet onion
- Add ground sausage and beef. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until cooked through. Use a potato masher to crumble the meat. Add taco seasoning, ½ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper. Stir to combine.1 teaspoon salt, ½ pound ground sausage, ½ pound ground beef or turkey, 2 tablespoons taco seasoning, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- In a medium bowl combine salsa, corn, and black beans. Stir to combine.1 cup salsa, 1 cup canned sweet corn, 1 cup canned black beans
- In a large bowl combine eggs, ¼ c. milk, ½ t. salt and ¼ t. pepper. Whisk to combine.12 large eggs, ¼ cup milk
- Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Layer half of the meat mixture, 16 tortilla quarters, half of the salsa/corn mixture, and 1 cup of cheese. Repeat all layers except for the last cheese layer. Pour egg mixture over the layers and top with remaining cheese.8 corn tortillas, 2 cups shredded cheese
- Cover the baking dish with a piece of aluminum foil and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until middle no longer jiggles. Remove the foil during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- Serve with cilantro, green onions, avocados and extra salsa.
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Video
Notes
- Seasoning: It’s simple to make your own taco seasoning.
- Salsa: Store-bought is easy, but try making your own for the best flavor!
- Baking: Be sure to leave foil on the top for the first part of baking.
- Meal prep: Whip up this recipe the night before and just throw it in the oven the next morning.
- Toppings: Don’t forget the sour cream, green onions, and salsa.
- Spice: If you like a kick, add in some chili powder, or top with spicy salsa or hot sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Breakfast Casseroles
Cooking breakfast or brunch for a crowd? Look no further than these casserole recipes:
Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole
1 hr 15 mins
Easy Quiche Lorraine
1 hr 15 mins
Spinach Crustless Quiche
40 mins
Delicious. I followed the recipe exactly. I fixed it for a very picky friend. She ate seconds and said it was the best breakfast ever. I agreee with her.
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Jackir! I’m so glad your friend loved it. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
This was very very very good! I just made it for my family for Christmas dinner and it was a big hit. 🙂 Used Gardein ground b’ef and Soyrizo and you couldn’t even tell it wasn’t real. Cooked the ground be’f with taco sauce and cumin prior to adding into the mix to add a little extra Mexican umph; love cumin. Thank you!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Steve! I’m glad you could make it work for your dietary needs. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
Love this recipe. Every time I make it, my guests want the recipe. I do add a couple extra eggs and increase the milk in proportion plus I cook it a little longer, but otherwise it is a winner. The cilantro, sour cream, salsa and guacamole puts the dish over the top. Thanks for the recipe.
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Marianne! It’s perfect for a crowd. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
We’ve hosted guests for the last 4 weeks and I am making this recipe for the FOURTH TIME in those 4 weeks! Unlike many breakfast casseroles, this one is packed with protein. The flavor is great and guests LOVE IT.
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Duffy! I love all the protein, as well. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
My casserole turned out very oily and soupy. Followed directions to the “T”. I think much cheese with sausage and meat. I drained off excess liquid and baked it longer. I won’t be making this recipe anymore. Very disappointed.
I’m so sorry to hear that! We’ve been making this for years during the holidays and haven’t had this happen! The types of cheese and meat used can definitely effect how much grease is in the casserole. I used a 93/7 beef which has way less grease than say, an 85/15 or 80/20 so this may have contributed? If you ever make it again, I would try draining the excess grease off in the pan after cooking the meat and before assembling the casserole. Once again, so sorry it didn’t turn out for you!
I made this for Christmas morning brunch with my family and it was delicious! Thank you for sharing it.
On a side note, I noticed the recipe didn’t say to cover it with aluminum foil even though the video showed this. The recipe also doesn’t say to take the aluminum foil off after 30 minutes of cooking. You might want to add these steps to the recipe as well.
Thank you! I’ll be making this again!
So happy you and your family enjoyed it, Jeri! And thank you for letting me know about the foil- I just added this note in 🙂 Hope you all have a very Happy New Year!
No temp l for the oven is in the recipe!!!
Hi Greg! This casserole is cooked at 375 degrees. It’s listed in the recipe card. Thanks for reaching out!
Concerned the tortillas might get soggy if I store overnight before baking. Thoughts?
They might get a little soggy but that’s ok!
I plan on making this for a ladies brunch at church. Can this be made with flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas?
You can use flour tortillas instead of corn, but know the flour tortillas soak up the ingredients differently and may affect the texture of the casserole.
I made this to take to work for my office of about 10. I substituted plant based meat and kept everything else the same. It was a total HIT WITH *EVERYONE*! It was gone before my shift was over, and a week later, they are STILL talking about how good it was! I can’t wait for my next opportunity to make this!!!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Cecilia! So glad that you got to be the talk of the office! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!