Breakfast Casserole with Sausage

This overnight breakfast casserole is layered with eggs, sausage, and cheese over hearty slices of bread. Then, it’s baked in the oven for the most epic breakfast lover’s feast! Make this ahead for the perfect Christmas morning Brunch, breakfast for company, or as part of your weekly meal prep.

When it comes to family gatherings, breakfast is definitely the most overlooked meal. Forget the bagels and sugary pastries, you need a recipe that will keep everyone full until lunchtime. And this casserole is a great way to make the most delicious breakfast for a crowd. 

This is the perfect breakfast casserol for breakfast or brunch, Christmas morning, Easter, or any other special occasion.  We love to enjoy this over the holiday season with a mimosa in hand. This is one of those easy recipes that will be a family favorite!

Easy Sausage and Egg Casserole

This great recipe can certainly feed a crowd, but it’s also perfect for a nice breakfast with your family. One casserole dish serves about 8-10 people, at least. While this is perfect for larger brunches or breakfasts, this can easily be portioned out to reheat and enjoy on busy school mornings.

Since this recipe does require sitting in your refrigerator overnight, make sure you plan ahead to make it the night before. Even with the overnight rest, it really does take the stress out of preparing breakfast the next morning.

Ingredients + Tools: Easy Breakfast Casserole 

• Bread: Use wheat, white, or whatever you have on hand. Day-old bread is best, so it can absorb the egg and milk mixture well. 
• Sausage: Use any breakfast sausage of your choice. I like Jimmy Dean. Mild, hot, sweet, or Italian sausage can also be used. Try Chorizo for an extra kick!
• Cheese: A blend of sharp cheddar cheese is my personal favorite, but any shredded cheese will work. Try pepper jack, cheddar, taco blend, etc.
• Vegetables: If you want to bulk up this recipe, add mushrooms, green bell pepper, green onions, or other vegetables in one-cup increments.
• Proteins: This casserole is pretty hearty with the sausage crumbles, but try diced ham, ground beef, or other protein instead.

Here are a few kitchen tools I recommend to make this recipe easier:

• Casserole dish: I prefer a clear, glass casserole dish, but aluminum will work fine, too.
• Disposable aluminum pan: If you want to minimize clean up, a disposable pan is the way to go! You will still need to spray your pan with cooking spray before assembling the casserole.

How to Make a Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole

The main ingredients to this savory breakfast casserole are bread, eggs, cheese, and sausage. These ingredients are layered in a pan together and baked the next day.

Step 1: Prep the casserole.

First, layer the bread slices in the bottom of the dish. I usually use about 8 slices of bread to cover the bottoms and sides of the casserole dish.

Then, brown your sausage in a large skillet and drain off the grease. The sausage doesn’t need to be super finely crumbled. Just use your spoon to break apart the larger pieces of sausage into smaller, bite-sized pieces.

Add the cooked sausage on top of the bread slices, and sprinkle a layer of cheese.

Then, in a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. Season with salt and black pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and sausage mixture. 

Use a wooden spoon to press the edges of the bread into the mixture.

Step 2: Soak overnight.

Cover with foil and place the casserole dish in the refrigerator for 8 hours or up to overnight. This allows the bread to absorb the egg and milk mixture so your casserole isn’t runny.

Step 3: Bake

When you are ready to bake, let the casserole dish sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. This helps the ingredients cook evenly and prevents your casserole dish from shattering as it’s transferred from a cold fridge to a hot oven.

Top the casserole with the remaining cheese, and place the uncovered casserole in the preheated oven for about an hour, or until the center no longer jiggles.

What to serve with a breakfast casserole:

• Mimosa
• Ambrosia
• Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Sheet Pan Pancakes
• Bacon
• Hashbrown Casserole
• Fresh Fruit

Reheating Breakfast Casserole

Overnight breakfast casserole can easily be reheated for leftovers. Cover the casserole dish with foil and place in a preheated 350F degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until warm.

Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole and Freezing Tips

Breakfast casserole can be made up to three days ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to bake. If you wish to freeze the casserole, here are two ways:

• Uncooked: Make this ahead of time and freeze the uncooked casserole in a 9×13 inch casserole dish. Defrost in the refrigerator until completely thawed. Bake according to the directions.
• Cooked: Divide the cooked casserole into single portions and wrap in Glad Press’n Seal. Place each serving in a gallon freezer bag, label, and place in the freezer. Defrost and reheat the unwrapped casserole in an oven-safe dish at 350F degrees for about 20 minutes, or until warm.

Breakfast Casserole FAQ:

Best Breakfast Casserole

Anna Kate

This best breakfast casserole is made with cheese, eggs and mild sausage, and soaked overnight for easy baking in the morning. This recipe is perfect for hosting company or meal prepping breakfast for the week.

5 from 13 votes

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Print Recipe

Servings 12

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 9 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Equipment

• 1 Glass Casserole Dish (9×13)
• 1 Whisk
• Mixing Bowls

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 pound ground breakfast sausage (mild, hot, or spicy)
• 6-8 slices soft hearty bread*
• 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (plus more as desired)
• 8 count large eggs (whisked)
• 2 cups whole milk
• Salt & pepper

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray the baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Arrange bread slices in a single layer in the prepared baking dish, covering the bottom and the sides of the casserole dish. Set aside.
• In a large skillet, brown the sausage over medium-high heat until browned and crumbly. Drain if needed. Set aside.
• Layer the browned sausage and cheese over the bread slices.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper.
• Carefully pour the mixture over the cheese. Top with additional cheese if desired.
• Bake casserole until set and golden – about 60 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

*Sausage: Feel free to substitute with any breakfast sausage, italian sausage or even chorizo.

*Bread: Can use wheat or white.

*Cheese: Can use any kind of shredded cheese to complement the ingredients you use.

*Additional note: This casserole is versatile and can easily be switched up with other veggies and toppings like peppers, onions, ham, bacon, mushrooms, etc.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 334kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 19gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 168mgSodium: 595mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4g