Need to balance your dessert enthusiasm with something a little healthier? Me too. Today’s recipe is for you, and me, because I think I’m making it again this weekend. We’re a little obsessed, and this spaghetti squash casserole breakfast bake thing got rave reviews from all members of the household. Seriously though, I’ve never had another dish where I feel like I’m having a rich hash brown casserole and yet, there is not one potato in sight. Paleo and Whole30 people, this is for you too. Oh, and it reheats beautifully so you can make it Sunday and have an easy and healthy grab-n-go breakfast during the week.
This month, Christin at Blue Crab Martini picked spaghetti squash as the featured ingredient for the September Monthly Ingredient Challenge. We use spaghetti squash all the time (I even have a recipe for spaghetti squash and turkey meatballs here), but I wanted to come up with something extra special since I already had a “spaghetti” type recipe up. This idea for a low carb breakfast bake kept running through my head, and so I decided I would make it up one weekend to try it out.
When I completed my Whole30 earlier this year, I was always on the lookout for unique recipe ideas that would help us keep our “special” weekend breakfast tradition while still complying with the program. To balance all the treats we eat, I still make a lot of those recipes frequently or recipes that fit (mostly) within the guidelines. This is one of them, and it’s *mostly* compliant because I added cheese. You won’t miss it if you skip the cheese, but the Godfather requested. 😉
The key is to find a really really tasty sausage. We used a breakfast sausage we bought from Whiffletree Farms here in Virginia. Find your favorite, the sausage really shines through here, so you want to make sure it’s delicious. If you don’t eat pork sausage, ground beef, crispy cooked bacon, or even a vegetarian substitute can work equally well, just be sure to add some seasoning (your choice).
Plan ahead and bake your squash the night before to minimize prep time in the morning. I know it seems like an extra step, but I promise, this is so so worth it. The spaghetti squash lives up to its reputation as an excellent substitute for a carbohydrate, so this breakfast bake is just really satisfying AND healthy. I hope you enjoy my low carb breakfast bake recipe!
Low Carb Breakfast Bake
Start each day with a resolution worthy and this low carb breakfast bake! Make one for company, or meal prep on the weekend and reheat all week.
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs
- 1 medium spaghetti squash (approx 3 lbs to yield 4 cups "spaghetti")
- 1 lb breakfast sausage
- 1 green bell pepper
- 2/3 c shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Do this step the day before to minimize day-of cooking time if desired. Cook the squash by either slicing in half carefully, scooping out the seeds, drizzling the cut sides with olive oil, and baking cut side down in a baking dish with 1/2 cup water. Bake in a 375 F oven for 45 minutes or until fork-tender. Let cool 10-15 minutes until cool enough to handle and then use a fork to scrape out the "spaghetti" strands. Refrigerate until ready to make the breakfast bake.
- When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 F.
- In a skillet over medium heat, brown the sausage. While the sausage is cooking, seed and dice the bell pepper. Whisk together the eggs in a medium mixing bowl and stir in the spaghetti squash.
- Remove the sausage from the skillet and stir into the egg mixture.
- Saute the bell pepper in the sausage skillet until slightly softened, about 3-4 minutes, and then add the bell pepper to the egg mixture.
- Grease a 9x11" (2.2 L) casserole dish and pour in the egg mixture. Sprinkle on the cheese if using, and cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake covered for 40 minutes, then remove the foil and bake uncovered for 20 minutes until the cheese has browned. Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving. Store unused portion in the refrigerator and re-heat in the microwave or the oven.
Laura
Friday 28th of February 2020
Do you have nutrition info on this?
Mary (The Goodie Godmother)
Monday 2nd of March 2020
Hi Laura! I don't post nutrition information for this because it really depends on the ingredients you use! Nutritional information, especially for sausage and cheese can vary pretty dramatically. So I'd recommend putting the recipe into your favorite nutrition tracker (I think my fitness pal makes it pretty easy) and customizing the ingredients to use exactly the brands you use in the bake. That way you'll get the most accurate information.
Larry
Sunday 10th of June 2018
Being diabetic type 2 I am always looking for new ideas for meals to maintain some variations and excitement in my diet. Thanks for posting this recipe. I also had a chance to play with it and used different combinations of veggies to mix it up. I usually prepare it on the weekend and cut it up and refrigerate small portions to have a quick but healthy breakfast during the week. Thanks again!
Mary (The Goodie Godmother)
Sunday 15th of July 2018
Great! Convenience is always a plus!
Hope
Friday 18th of August 2017
What made you switch to meat sausage?
Mary (The Goodie Godmother)
Monday 4th of September 2017
Just using what I had in the house...
Amy
Saturday 6th of August 2016
I have made this recipe in my crockpot overnight for company. Easy and delish!
Mary (The Goodie Godmother)
Saturday 6th of August 2016
Wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing and I'm glad you enjoyed! :)
Mary
Tuesday 16th of February 2016
How do you think this would turn out as a cook and assemble the day before and bake on the next morning?
The Godmother
Friday 19th of February 2016
BEAUTIFULLY! I've done it before and it works very well. In fact, I recommend it to save time in the morning.