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!
“It’s the perfect breakfast casserole. It’s quickly become my family’s go-to holiday or special event breakfast. So simple, so easy to prep, and so flavorful.”
What You’ll Need To Make The Breakfast Casserole
- Sweet or spicy pork sausage: During the holidays, many grocery stores offer sausage in bulk, eliminating the need to remove casings. Alternatively, you can easily 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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This is my go-to for all potluck brunches. It’s so easy and full of flavor, it’s hard to pass on making. Prep time is a little long, maybe 20-30 minutes. I tend to make this the night before, and bake just prior to serving.
I made this twice, and it was delicious both times. The first time I halved it, and made it in an 8×8 pan. I had used country white bread from a baker and did not cut off the crusts, so it was very crunchy, sort of like croutons. The second time I used a regular loaf of white bread with the crusts cut off and it was a lot more tender, and we preferred it. I also grated a little extra cheese on the top which helped the cheddar flavor be a little more distinct. I love how you can make this ahead–definitely will make again.
Somehow I clicked something that automatically sends me the comments about this recipe. How do I undo that?
Hi Brian, I just changed the necessary setting on our end, so you should stop receiving them. (Let me know if that’s not the case.) Thanks!
Hey Jenn, can this be made with challah?
Sure– enjoy!
Made this with challah and venison this past weekend and everyone absolutely raved about it! Can’t wait to try other variations of this. Thank you again for a perfect recipe that the whole family loves!
Would it be okay for me to leave the crust on, or use a baguette also with the crust on? Or would you recommend crust off ?
Sure Jerrika, that would be fine. Hope you enjoy!
I have been making a similar breakfast casserole for years that my mother-in-law makes. It is well liked especially by my husband. However, I made your recipe for the first time this week and my husband loved it. He thought there wasn’t a breakfast casserole that could beat the one he was used to and he was surprised when yours did. I love your recipe just the way it is, however, the other recipe uses ground mustard. I’m curious about adding that to your recipe. What are your thoughts on that?
I think ground mustard would be delicious in this, Megan. Please let me know how it turns out if you try it :).
Wow! I made this and everyone loved it! I did use more bread, a rough artisan loaf. I also sauteed the sausage in bacon drippings and used a spicy chorizo sausage. Thank you!
I made this for a summer brunch get together and it was a hit! So good! I’m going to go through the other reviews for great ideas for variations. I’m deleting the other recipe I had from my computer — this is the only one I want.
Followed recipe exactly except omitted parsley. I use plain old Jimmy Dean sausage and this dish is AMAZING!! Every time I make it I’m asked for the recipe.
Hi. Want to try this ,but how do you serve it?
Just by itself, or with something.
I want it for a breakfast and don’t know what else to put on the plate.
Thanks
Hi Deborah, I think this would be great served with some fresh cut fruit or a fruit salad like this one. Hope you enjoy!