This Easy Breakfast Casserole is made with simple pantry ingredients including eggs, ground sausage, shredded cheese, and day-old bread. Comforting and so flavorful, it’s the perfect make-ahead breakfast or holiday brunch.
Super Easy Breakfast Casserole Recipe
Any morning started with this (best-ever) breakfast casserole is guaranteed to be great. Hearty, delicious, and so easy to make, this incredible casserole has just seven main ingredients: yellow onion, ground sausage, eggs, milk, parmesan cheese, gouda cheese, and bread.
My whole family loves it! It’s the perfect make-ahead breakfast or brunch for holidays including Christmas morning or Easter, and special weekends. Simply prepare ahead of time and bake the morning of—so easy!
Do I need to chill this breakfast casserole before baking it?
No. But it’s highly recommended. Here’s why: Chilling in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (or up to overnight) allows the milk and egg mixture to soak into the day-old bread, making it nice and soggy and perfect for baking. It’s the same idea as French toast; the best recipes allow the milk and eggs to soak into the slices of bread before cooking.
Modifications and Substitutions
Find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
- The best type of bread will vary from family to family. I don’t usually like making breakfast casseroles with any kind of wheat bread or whole grain bread. My favorites include day-old French bread, sourdough bread, challah bread, English muffins, bagels, or Brioche.
- You can add other veggies, such as baby spinach or kale. You can even add sliced mushrooms, bell peppers, or tomatoes. I like to sauté the veggies before mixing them with the egg and milk mixture.
- Swap the sausage for diced ham or bacon.
- Use your favorite type of cheese – cheddar cheese, goat cheese, feta cheese, mozzarella cheese, Swiss, pepper Jack, Colby Jack cheese, etc.
- For a creamier, more luscious casserole, swap the whole milk for half-and-half. Or try some combination of milk plus heavy cream.
How to Make Breakfast Casserole
1. Start by spraying a large 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. If you plan to cook this breakfast casserole right away, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Otherwise, skip this step.
2. The first step is to sauté the onions and sausage in a little olive oil until fully cooked. Once cooked remove from heat and allow them to cool.
3. Next, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder until fully combined. Once the sausage has cooled a little, add the sausage and the shredded cheese to the egg mixture. If you add hot sausage to uncooked eggs, it will start to cook the eggs.
4. Arrange the day-old bread in the bottom of your prepared baking dish then pour the egg and meat mixture over the top.
5. Cover with foil and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour (or up to 12 hours).
6. Bake in a preheated 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for 35 minutes (covered) followed by an additional 25 minutes (uncovered). You know your breakfast casserole is fully cooked when the outside edges are firm and golden, and the center isn’t jiggly anymore.
Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole
This breakfast casserole is easy to make in the crock pot. Prepare it the night before, set your slow cooker to low, and let it cook while you sleep.
- Spray the bowl of your slow cooker with non-stick olive oil or butter cooking spray.
- Cook the onion and sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until cooked through. Transfer to the slow cooker with the day-old bread cubes.
- Whisk together the eggs, milk, cheese, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder until fully combined, and pour over the sausage and bread. Mix to combine everything together.
- Cook for 7-8 hours or until the eggs are fully cooked. Do not cook on high heat.
What to Serve with Breakfast Casserole
This breakfast egg casserole is fantastic with a side of fruit or a fresh fruit salad. I always love to serve mine with a big glass of orange juice. When I make this recipe for Christmas morning, I’ll add something sweet like freshly baked cinnamon rolls, blueberry muffins, chocolate croissants, or banana bread.
When serving leftovers, this breakfast casserole is really yummy reheated and served on a pile of fresh greens, or wrapped in a warm tortilla for an easy on-the-go breakfast.
More Breakfast Recipes,
- Freezer-Friendly Croissant Breakfast Sandwichs
- Crustless Quiche
- The Best Sausage Gravy Recipe with Biscuits
- Quiche Lorraine
- Crispy Hash Browns
- Acai Bowl Recipe
- Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
- Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
If you try making this Breakfast Casserole Recipe, please leave me a comment below! I always love to read your thoughts and feedback!
RECIPE CARD
Breakfast Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion - diced
- 1 pound ground sausage - see notes
- 8 large eggs
- 3 cups whole milk - see notes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup parmesan cheese - grated
- 1 cup gouda cheese - shredded
- 10 cups day-old-bread - cut into large cubes
- fresh parsley - to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a large 9 x 13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the onion turns translucent. Add the ground sausage and cook until the sausage is fully cooked. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder until fully combined.
- Once the sausage has cooled, add the shredded cheese and cooked sausage to the egg mixture. Mix well.
- In the bottom of your prepared 9 x 13-inch baking dish arrange the diced day-old bread in an even layer. Pour the egg and meat mixture over the top.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to 12 hours (optional, but recommended).
- When ready to bake, tent with foil and bake for 35 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes or until the outside edges are firm and golden and the center isn't jiggly anymore.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Jessica’s Notes
- Leftovers: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze: Once the casserole is prepared, but before baking, cover it with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To Thaw: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
- Total baking time will vary. You know your casserole is ready when the edges are golden brown and the center is no longer jiggly.
- This recipe can be made with hot or sweet Italian sausage or your favorite breakfast sausage. If preferred, swap the sausage for diced ham.
- This recipe is best when it’s made with whole milk or a combination of milk (2% or whole milk) with heavy cream. It just depends on how heavy and rich you like your breakfast casseroles to be.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
Can you leave this in refrigerator overnight and bake in the morning?
Yes.
Chilling in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (or up to overnight) allows the milk and egg mixture to soak into the day-old bread, making it nice and soggy and perfect for baking. It’s the same idea as French toast; the best recipes allow the milk and eggs to soak into the slices of bread before cooking.
In the morning, just take it out and let it sit at room temperature while you preheat your oven, then bake as directed.
It may require additional time 🙂
Add about a teaspoon or 2 of mustard to this recipe , with the wet ingredients and it makes the flavors pop
I am making this tomorrow. 10 cups of bread is equal to how much bread? Using sourdough. Everything I read says 20 slices that seems like a lot. How much do you use?
Around 15, assuming 2/3 of a cup per slice 🙂
Thank you, I was wondering that myself. Any trick to making it day old if I bought the bread tonight?
To give fresh bread the slightly stale texture that’s often ideal for casseroles, especially those like bread pudding or stuffing where you want the bread to absorb a lot of flavor without becoming too soggy, you can use a quick oven-drying technique. Here’s how to do it:
Preheat your oven to about 300°F (150°C).
Slice or cube the bread depending on what your recipe calls for. This increases the surface area, allowing more moisture to escape, which helps the bread dry out more evenly and quickly.
Spread the bread pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet. If you’re using slices, you might want to split them into half or quarters.
Bake the bread in the preheated oven for about 10-20 minutes. Check periodically to make sure it’s drying without browning too much. If it starts to take on too much color, you can turn off the oven and let the bread sit inside as the oven cools down.
Remove from the oven and let the bread cool. It should feel dry to the touch and slightly harder than when it was fresh. If it’s not quite there yet, you can pop it back in the oven for a few more minutes.
This method effectively simulates the drying-out process that naturally occurs to bread over a day or so, making it perfect for recipes that require a sturdier, more absorbent bread.
Can you cook this in a crock pot?
Per the tip above in the main post:
”
Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole:
This breakfast casserole is easy to make in the crock pot. Prepare it the night before, set your slow cooker to low, and let it cook while you sleep.
Spray the bowl of your slow cooker with non-stick olive oil or butter cooking spray.
Cook the onion and sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until cooked through. Transfer to the slow cooker with the day-old bread cubes.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, cheese, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder until fully combined, and pour over the sausage and bread. Mix to combine everything together.
Cook for 7-8 hours or until the eggs are fully cooked. Do not cook on high heat.
“
This sounds really good and easy with endless possibilities for variations. Have you ever tried mixing all the ingredients together and then baking them off in a muffin tin for individual servings? If so, are there any changes to the baking time etc. that I should make?
Yes, transforming a traditional breakfast casserole recipe into individual servings using a muffin tin is a fantastic idea for convenient, portion-controlled eating. When doing so, it’s important to adjust the baking time, as the smaller size of the muffin cups allows the mixture to cook more quickly than a single, large casserole dish. Typically, these mini casseroles may be ready in about 15-20 minutes, depending on the specific ingredients and oven temperature. Keep a close eye on them and test for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center; it should come out clean when they’re fully cooked. This method not only offers a quick and easy serving option but also adds a delightful presentation to your breakfast table.
Do you use Italian sausage?
This recipe can be made with hot or sweet Italian sausage or your favorite breakfast sausage 🙂
Never found the recipe
Its directly above in the Breakfast Casserole Recipe Card 🙂
It turned out great, thanks!
Can you use shredded potatoes instead of bread?
I have not tried that, but the potatoes will have more moisture than the bread.
Maybe try my Tatertot breakfast casserole instead?