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This is by far my favorite holiday recipe.
This easy overnight breakfast casserole has lots of bacon and cheese in an easy strata style dish.
It’s perfect for brunch, holiday mornings, or lazy Sundays!
An Easy Overnight Breakfast Casserole
I have a hard time choosing between hashbrowns breakfast casserole and this one which my mom always made for Christmas morning!
- This overnight breakfast casserole recipe preps fast the night before and bakes fresh and delicious in the morning!
- This recipe reheats and freezes well for meals throughout the week.
- Think beyond breakfast; it makes a great lunch or dinner, too.
- Get a jumpstart on holiday meals, this recipe can be prepared up to 4 days ahead of time.
Ingredients in Overnight Breakfast Casserole
- Eggs – Use large eggs or a carton of liquid eggs and any milk.
- Bread – I use white sandwich bread, but you can use any leftover bread, dinner rolls, or hamburger buns!
- Bacon – This casserole tastes best if you cook and drain a pound of bacon but to keep it easy, real bacon bits, pre-cooked bacon, or ham are all great too.
- Vegetables – Bell peppers add flavor but you can add other veggies like cooked onions or mushrooms.
- Cheese – I love sharp cheddar cheese in this breakfast casserole; pre-shredded cheese works just fine in this recipe. You can replace it with Monterey Jack or a cheese blend.
How to Make Overnight Breakfast Casserole
- For the custard, whisk eggs, milk, and seasonings.
- Layer the bread and other ingredients in a baking dish.
- Pour egg mixture over the top, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
- In the morning, bake (per recipe below) until a knife in the center comes out clean.
Tip for Crispy Topping: Place the casserole under the broiler for about 3 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.
Make Ahead for Best Results
This is a make-ahead breakfast casserole and needs to reset at least 3 hours to let the bread soak up the egg mixture. Once assembled, this casserole can be refrigerated for up to 48 hours before baking.
Freeze the casserole, either cooked or uncooked, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking or reheating.
Short on Time?
- Slice up cooked breakfast sausage links instead of frying bacon.
- Use frozen peppers and/or onions instead of dicing up fresh!
Need to bake it now? Toss the prepared bread cubes with the egg mixture (Step 2) and let it soak while you prepare the rest of the casserole. Then very gently layer half the soaked bread cubes on the bottom of the casserole dish, half the ingredients, more soaked bread cubes, and the remaining half. Bake as directed.
More Make Ahead Favorites
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Overnight Breakfast Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 slices thick sliced bread cubed, about 14 cups
- 12 slices bacon cooked and crumbled, or 1 cup diced ham
- 3 green onions thinly sliced
- ½ red bell pepper finely diced
- 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 6 large eggs
- 3 cups milk
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cube bread and leave it out overnight or place in the oven at 300°F for about 10 minutes to dry slightly. (Do not brown or toast it).
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, mustard powder, salt, and pepper.
- Grease a 9×13 baking dish. Layer half of the bread cubes in the prepared dish. Top with half of the bacon, green onions, red peppers and cheese. Repeat layers one more time.
- Pour the egg custard mixture over top of the casserole, ensuring all of the bread is moistened. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Remove from fridge and let sit at room temperature while preheating the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the casserole covered with foil for 45 to 55 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. (If you are baking 2 pans, increase cooking time to 60-80 minutes).
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Breakfast, Casserole
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Delicious recipes! / ss
This is not a comment but a question. Can I make this recipe in the crock pot?
I haven’t cooked this particular recipe in the slow cooker but I love that idea. Please let me know how it works out for you!