The short answer: Breakfast pizza is a par-baked pizza crust topped with sausage gravy or cheese sauce, soft scrambled eggs, cooked sausage or bacon and shredded cheese, then baked until bubbly, about 40 minutes start to finish. One sheet pan cuts into about 12 squares, so it works for a weekend breakfast, a brunch or a holiday morning.
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Prep time: 15 minCook time: 20 minTotal time: 40 minServings: 6 to 8 servingsTotal includes 5 min of resting, chilling or rising.
Below are the ingredients, crust options, exact steps, topping combinations and make-ahead tips.
I love cooking, and a big pan that feeds everyone at once is my kind of breakfast, especially when the family is together for the holidays and everyone can pitch in.
Breakfast pizza ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pizza dough | 1 pound | Store-bought or homemade |
| Breakfast sausage | 1 pound | Or 10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled |
| Eggs | 8 large | |
| Milk | 2 tablespoons | For the eggs |
| Butter | 1 tablespoon | |
| Sausage gravy or cheese sauce | 1 to 1½ cups | See the sauce table |
| Shredded cheddar | 1½ cups | |
| Shredded mozzarella | 1 cup | Helps it stretch |
| Green onions | 2, sliced | Optional |
| Salt and pepper | To taste |
Crust options
| Crust | Prep | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Pizza dough | Stretch on an oiled sheet pan, par-bake 8 minutes at 450°F | Chewy, classic |
| Crescent dough | Press seams together, par-bake 6 to 8 minutes at 375°F | Flaky, buttery |
| Biscuit dough | Press into the pan, par-bake 8 to 10 minutes at 375°F | Soft and bready |
| Flatbread or naan | No par-bake, top and bake 8 to 10 minutes | Fastest |
| Frozen hash browns | Press thawed hash browns with an egg, bake 20 minutes until crisp | Gluten-free option |
Want to make your own dough? Use our pizza dough recipe. For another pizza-style meal without making dough, try French bread pizza recipe with a loaf of bread.
How to make breakfast pizza
- Heat the oven to 450°F for pizza dough (or the temperature in the crust table). Oil a large sheet pan.
- Par-bake the crust. Stretch the dough to the edges and bake for about 8 minutes, until set and just starting to color.
- Cook the sausage in a skillet, breaking it up, until browned and cooked through, which is 160°F for ground pork on FoodSafety.gov's temperature chart. Drain well. More dinners from a plain package, not just sausage, are on our ground pork recipes page.
- Soft-scramble the eggs. Whisk the eggs with milk, salt and pepper. Cook them in butter over medium-low heat and pull them off while they are still a little glossy.
- Assemble. Spread the sauce over the crust, leaving a thin border. Add the eggs, sausage, cheddar and mozzarella.
- Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, until the cheese melts and the crust is golden. Egg dishes should reach 160°F.
- Finish. Sprinkle with green onions, rest 5 minutes and cut into squares.
Sauce choices
| Sauce | Flavor | Quick version |
|---|---|---|
| Sausage gravy | Rich, Southern-style | Cook sausage, stir in 3 tablespoons flour, then 2 cups milk until thick |
| Cheddar cheese sauce | Creamy, kid-friendly | Melt 1 cup cheddar into a basic butter, flour and milk sauce |
| Salsa | Bright, lighter | Spread a thin layer of thick salsa |
| Pesto | Herby | Thin layer, pairs well with tomatoes and mozzarella |
| Cream cheese | Tangy | Soften and spread a thin layer |
Topping combinations
| Combo | Toppings |
|---|---|
| Classic | Sausage gravy, eggs, sausage, cheddar |
| Bacon, egg and cheese | Cheese sauce, eggs, bacon, cheddar, chives |
| Southwest | Salsa, eggs, chorizo, pepper jack, peppers, avocado after baking |
| Veggie | Cheese sauce, eggs, sautéed spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, feta |
| Ham and Swiss | Cream cheese, eggs, diced ham, Swiss, green onions |
| Hash brown | Hash brown crust, gravy, eggs, sausage, cheddar |
Make-ahead plan for a busy morning
- The night before: cook the sausage or bacon, make the gravy or cheese sauce, shred the cheese and chop any vegetables. Store each one covered in the fridge.
- In the morning: par-bake the crust, scramble the eggs while it bakes, assemble and bake. Breakfast is ready in about 25 minutes.
- Leftovers: the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service says to refrigerate within 2 hours, and the FoodSafety.gov cold storage chart gives 3 to 4 days in the fridge for cooked leftovers.
For more holiday morning dishes, see our Christmas breakfast ideas, Christmas breakfast casserole and French toast casserole.
Plan breakfast and the holiday menu
- Meal Planner & Grocery List, $3.99. Put breakfast pizza on the weekend plan and add the eggs, dough and cheese to one list.
- Christmas Budget & Gift Planner, $4.99. Plan holiday meals and gifts against one budget.
- Holiday Season Bundle, $15.99 (regularly $25.94 for the six items bought separately). Six planners, including the Christmas Budget & Gift Planner and the Meal Planner & Grocery List, in one download.
Browse the Holiday shop or all our Printables. The free Holiday Budget Starter Kit is 3 US Letter pages, emailed after you join the list.
More breakfast ideas
Need something faster on a weekday? Our quick breakfast ideas are grouped by time, from 2-minute bowls to make-ahead egg muffins. For a richer weekend plate, pour easy hollandaise over eggs and toasted English muffins.
Frequently asked questions
How do you make breakfast pizza? To make breakfast pizza, par-bake a pizza crust for about 8 minutes, spread it with sausage gravy or cheese sauce, top it with soft scrambled eggs, cooked sausage or bacon and shredded cheese, then bake until the cheese melts and the crust is golden. The whole thing takes about 40 minutes.
What crust is best for breakfast pizza? Store-bought or homemade pizza dough gives the classic chewy crust, refrigerated crescent dough gives a flaky one, and a tube of biscuit dough pressed into the pan gives a soft, bready one. Flatbreads or naan are the fastest because they only need to warm through.
Do you cook the eggs before putting them on breakfast pizza? Yes, cook the eggs before putting them on breakfast pizza. Scramble the eggs until they are just set but still soft, then let the oven finish them. Raw eggs poured over a crust usually run off or make the center soggy, and FoodSafety.gov lists 160°F as the safe minimum for egg dishes.
What sauce goes on breakfast pizza? The most popular breakfast pizza sauces are country sausage gravy and a cheddar cheese sauce. Salsa, pesto, a thin layer of cream cheese or a drizzle of hollandaise also work, and some people skip sauce and use extra cheese.
Can I make breakfast pizza ahead of time? You can prep breakfast pizza ahead by cooking the sausage, mixing the sauce and shredding the cheese the night before, then par-baking the crust and assembling in the morning. Fully assembled pizzas left overnight tend to get soggy.
Can breakfast pizza be frozen? Yes, breakfast pizza can be frozen. Bake the breakfast pizza, cool it, then wrap slices individually and freeze them. Reheat from frozen in a 375°F oven or toaster oven until hot in the center, about 12 to 15 minutes.
How do I keep breakfast pizza from getting soggy? Par-bake the crust before topping it, use a thin layer of sauce, drain the sausage well, and cook vegetables like spinach, peppers and mushrooms first so they don't release water in the oven.
How many does a sheet-pan breakfast pizza serve? A sheet-pan breakfast pizza with 8 eggs and 1 pound of dough cuts into about 12 squares and serves 6 to 8 people as a main dish, or more as part of a brunch spread.
Is breakfast pizza good for Christmas morning? Breakfast pizza is a good Christmas morning dish because you can prep the toppings on Christmas Eve and it serves a crowd from one pan. Add the menu to the Christmas Budget & Gift Planner ($4.99) from HomeBase Paper Co. so the groceries land on your holiday list.
What can I serve with breakfast pizza? Serve breakfast pizza with fresh fruit, yogurt, orange juice, coffee or hot chocolate. For brunch, add a sweet dish like French toast casserole or cinnamon rolls.
How long do breakfast pizza leftovers last? Breakfast pizza leftovers last 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Refrigerate slices within 2 hours of baking and reheat them until hot.
Sources
- FoodSafety.gov: Safe minimum internal temperatures foodsafety.gov
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety fsis.usda.gov
- FoodSafety.gov: Cold food storage chart foodsafety.gov