Breakfast Casserole
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In need of a brunch dish that’s both delicious and easy? My breakfast casserole, brimming with sausage and cheddar, is your answer. Simply assemble it the night before and bake it to golden perfection in the morning!
If you’re looking for a crowd-pleasing, stress-free brunch option—perfect for houseguests, Christmas morning, or any special occasion—this classic breakfast casserole recipe is the answer. Packed with savory sausage and cheddar cheese, with a creamy center and golden crust, it’s as flavorful as it is easy to make. Best of all, you can assemble it the night before and bake it in the morning, leaving you free to sip coffee and enjoy time with your guests.
This recipe has a wonderful backstory: it came to me from my dear friend Kelly Santoro, who got it from her friend Corey, who got it from his mother—who first discovered it in an old spiral-bound church cookbook. Such is the path of a great recipe!
“This recipe has become a Christmas morning tradition in our family! So good.”
What You’ll Need To Make The Breakfast Casserole
- Sausage: During the holidays, many grocery stores sell sausage in bulk, eliminating the need to remove casings. If you have links, simply remove the meat by squeezing it out or snipping the casing with scissors and peeling it away. Feel free to use chicken or turkey sausage for a lighter option, or for a vegetarian version, try my spinach and cheese strata.
- Yellow onion: Adds subtle sweetness and depth to the casserole.
- White sandwich bread: Acts as the base, soaking up the custard and giving the casserole its structure. No need to use anything fancy.
- Sharp cheddar (or any good melting cheese): Cheddar adds rich, tangy flavor, but Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, Gouda, or Gruyère all work well.
- Fresh parsley: Brightens everything up with fresh, herby flavor.
- Eggs + half-and-half: Whisk together to form the creamy, custard-like mixture that holds the casserole together.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prep the bread. Cutting the bread into cubes about 1 inch in size, then set them aside.
Step 2: Cook the sausage and onions. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it into small pieces as you go, until it’s nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Scoop the sausage into a bowl, leaving the drippings in the pan. Turn the heat down to medium, add the onions and another tablespoon of butter, and cook until they’re soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Step 3: Put the base ingredients together. Combine the onions, sausage, bread cubes, grated cheese, and parsley in a large bowl and toss well to combine.
Step 4: Make the custard. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, salt, and pepper.
Step 5: Assemble. Spread the casserole mixture into a buttered baking dish. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least a few hours, or overnight. (If you’d like to prep even further ahead, you can freeze the assembled casserole at this point for up to two months.)
Step 6: Bake. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for about one hour, uncovered, until the dish has puffed up and the top of the bread is golden brown. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Video Tutorial
More Brunch Recipes To Feed A Crowd
Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 pound sweet or spicy pork sausage, casings removed
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 loaf (18 slices) white sandwich bread, such as Pepperidge Farm, crusts removed and cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes
- 2½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups half-and-half
- Scant teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Grease a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-cm) baking dish with butter.
- In a large nonstick skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break the meat into small clumps, until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a large mixing bowl, leaving the fat in the pan.
- Turn the heat down to medium, then add the onions to the pan along with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Cook the onions, stirring constantly, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the onions to the mixing bowl with the sausage, along with the bread cubes, grated cheese, and parsley. Toss well, then spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, salt, and pepper.
- Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread mixture. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Bake for about one hour, uncovered, until puffed and golden brown. Slice into squares and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I love this recipe it was easy to make and delicious! It is even better the next day!
I made this dish for holiday brunch with a few tweaks. I used two types of bread: garlic sourdough and potato bread. I added mushrooms and kale while sautéing the onions. Chopped red, yellow and orange peppers, along with some herbs. One pan made with Italian sausage, one made with spicy chicken sausage. Was delish! Will definitely make again and again.
Can I add ingredients like mushrooms etc?Also, what about lining the bottom with hash browns? Can’t wait to try this for New Year’s Day.
Hi Steve, Yes, I think you could add whatever veggies you’d like; I’d just saute them first. Not sure how it will turn out with hash browns on the bottom, but if you prepare it that way, would love to hear how it is!
Wonderful recipe, thanks Jenn! Followed recipe exactly with a few vegis added and lined bottom with frozen hash browns. My new go-to.
I’m making this ahead of time since we’ll be having it after we get back from church on Sunday. Would you recommend my freezing it after I bake it so that it stays fresh? What temperature should I heat it back up on — and for how long?
Thank you for your help!
Blessings,
Carolyn
Hi Carolyn, I haven’t tried freezing this dish, and not certain how well it would freeze with the eggs and dairy. You can, however, prepare it a few days ahead, refrigerate, and bake before serving.
Excellent. Made for Christmas brunch and it was a huge hit. Definitely making agin.
I tried this recipe for our xmas eve breakfast and it was delicious! Although the interior texture was a bit soft for my family’s liking, if we didn’t grab it with a bite of the crunchy top. I tried cooking it longer but this didn’t change the texture. Did I do something wrong or is there any way to do this? Like maybe a little less half and half or crusty bread instead of soft sandwich bread? The flavours were amazing I want to be able to make this every year!
Hi Kris, Glad you enjoyed it. Next time try adding a little more bread or reduce the custard to 5 eggs/1-1/2 cup half-n-half. Hope that helps!
Hello Jen I am making this dish Christmas morning I brought the sharp cheddar cheese would that be okay to use?
Definitely!
what is half-and-half, please advise as I live in Germany and suppose I cannot buy this product here.
Hi Hellmut, It’s a mixture of half milk and half cream.
I’d like to make this for a buffet brunch. Can I put it in cupcake tins so I can have small individual servings? If so, any idea of how long to bake it? Thanks! I love your recipes.
Hi Mary, Yes, I think you could put this in cupcake tins. I would start checking them at about 25 minutes for doneness. I hope your guests enjoy!
I have a lactose intolerant family member – I have subs for cheese, but nothing for the 1/2 & 1/2. Do you think coconut cream/milk could be used in lieu of…
Amanda, you could get away with using lactose free whole milk.