Take it easy on yourself by making this breakfast casserole the night before, then bake it in the morning while you get ready! Â A true crowd pleaser, this breakfast bake is perfect for holiday breakfasts or when you have guests!
This Easy Breakfast Casserole is such a great holiday breakfast idea, and SO delicious! We love make-ahead breakfasts that the whole family will enjoy, like my Maple Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns, and Overnight French Toast Bake.  This is one of my Breakfast recipes you’ll definitely want in your collection!
For some people, Christmas dinner is the main event on Christmas, but in our family, it’s breakfast Christmas morning! Â Since we’ve had kids, my parents and brother make the trek over to our house early in the morning.
We all sit down around our table (as many as can fit anyway), mugs of steaming coffee in our hands, and eat a hearty, stick to your ribs, breakfast that will last us through the many hours of gift opening to come.
We have a tradition in our family that on Christmas, everyone gets a gift, but we only open them one at a time, which is nice, because then you’re guaranteed to be able to watch your loved one open that gift you’re so excited to give them!
It also means that it takes us a lot longer to get through all the presents lol. Â So we definitely need that hearty breakfast to fuel us up!
Several years ago, on the first Christmas morning at our house, I served this overnight breakfast casserole… it was a TOTAL hit! Â There are rarely any leftovers, and usually we’re all scrambling to grab the last piece.
We usually just call it “the breakfast casserole”, but technically, it’s a strata since the base of the dish is cubed pieces of bread and they soak overnight in a spiced up egg custard.
CAN BREAKFAST CASSEROLE BE MADE AHEAD?
Yes, in fact, it’s best when it IS made ahead of time! You can make this breakfast casserole up to 8-12 hours ahead of time. My favorite way is to make it on Christmas Eve after dinner, then let it chill overnight and bake it Christmas morning! You want it to sit in the refrigerator so the custard really soaks up into the bread and all the flavors come together.
WHAT CAN YOU PUT IN A BREAKFAST CASSEROLE?
Just about anything! I’ve seen breakfast casseroles made with tater tots, hashbrowns, croissants, etc. I love my breakfast casserole loaded with sausage, bacon, and plenty of cheese!
I consider this recipe to be more of a method, and not necessarily a hard fast recipe. Â Meaning, you can add (or subtract) ingredients to customize it to your tastes! Â Here’s a few options…
Customization options for this casserole:
- Add sautéed onions (since our little ones have an onion aversion, I leave them out, but they’re delicious!)
- Play with the herbs and add your favorites
- Use chorizo instead of sausage and sprinkle with cilantro to add some Mexican flair
- Switch up the cheeses, or use all cheddar
- Use some torn croissants or cubed up bagels instead of Italian or French bread
I love using both the sausage and the bacon here, as we’re huge breakfast meats fans around here, but feel free to use one or the other if you’d rather not use both.
CAN YOU FREEZE BREAKFAST CASSEROLE?
Yep! After you assemble the casserole, instead of covering it and refrigerating, place it in the freezer instead. Breakfast casseroles can be frozen for up to 2 months, then just thaw overnight and bake as directed.
I hope you guys give this overnight breakfast casserole a try… it’s perfect for not only holiday breakfasts, but for weekend breakfasts as well!
We like to serve ours with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkling of fresh parsley and chives!
SHOP THE RECIPE:
- Enameled Cast Iron Casserole Dish – I love the even baking in this dish, plus the easy cleanup!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 1 lb sage or breakfast sausage
- 8-10 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 8 large eggs
- 2 2/3 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp ground dry mustard
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 12 oz Italian bread, cubed into 1/2" pieces
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
- minced fresh parsley, for garnish
- chopped fresh chives, for garnish
- dollop sour cream, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet, brown and crumble sausage until cooked. Drain and set aside.
- Use a bread knife to cube Italian bread into 1/2" pieces, then set aside. Combine shredded cheddar and Gruyere cheeses, then set aside.
- To a large mixing bowl, add eggs, milk, salt, dry mustard, dried parsley, black pepper and paprika. Whisk until combined.
- Add cubed bread pieces to bottom of 3 quart oven safe pot, or 9x13" baking pan. Top with crumbled sausage, bacon, and 3/4 of the cheeses. Pour egg custard over the top, using a wooden spoon to gently push any un-soaked bread down into the custard. Sprinkle with remaining shredded cheeses.
- Cover pan with foil and refrigerate overnight.
- Remove from refrigerator, uncover, and let sit at room temperature while oven preheats to 350 degrees F. Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Serve hot, topped with garnishes if desired.
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Kel says
We love this recipe and make it for Christmas morning! To make it gluten free, I substitute frozen tater crowns for the Italian bread and it’s delicious!
Sara says
This recipe has become an absolute MUST for Christmas morning, because it’s delicious, filling and, most of all, I can make it the day before and just pop it in the oven on Christmas morning and not miss anything! It’s also a popular request when we have ‘breakfast for dinner’, too! I like to add diced tomatoes, onions, and sauteed mushrooms to the mix and offer sour cream on the side. Yum!!!
Aileen says
Hi! Thinking of shaking up the traditional Christmas roast and doing this instead this year, going to add in a few christmassy flavours such as chestnuts, cranberries, sprouts and leeks. Would you saute the leek first? And what about the sprouts, if I shred them, do they need cooking first? Thank you
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Aileen, I’ve only tested this recipe as written. So without testing and retesting it myself, I can’t say for certain how that would work out. I would need a lot more testing to know exactly, but I would probably saute the leeks briefly, but not cook the sprouts. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out!
Melissa says
So happy to finally find the perfect egg casserole recipe! I took this to church this morning and it was a hit! I’ll definitely be back to try more of your recipes. 😊
Yvonne says
I put this together and put it in the fridge. Will it still turn out if I put it in the oven after a few hours instead of tomorrow?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve only tested this recipe as written. So without testing and retesting it myself, I can’t say for certain if that would work. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out!
Jennnifer Seliski-Talbott says
This is our new Go-To for Sunday brunch! Everyone love it. Definitely use croissants instead of bread. Excellent texture! We throw in Gouda cheese as well. YUMMY!!
Jody says
Can this be made substituting almond milk?
Amanda says
I’ve not tested the recipe using almond milk, so I can’t say for sure, but my guess would be that it would turn out just fine 🙂
Linda says
It was awesome! Got rave reviews. Better than any other breakfast casserole I’ve ever made.
Sara says
This has been a Christmas morning tradition. I can make it the day before and just throw it in the oven when we wake up in the morning. We also love it when we have breakfast for dinner with lots of easy breakfast leftovers!
Kathlyn Gillen says
May I add hash brown potatoes? If I cook the hash brown before putting in casserole do I need to make any changes in the ingredients?
Amanda says
I’ve not tried adding hashbrowns, but I’ve substituted the bread for a 32 oz bag of frozen hashbrowns that I thawed out, and it turned out well!
Judy Ferber says
Do I have to let this set overnight or can I bake it 3 hours after letting it set? No over where we’re going?
Amanda says
I’ve only made this recipe as written, so I can’t speak to how the recipe will do without following the instructions. I would think as long as the egg mixture has soaked up into the bread pretty well, it would be okay, but I just can’t guarantee it.
Vicki Graham says
Do you think I could use everything bagels instead of Italian bread?
Amanda says
I haven’t tried it personally, but I know a few other readers who did so and loved it 🙂
J laurence Ransom says
How many does this serve?
Amanda says
Roughly 8-10 people
DT says
I’ve made this twice for very large groups (with two different breads which did make a big difference). I left out the parsley (because I didn’t have it) and used swiss instead of Gruyere. It was fabulous and I’m making it again this year for another larger group.
J Laurence Ransom MD says
How many did this serve, with or without people getting second
J says
Delicious and everyone loved it
Connie says
I made this recipe for the 6th-12th grade kids at my church sleep over. I made it for 80 people. It was a lot of work but they loved it. I will make it for just the family. Sometime. But this is a good recipe to make for a crowd.
I used bacon & sausage.
Sandy says
Could I put mushrooms peppers and spinach in this? And if so do I sauté them first?
Amanda says
Absolutely, I think that would be delicious! I would saute them first, just so they don’t give off too much liquid during the bake 🙂
Linda says
If I use croissants, how many or much cut up do I use?
The Chunky Chef says
You’ll want to have enough croissants to fill up your baking dish about halfway. I can’t give you the exact amount, as all croissants are different in size. I would estimate between 4-6 regular sized croissants 🙂