Breakfast Burrito Lasagna with Smoked Sausage

Breakfast lasagna anyone? Sign me up!!! Every layer adds something delicious - chewy tortillas, seasoned rice, cheesy eggs, smoked sausage, toasted tortillas, and melted cheese. All the breakfast essentials, in one, EASY (make ahead-friendly) casserole.

Here's the true inspo for this dish - I didn't feel like rolling a bunch of burritos. Plus, I was serving a crowd and wanted to make sure I had enough food for everyone. Serving the burritos in "lasagna fashion" allowed everyone to take as much (or as little) as they wanted and there was no waste! If I served a bunch of burritos, I guarantee there would have been leftovers on people's plates. Food that, sadly, would have gotten tossed.

Plus, I wanted to prepare the dish a day in advance so I could wake-and-bake (in culinary terms, that is). If you want to prep ahead, simply assemble the casserole as directed and cover the dish with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Pull the dish from the fridge 30 minutes before baking. Then, proceed as directed below, and add 5 minutes to the baking time under foil.

Think about all the options you have to change this recipe. You can swap in bacon or ham for the sausage. Use pepper jack cheese instead of cheddar. Add black or pinto beans to the rice layer. Add bell peppers and onion to the eggs. Top the finished dish with diced avocado, tomato and green onions. You get the point. Whatever turns you on about burritos should end up in this lasagna.

Breakfast Burrito Lasagna with Smoked Sausage

Cooking spray
1 cup white or brown rice
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and ground black pepper
10 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, plus a little more for sprinkling over top
1/2 pound fully cooked smoked beef or pork sausage, cut into bite-size pieces
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
4-6 fajita-size tortillas, cut into 6 wedges each
Cilantro leaves for serving

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a shallow baking dish (about 11x7) with cooking spray.
To prepare the rice, in a small saucepan, combine the rice, 1 tablespoon of the butter, onion powder, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 cup black pepper. Add 2 cups of water and set the pan over high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until the rice is tender (brown rice may take longer so read package directions). Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, chili powder, cumin, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
Melt the remaining butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned on all sides. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage from the pan and set aside. Add the eggs to the same pan over medium-high heat. Cook until the eggs are cooked and still moist, stirring frequently. Stir in 3/4 cup of the cheese and remove the pan from the heat.
Arrange 1 layer of tortilla wedges in the bottom of the prepared pan, covering the surface. Top the tortillas with the rice. Top the rice with the eggs and then spoon the sausage over the eggs. Arrange another layer of tortillas over the eggs and sausage, allowing some of the filling to show through (you don't need to fully cover the filling).
Top with the remaining cheese. Sprinkle the top with a little smoked paprika. Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 to 7 more minutes, until the cheese melts. Top with cilantro leaves and serve hot.

Serves 4-6