Breakfast Casserole bakes up bubbly and golden—layered, hearty, and perfect for potlucks, Sundays, and easy leftovers.
Sunday-Morning Crowd Pleaser
Layered bread, eggs, sausage, and cheddar bake into a golden, custardy pan that’s easy to prep ahead and even better as leftovers.
This is the kind of breakfast that arrives at the table all warm and confident: a bubbly, golden top giving way to a creamy, egg-soaked interior studded with browned breakfast sausage, sweet sautéed peppers and onions, and pockets of melted cheddar. The bread soaks up the whole-milk custard so each bite is soft and just a little pillowy, while a hit of Dijon and a turn of black pepper keeps the richness from going flat.
It’s a practical show-off—assemble the night before for hands-off morning baking or portion and freeze for grab-and-go breakfasts. With about 20 minutes of hands-on prep and 45 minutes in the oven, the dish feeds six and plays nicely at potlucks, slow Sundays, or when you want breakfast that doubles as lunch. Leftovers reheat beautifully, making it a real week-ahead helper.
Small technique choices make a big difference: use roughly 1-inch bread cubes so the custard soaks evenly, brown the sausage until there’s no pink and drain any excess fat, and gently sauté the onion and bell pepper in butter until softened to build sweetness. A little Dijon whisked into the egg-milk mix brightens the whole pan, and letting the casserole rest briefly after baking helps it slice cleanly.
Serve squares with a simple green salad, fresh fruit, or a drizzle of hot sauce for contrast. It’s endlessly adaptable—swap in turkey sausage or a mix of cheeses, fold in herbs or mushrooms, or scale it up for a bigger crowd—so keep this one in your rotation for low-stress entertaining and reliable weekday mornings.
Ingredients
How to Make Breakfast Casserole
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with a little butter or nonstick spray.
- If your bread isn't cubed, tear or cut it into roughly 1-inch cubes to equal about 6 cups and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the sausage; break it up with a spoon and cook until no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes; transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess fat.
- Wipe the skillet, add the butter, then sauté the finely chopped onion and diced bell pepper until softened, about 5 minutes; add minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds more, then combine with the cooked sausage.
- In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, Dijon mustard, salt and black pepper until blended.
- Stir the bread cubes, shredded cheddar, chopped parsley and the sausage–vegetable mixture into the egg mixture until the bread is well coated; scrape into the prepared baking dish and press down lightly to compact.
- Let the assembled casserole rest at room temperature for 10–15 minutes so the bread absorbs the custard (or cover and refrigerate overnight for a make-ahead option).
- Bake uncovered for 35–45 minutes, until the top is golden and the center is set (a knife inserted in the center should come out mostly clean); let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Recipe Card
Breakfast Casserole
Breakfast Casserole bakes up bubbly and golden—layered, hearty, and perfect for potlucks, Sundays, and easy leftovers.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Servings
- 6
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with a little butter or nonstick spray.
- If your bread isn't cubed, tear or cut it into roughly 1-inch cubes to equal about 6 cups and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the sausage; break it up with a spoon and cook until no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes; transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess fat.
- Wipe the skillet, add the butter, then sauté the finely chopped onion and diced bell pepper until softened, about 5 minutes; add minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds more, then combine with the cooked sausage.
- In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, Dijon mustard, salt and black pepper until blended.
- Stir the bread cubes, shredded cheddar, chopped parsley and the sausage–vegetable mixture into the egg mixture until the bread is well coated; scrape into the prepared baking dish and press down lightly to compact.
- Let the assembled casserole rest at room temperature for 10–15 minutes so the bread absorbs the custard (or cover and refrigerate overnight for a make-ahead option).
- Bake uncovered for 35–45 minutes, until the top is golden and the center is set (a knife inserted in the center should come out mostly clean); let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 33
- Saturated Fat
- 22
- Sodium
- 1410
- Fiber
- 2
- Unsaturated Fat
- 28
- Protein
- 38
- Fat
- 50
- Cholesterol
- 336
- Trans Fat
- 0.2
- Calories
- 744
- Sugar
- 8