Take it easy on yourself by making this breakfast casserole the night before, then bake it in the morning while you get ready! ย 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!ย We love make-ahead breakfasts that the whole family will enjoy, like my Maple Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns, andย Overnight French Toast Bake.ย ย This is one of myย Breakfastย recipes youโll 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! ย 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. ย 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! ย 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!ย You can make this breakfast casserole up to 8-12 hours ahead of time.ย My favorite way is to make it on Christmas Eve after dinner, then let it chill overnight and bake it Christmas morning!ย 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!ย I’ve seen breakfast casseroles made with tater tots, hashbrowns, croissants, etc.ย 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. ย Meaning, you can add (or subtract) ingredients to customize it to your tastes! ย Here’s a few options…
Customization options for this casserole:
- Add sautรฉed 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 someย 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!ย After you assemble the casserole, instead of covering it and refrigerating, place it in the freezer instead.ย 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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Video
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.
Jodee Nagle says
Does this work for leftovers?
The Chunky Chef says
You mean using leftover sausage and bacon? Yes, absolutely!
Pamela Mearsheimer says
We had this on Christmas morning. Delicious and filling!
elise says
Trying so many for years. Yours with variations is the cats meeeeeeeeeeeow. Thank you thank you.
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Karla Brown says
Hello and thank you for sharing this recipe with us. I am making it tomorrow for a brunch and forgot to get Italian bread!! Can I dry out white bread and use that? Thank you Karla
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Karla ๐ Yes, absolutely! Just be sure to cut the cubes in at least 1/2″ pieces, as they won’t be as chewy as an Italian loaf, but it should work out just fine ๐
Karla Brown says
I made with white bread and cut into 1″ cubes and it came out fantastic! Such a great recipe thanks for sharing!!! Merry Christmas… Karla
Claire ? Scroggin says
I am on a low carb diet & would like to leave out the bread. How will that affect the cooking time?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Claire ๐ I’ve never left the bread out, as the bread is what makes it a strata. Sorry I can’t be of more help!
Cathy Marella-Luce says
Can you tell me approximately how many cups you consider “3/4 of a loaf of Italian bread”?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Cathy ๐ I would say anywhere from 8-10 cups, depending on how it’s cubed and the type of bread. A typical loaf of bread is 16 oz, so you’ll want to use about 12 oz.
Kate says
Can you make this two nights ahead? Likewise it Friday night and serve Sunday? Or is that too long to just sit in the fridge?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Kate ๐ I’ve never done it two nights ahead, but I think it should be okay. The bread may be softer since the soaking time is longer, but it should still taste great!
Kimberly says
Made this last week end ! I used diced ham and a pkg real bacon bits added a couple cups browned hash browns with ham and bacon. Used 1C. Croutons in place of bread . 1 tsp. Cumin. 1/2 red pepper, celery 1/2 C. And about 6 sliced Bella mushrooms! O my what a awesome dish! I took a piece for breakfast to work each day. Everyone one was asking for recipes. Just by the looks at it they thought it looked great! Thanks.
Nazish Shahab says
Amanda, your recipes were an absolute hit at my ladies breakfast! I had made this mouth-watering strata and your Ham & Cheese Spinach Puffs and my friends just loved and savored every bite. I substituted chicken cubes instead of the ham and that’s all I changed in the recipe. Thank you for these wonderful recipes!
Nazish
TRIXIE says
I adore breakfast stratas but haven’t made one for years. We had a graduation party yesterday with a pasta bar, so have leftover sausages, cheeses, baguette, spinach, mushrooms, peppers, etc. I’m going to make this up with all of those yummy bits and pieces! I’ll try to post a pic when it’s done! Thanks for the inspiration!
Dave R says
I made this for a big family brunch. Everyone really enjoyed it, including the 2-4 year old children.. We’ll most definitely be making this one for special breakfasts in the future. I made the following small modifications:
1) I caramelized a small onion with 2 cloves of garlic, and added some frozen spinach and scattered this over the bread for a bit more flavour and some nutritional value
2) I used slightly less sausage to account for the onion and spinach
Next time:
1) I may mix in the cheese and sausage in with the bread a bit better next time, so that the whole dish gets the salty, cheesy goodness
Seriously, great recipe!!! 5 stars
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Dave ๐ I’m SO happy to hear that you loved this recipe!! Your modifications are amazing too ๐
Farrah Galley says
Can you add hasbrowns to this recipe? Thanks
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Farrah ๐ I haven’t, but I’m sure it would work out well!
Carrie @Frugal Foodie Mama says
I love make-ahead breakfasts for Christmas morning! ๐ This one looks amazing!
Catalina @ Peas & Peonies says
Looks fantastic! Children will love this dish! ๐
Katerina @ diethood .com says
YUM!! What an amazing breakfast dish!!
Byron Thomas says
Two things:
1. That strata looks awesome! I’d be happy to wait to open presents if that was waiting for me at the breakfast table.
2. We have that same Christmas tradition! We all get a gift, and then we watch each person unwrap theirs before moving on to the next. We could never understand those parents who sectioned off presents at the bottom of the tree and just let their kids dive in!
Dee says
This sounds wonderful, and I love that you take your time opening presents! I need to enforce that rule here. ๐
Jenn @ p&c says
This looks positively magical! Cannot wait to try it!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
This looks fantastic. I would love this for brunch.
The Chunky Chef says
Thanks Jocelyn! ๐
Becca says
Strata is one of my very favorite brunch items to make, and yours look SO hearty and delicious!
The Chunky Chef says
Thank you Becca!! ๐