by Holly
This easy Overnight Breakfast Casserole is quick to prep in the evening and then baked up fresh and delicious in the morning! Cheese, bacon, bell peppers and green onions are layered with bread and soaked in a seasoned egg mixture. This is the perfect meal to serve on a holiday morning or for guests.
A Breakfast Casserole Known By Many Names
I have eaten this casserole on Christmas morning for as long as I can remember. My mom always made it when I was young and I looked forward to this casserole every year at Christmas Breakfast!
We have always called it wife saver but it’s also known as a strata which is basically bread and eggs with yummy add ins.
It’s great because it’s really easy to make and it’s made the night before (or at least 3-4 hours ahead of time). In the morning just put it in the oven to cook while your family is doing other fun activities (like opening stockings or egg hunting!) or even if you have a house full of guests to feed!
Cutting or Leaving the Crust
I find a lot of breakfast items are on the sweeter side like pancakes and waffles but I’m a savory girl so this is my favorite. Since we have a large family, I usually make this and a sweeter Overnight Apple Pie French Toast for my kids (or sometimes Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast).
I think every family seems to have a slightly different version of this meal.
My mother in law adds a crunchy topping to hers (and uses brown bread) while my sister cuts off the crusts and leaves her slices whole. I always leave the crusts and cube my bread since I really can’t tell the difference and let’s face it, less work is better.
Casserole Preparation & Add-ins
You can certainly add in whatever you like, ham or sausage are great in this as well! We’ve added everything from ham and asparagus to artichokes and mushrooms (pre-cook the mushrooms so they don’t get watery). Of all the versions I’ve had, this one is definitely my favorite.
It’s so easy to put together and a great way to feed breakfast to a crowd so I often make it when we have guests over! If you’re the kind of person that likes to eat breakfast for dinner, this is a super simple prep ahead meal and if you are lucky enough to have any leftovers, this is great reheated too!
Note: It’s best to take the casserole out of the fridge first thing and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. If you are cooking two pans, baking time will increase by about 20-30 minutes.
More Breakfast Recipes You’ll Love
- Denver Egg Casserole – Low Carb!
- Corned Beef Hash (video)
- Banana Muffins – Make ahead (these freeze well).
- Easy Banana Bread Recipe
- Biscuits and Gravy – Comfort food!
- Easy Quiche Recipe – Reader favorite!
Overnight Breakfast Casserole
Prep Time 20 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Ingredients
- 12 slices egg bread or any type of bread will work, cubed
- 12 slices crispy bacon crumbled (or 1 cup diced ham)
- 3 green onions sliced
- ½ red bell pepper finely diced
- 4 cups grated cheese cheddar works well
- 6 eggs
- 3 cups milk
- ½ teaspoon each dry mustard salt & black pepper
Instructions
- Cube bread and leave out overnight or place in the oven at 300°F for about 10 minutes to dry slightly. (Do not brown or toast it).
- Combine eggs, milk, & seasonings.
- Layer ½ of the cubes in a greased 9×13 pan. Top with ½ of the bacon, green onions, red peppers and cheese. Repeat layers one more time.
- Pour egg mixture over top. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or at least 3 hours).
- Remove from fridge and let sit on the counter while preheating the oven to 350°F. Bake covered with foil 45-55 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).
Nutrition Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
Here are some other recipes you’ll love:
Overnight Apple Pie French Toast Casserole
Overnight Breakfast Casserole with Sausage
Hello! I’m wondering if you could give me a little more direction on how much bread to use? Slices seem to vary so much in size! Do you think a standard French loaf would be of similar quantity? Or would you have an estimation of how many cups cubed? I want to make sure I have the right amount so it’s not mushy or dry! Thanks!!!
I would estimate 1 cup per slice. If it’s a tiny bit more or less, the recipe will still be great.
My brunch was cancelled due to weather. Can I keep in the fridge overnight for 2 nights before cooking?
You sure can!
You have so many great recipes that I have tried. Curious about your thoughts on this recipe in a slow cooker overnight?
Thank you! 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 Megan!
Can you make the wifesaver 3 days ahead & keep it refrigerated?
You sure can! Ensure it is very well sealed.
I’ve dine the strata before & was always a hit! I’ve used it for both Christmas & Easter brunch! :)
I haven’t tried these recipes yet, they look scrumptious.
Can the bread be substituted for frozen potatoes? O’Brien’s or tater tots?
That sounds like it would be delicious Jessica. We have never tried this recipe with hashbrowns, but we do have a delicious breakfast casserole with hashbrowns that is absolutely delicious.
This is the FIRST breakfast casserole I have ever made that came out tasting delicious from top to bottom. Normally they all could use a little salt, pepper, etc…or they are too “eggy” or to “bready”. This one is perfection as far as flavor and seasoning go, and the eggs and bread are in a great ratio. I had to bake mine a good 1hr+, but I also used a shredded loaf of french bread (all I had on hand), which might have affected the bake time. Thanks for the great recipe! This will be going on my standard list of breakfast go-tos!
So so happy to hear that Chelsey! Thank you!
Want to view!
Hi Lorraine, To view the full recipe you can scroll down to the bottom of the page or select the jump to recipe button at the top!
Can this be frozen
Absolutely! Then just reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes or until hot. Enjoy!
Would there be any issue (or risk) in assembling the entire casserole the night before and then cooking in the morning?
There shouldn’t be any issues at all Kelly!
Delicious
So happy to hear you love it Esme!
I made this at my sister and brother-in-law’s house for Christmas and used what they had, bacon and broccolini and put fresh (aging) sage in with the bread. They were blown away. I’m trying it now with kale and shallots. So far it smells delicious!
It’s so great to mix it up! Thank you for sharing your ideas and I’m happy to hear everyone loves it so much. It’s truly one of our favorite things to eat. Ever!
Hi! This is awesome! I see in a comment below that this recipe can be frozen, but how would I reheat it? Microwave frozen for 1-2 minutes? Or would that ruin it? Thank you!
We reheat it in the microwave for about 2 minutes or until hot. Easy! Enjoy.
Delicious! I served this for Christmas brunch. I used regular white bread, kept the crust on and substituted ham for the bacon. I also included the whole red pepper. It was such a hit, my mother-in-law asked for the recipe! Thanks, Holly!
So glad you loved it Christina! :) Merry Christmas!
Could you replace the milk with heavy cream? Or something to lower the carb count
I have only tried the recipe as written, but if you find a great low carb alternative I would love to hear it!
Yummy!! Looks great!!! IM gonna make this plus add mushrooms. I wonder what Hollandaise sauce would taste like on top?
Yum!! Mushrooms would be great in this… and I’ve made a similar one with Hollandaise and it was delish!
Have tried a few of your recipes, yummy
I am glad you love them Larry!
This was quite amazing. Everybody in my family loved it. I was really surprised how the bread at the bottom formed a nice “crust”.
Yay! Our family loves it so much too!
Yummy! this is the perfect weekend breakfast! I especially like casserole breakfast recipes for weekends that we have company… love this.
I agree, they’re so great to prep ahead of time!
These photos are amazing. I don’t do meat or dairy but my sister is always looking for new recipes to try on Christmas. I’m going to forward this to her asap. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Deborah! If you do eat eggs, leaving out the meat and using a non-diary milk would be great too, this recipe is very forgiving!
This looks fantastic and I know my whole family would love it! Can’t wait to give it a try!
Thanks Kim, I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
This is a fantastic idea for a new take on breakfast!
Thanks Molly, I hope you love it as much as we do!
Going to try this –do you think I can use muffin tins ?
I have only made this recipe as written. You may love to try Veggie Egg Muffins and Make Ahead Egg Muffins to make breakfast in a muffin tin.
Hey, would I be able to make this 5ish days ahead, stick it in the freezer and then defrost it in the fridge on Christmas eve night?
I haven’t tried freezing this uncooked and thawing overnight. That being said, it can be prepared and refrigerated up to 3 days ahead of time.
Great recipe
Thank you!
Sounds great. Will have to try it Shared it to Twitter and pinned it
Sounds great and I pinned it too. Will have to try it
Thank you for Pinning the recipe Toni!
How many servings does this recipe make?
This recipe makes 12 servings.
Can this recipe be doubled??
Yes, but make sure your pan is large enough to accomodate Bonnie!
Holly, would this Mexicans Egg Casserole work well in a Dutch Oven?
What modifications would you suggest?
Oven temperature? Duration of cooking time?
Thank you.
John
While I haven’t tried this particular recipe in the oven, I do make a similar one in the oven. I bake it at 350 for 1 hour (covered with foil for the first 30 minutes). I would suggest checking it for doneness after 45 minutes by inserting a knife in the center. If the knife comes out clean, the casserole is done.
Double checked my recipe but took 1 1/2 hours at 350F and center still not coming clean with knife. Any suggestions why it would not set? I used 1 cup of ham. I put both the ham and diced red pepper in a baggie with a paper towel to absorb any extra liquid before putting together. Used whole milk and extra large eggs.
Did you put this casserole in right from the fridge or did you let it sit out for a little bit?
Do you cook the bacon first?
Yes, the bacon is cooked first.
I wonder if leftovers can be frozen? I’ve a foodsaver vacuum sealer, so it can be tightly sealer.
Absolutely! That would make for a super yummy and fast breakfast another day!
Simply amazing. I love it. Thank you for all the effort made.
Built this tonigh, but had to make a few changes…
No onions, peppers or onions in the kitchen. So I opened a jar of salsa!! Also using ham not bacon. Looking forward to morning!!
Yum!! I’ve made it 3 times this week so far with different additions. I love the idea of adding salsa, thank you for sharing!
Have you tried it with bacon and sausage for a meatier casserole? Or would the sausage be to greasy?
Yes, I actually made a version with sausage (and mushrooms) this morning and it was delicious! I precooked the sausage and drained well before preparing and it wasn’t greasy at all.
This looks so easy and delicious, and all that gooey cheese is seriously dreamy!
I have been going through all this good food for awhile.There are a lot I would like to “pin” only I have no idea what I am doing lo .Please help thank you very much.
Hi Vivian,
You will need to ensure you have an account at Pinterest first (it’s free).
Once you have an account you can hover any photo on my site to “Pin” it which will save it to your Pinterest account. When you’d like to view a recipe you can go to your Pinterest account and look at all of the photos you have saved. Clicking the photos will bring you back to the recipe.
I hope that helps!
Is the temperature degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit?
Fahrenheit.
Would like to know if this has been done in the slow cooker… I will try it anyway!! Looks and sounds awesome
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!
I made this tonight for my daughter and I in the morning. I used red onions instead of green and it looks really good
this sounds marvelous I will make it soon