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 cheese, 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 weekend guests, Christmas morning, or any special occasion—this classic breakfast casserole recipe is the answer. Packed with savory sausage, tangy cheddar, and a creamy center topped with a 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 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!
“Always a hit for Christmas morning breakfast and work potluck!”
What You’ll Need To Make The Breakfast Casserole
- Sausage: During the holidays, many grocery stores offer sausage in bulk, eliminating the need to remove casings. Alternatively, you can remove the meat from its casings by squeezing it out or snipping the casing with scissors and peeling it away. Feel free to replace the pork sausage with chicken or turkey sausage for a lighter option; for a vegetarian version, try my spinach and cheese strata.
- Yellow onion: Provides a subtle sweetness and depth of flavor.
- White sandwich bread: Serves as the structure of the casserole, absorbing the egg mixture and giving body and texture to the final dish.
- Grated sharp cheddar cheese: Adds a rich, tangy flavor that complements the spices in the sausage, while also contributing to the casserole’s cheesy, creamy texture. I love cheddar here, but any good melting cheese such as Monterey jack, Colby jack, gouda, or Gruyère will work nicely.
- Fresh parsley: Lends color and fresh, herby flavor.
- Large Eggs: Bind the ingredients together, creating the custard-like base that solidifies when baked and gives the casserole structure.
- Half-and-half: Enhances the creaminess and richness of the egg mixture.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Start by cutting the bread into cubes. Set aside.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a nonstick large skillet 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 bowl, leaving the grease in the pan. Reduce the temperature to medium heat, then add the onions to the pan along with 1 tablespoon of butter. Cook the onions, stirring constantly, until soft and translucent, about 5 min.
Add the onions to the mixing bowl with the sausage, along with the bread cubes, grated cheese and parsley.
Stir well, then spread the mixture into an even layer in 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 saran wrap and put in the fridge for at least a few hours or overnight. (At this point you can also freeze the casserole for up to two months.)
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.
Video Tutorial
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Breakfast Casserole
In need of a brunch dish that’s both delicious and easy? My breakfast casserole, brimming with sausage and Cheddar cheese, is your answer. Simply assemble it the night before and bake it to golden perfection in the morning!
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 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 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 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.
- Note: The cook time is based on cooking the bread pudding directly out of the refrigerator. If it's left to sit out at room temperature before baking, check for doneness after 45 minutes.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: To freeze the casserole before baking, assemble it according to the recipe, but don't bake it. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. It can be frozen for up to two months. When you're ready to bake, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, then bake as directed.
- Reheating Instructions: The best way to reheat the casserole is in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C), cover the casserole with aluminum foil to prevent it from drying out, and heat for about 20 minutes, or until warmed through. For individual portions, a microwave can be used, heating in 30-second intervals until hot.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 669
- Fat: 44 g
- Saturated fat: 20 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Sugar: 8 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Sodium: 1098 mg
- Cholesterol: 251 mg
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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Comments
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Another fantastic recipe! It was easy to prepare and so flavorful. I made this for a teacher breakfast at my daughter’s school and so many people asked for the recipe.
I have no sausage on hand but tons of bacon. Could I use bacon instead of sausage, and if so, how much?
Hi Taryn, I think this would be best with sausage but if you’d like to use the bacon you have on hand, I’d suggest about 8 ounces. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
I have made a few of your recipes before without fail, they come out great. Made this for the first time for a brunch and yep, it was great! I used breakfast sausages instead which I found easier to cut up into chunks as they’re small and added fresh sage. While it wasn’t dry, I may add an extra egg and half & half next time. Thank you for the recipe!
This is my first time making this. It was really good.
Always a hit for Christmas morning breakfast and work putluck! I’m thinking of making two (or three!) trays of this for a work potluck for my husband next week, could I use seasoned stuffing cubes instead of sliced white bread to cut down on the prep work?
Hi Karen, I don’t recommend seasoned stuffing cubes here – sorry!
Oh no, I already bought some and started cooking, would it be horrible to use them?
Hi Karen, No not horrible – just better with fresh! How did it turn out?
Hi Jenn!
I love all your recipes! I only have one of your cookbooks but everything I’ve ever made has been a hit!
My question is this: I am not a fan of parsley – could I sub fresh basil with the same results? Or should I just omit the parsley?
Hi Christene, Sure I think basil would work nicely here. Please LMK how it turns out – and so glad you enjoy the recipes!
Thank you! Serving it to company tomorrow am!!! Making it now!
I did substitute basil for the parsley Jenn and it was DELICIOUS! Definitely a winner!!! We are Costco shoppers and they have an awesome spicy pork sausage that worked perfectly.
Thanks for being such an amazing chef!!
Hi – I need to transport this dish after cooking – probably a couple of hours before we eat it. Will it work to reheat it after cooking? Any suggestions are appreciated!
Hi Julie, Sure, I’d reheat it at 325 degrees. I’d keep it covered with foil and then remove the foil for the last few minutes to crisp up the top. Hope that helps!
Sorry if this was asked already but can you make this and freeze it. My niece is a school teacher and is looking for something to meal prep in the morning. She would take it into work and reheat in a microwave.
Hi Lori, I’ve never tried freezing this dish, and am not sure how well it would freeze with the eggs and dairy. That said, a number of readers have commented that they have frozen it successfully.
I haven’t made this yet, but it sounds delicious! Thinking I will substitute the bread for skillet fried potatoes. Thoughts?
Unfortunately, I don’t think that will work as the potatoes won’t soak up the egg mixture like the bread does. Sorry!
Hi Jen,
Question: was looking for your savory sausage bread pudding recipe.
Is this casserole the same recipe.
Thanks, Rose
Sorry for you any confusion — yes, it’s the same. I just changed the name. 🙂