Take it easy on yourself by making this breakfast casserole the night before, then bake it in the morning while you get ready! 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! 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. 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! 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. Meaning, you can add (or subtract) ingredients to customize it to your tastes! 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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Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Melodie says
Delicious! Second time making it and it is a hit!
Karen says
Can you make this recipe in a crockpot?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested this recipe using a crockpot/slow cooker, so I can’t say for certain how well it would work or whether any changes would need to be made. If you do some experimenting, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂
Tom says
When baking with glass casserole dish, from fridge, how soon can you put the dish into the oven?
The Chunky Chef says
I can’t speak with exact times, since all glass baking dishes aren’t made the same and have different heat tolerances. I always leave my dish out on the counter for a good 30 minutes before adding it to the oven though.
Mona says
Would tater tots work as a substitute for the bread in this recipe? Since they wouldn’t absorb as much liquid as the bread, should I reduce the egg and milk amounts?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested this recipe using tater tots, so I can’t say for certain of the exact changes that would need to be made. If you do some experimenting, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂
Mary says
Found this recipe through a random search. As I sit here eating my second piece, I’m so glad I did! Added some spinach and carmelized onions. After prepping, it didn’t look “eggy” enough, so threw a couple more in and gave it a mix. Baked it this morning and took it to an office potluck. Eating it 4 hours after it came out of the oven and it’s delicious!! Great recipe! Thank you Chunky Chef!
Keith says
This is a real go to when the whole family shows for holidays. I add a red pepper and some green onions to the custard mix and the kids love it. “Papus” Strada gets Christmas and Birthday requests from them all… amazingly, never any leftovers … mmmmm?!
Ruth Shapovalov says
So delicious!!!! I made a full double recipe for a family gathering Sunday. It was a big hit!!!
Tan Benson says
I’ve made this recipe several times for family, friends, and co-workers. It never disappoints as I’m always asked to please share the recipe. I followed your recommendation and used croissants instead of Italian bread and it was perfect! Prepping the night before is the best advice ever… Thank you for making me ‘look good’ with showing off my cooking skills to those whom I love most!
Jutta Battaglia says
Can this casseroles be baked in a gas grill
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!
karen maher says
Could I cook this in the microwave instead of oven?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve not tested this recipe in the microwave, so I can’t say how well that would work out.
Ted sargent says
I made two of these for Christmas morning breakfast. One with Jalapenos and one without. Everyone loved it.
Marta says
I made the overnight loaded breakfast casserole paired with the overnight bourbon French toast for Easter brunch. Huge hits.
Kristin says
Can this be made in the crockpot? It sounds delicious!
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve not tested this recipe in a slow cooker, so I can’t say for certain if that would work, or if any changes would need to be made. If you experiment with cooking in a slow cooker, let me know how it goes 🙂
Allie says
I have made this so many times that I feel like I NEED to review. This has become my go-to egg bake. I often make it for special occasions or when we have a group getting together for brunch. Everyone loves it.
Denise says
I made this and it turned out absolutely fantastic so many compliments and doing it the night before was a savior for me otherwise I find myself in the kitchen rushing rushing rushing didn’t have to rush this year and everyone loved us I made up a Separate casserole that was filled with everything but the kitchen sink and then made a smaller casserole that had just simple meat and cheese for the kids smelling it as it’s cooking is enough to drive you insane great recipe just perfect
Alicia says
Made it for a crowd – they loved it!
Maura Lyons says
Hi there, my family loves this recipe but our Christmas was unexpectedly postponed by a day. Can i reheat it in the oven? How long should it warm for?
The Chunky Chef says
I would try reheating at 350, covered, for about 30 minutes or so, or until hot in the center 🙂
Mary Ellen says
Love it! The sage makes it different and I don’t put in the bacon and it is still phenomenal!
Marie says
How many people does this serve ?
The Chunky Chef says
This serves approximately 10 people, but that will all depend on how hungry they are 🙂 For future reference, the amount of servings in each recipe is always in a light green colored bar in the recipe card, right underneath the recipe name, cook time, etc 🙂
Samantha says
Absolutely delicious as is! We’ve also made it with some adjustments- vegan cheeses, chorizo instead of sausage, cilantro instead of parsley. Soooooo good! Highly recommend both ways.
Betty says
How much bread is 12 oz.? A big loaf you’d see in bakery department? Or a baguette?
The Chunky Chef says
Generally about 3/4 of a standard 1 lb loaf from the bakery department. We like to use a French or Italian bread, but you can use any bread you enjoy 🙂
Kiki says
How many Costco size croissants would this recipe call for?
The Chunky Chef says
I honestly couldn’t say, as I haven’t tested this recipe with Costco-sized croissants. I would look at the weight of the package, you’re looking for about 12 oz of bread/croissants for this recipe.