Made with ground sausage, eggs, bread, and lots of cheese, this Overnight Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole is the perfect breakfast for holiday mornings or weekend brunch. Easy to prepare & loved by the whole family!
Every Christmas for as long as I can remember, we’ve had this breakfast casserole for breakfast. We also tend to have it for Thanksgiving, Easter and any day it seems appropriate. Shoot, my husband would happily have it all year long. There are so many versions out there, but this is the one I use and love. It’s wonderful to wake up in the morning and have it ready to go straight into the oven. On Christmas, we often pop it the oven, then open some presents while it bakes.
Why You’ll Love This Overnight Breakfast Casserole
- Perfect for the holidays. I’ve been having this overnight sausage and egg breakfast casserole on holiday mornings since I was a kid and have carried the tradition into adulthood. It’s a wonderfully easy breakfast to share as a family on busy holiday mornings!
- Minimal work in the morning. After the ingredients are assembled, the whole casserole is covered and stored in the fridge overnight. Baking it the next morning couldn’t be easier!
- Savory breakfast flavors. This overnight breakfast casserole is made with bread, sausage, cheese, and eggs. It’s definitely a hearty and savory dish!
What You’ll Need
One of the best things about this overnight breakfast casserole recipe is that you only need a few ingredients. You can find the exact measurements needed in the recipe card below.
- Bread – See notes below.
- Sausage – Any breakfast sausage will work here. I use a Jimmy Dean log. Brown and drain before assembling the casserole.
- Cheddar cheese – Freshly shredded cheese melts the best.
- Eggs – Be sure to use large eggs, not medium or extra large.
- Milk – 2% or whole milk will give you the best texture in the casserole.
- Spices – Dry mustard, salt, and pepper. You don’t need a lot, but the flavor will be lacking without them.
What Type of Bread Should I Use?
I don’t use fresh bread from the bakery in this one, like I would a French toast casserole, because I don’t want anything too firm or crunchy. I want the eggs and sausage to shine in here. I tend to use a regular loaf of bread, like a white bread.
Tips & Variations
- Adjust the baking time. The exact amount of time your casserole needs to bake will depend on how runny or soft you want the eggs. If you prefer them runny, you may want to bake for a little less time. You can check by using a fork or knife in the center to see how soft it is.
- Try other meat. Bacon or ham would work in place of the sausage (or even in addition to the sausage).
- Add some veggies. Try adding diced onion or bell peppers to the casserole. You can cook them with the sausage. Mushrooms would also be a good addition.
- Cover with foil. To prevent the breakfast casserole from browning too quickly in the oven, cover the pan with foil for the first 30 minutes or so.
Serving Suggestions
While this casserole is perfect by itself, we often serve it with something sweet. Overnight French Toast Casserole is amazing (and I have an apple, pumpkin and cake batter version, too). You could also try some apple fritters or blueberry muffins!
Proper Storage
- Fridge. Store leftover sausage and egg breakfast casserole in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep it covered tightly with plastic wrap or foil or transfer to an airtight container.
- Reheat. The entire baking dish can be reheated in the oven, covered with foil, until heated through. Individual servings can be reheated in the microwave.
More Easy Breakfast Recipes
- Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole
- Sheet Pan Pancakes
- Easy Fluffy Homemade Waffles
- Berry French Toast Casserole
- Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
Overnight Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole
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Ingredients
- 6 slices bread (cubed*)
- 1 pound sausage (browned and drained)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Spread the bread evenly into the bottom of a greased 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Sprinkle the sausage and cheese evenly over the bread.
- In a large measuring cup, combine the eggs, milk, dry mustard, salt and pepper.
- Pour the egg mixture evenly over the ingredients in the pan.
- Cover and chill overnight.
- Prior to baking, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until set. Cover it loosely for the first 30 minutes or so, then bake uncovered for the reminder. You may need to bake it for a little more or less time depending on your oven and how soft or “runny” you prefer the eggs to be. I don’t really like it to be runny, but I also don’t want it to dry out. To check it, use a fork or knife to stick in the middle and see how soft it still is.
- Remove from oven when done and serve warm.
- *I like to use a little bit sturdier bread. Often I use the Pepperidge Farms Sourdough loaf.
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Enjoy!
This is so delicious. My family adds 1 tsp onion powder and 1 tsp garlic powder to the egg mixture. Would it be alright to cook in a disposable foiled pan?
I’m so glad you enjoy it! I would think the disposable pan should be fine.
Do you dry the bread first?
I don’t.
Can you make this recipe in muffin cups?
I haven’t tried it, but I’m guessing that would be fine.
Why does it rise so good when it bakes and when u take it out it falls?
It has to do with the way casseroles like this cool. It’s not that there’s a problem with what you’re doing, it just deflates as it cools.
I have an old family recipe similar to this, with the exception that the sausage goes in first. Not sure what difference it would make.
Thanks for sharing!
(And FYI, 12/25 is not the date of Christ’s birth. The date is unknown, but as the shepherds were still out in the fields at night, it has been estimated that is was around October.)
Can I make this and freeze it? With or without cooking first.
I’ve seen people say they freeze it prior to cooking, but I haven’t personally tried it either way. I would think it’d do fine freezing it after cooking it.
Can you freeze this unbaked ahead of time and bake it the morning of?
I haven’t ever tried it, but I supposed it’d be fine.
We loved it! Me being me though added a bit to it. Some worstershire sauce and some Velveeta shreds on top and dehydrated onions.
We love this recipe at holiday times. I started adding a can of chopped green chilies to my mix. If we have any left over, I cut it into single serving squares and freeze it. Great idea to use a heavier bread. I may try using a French baguette next time.
So glad you enjoy it!
Hi! Can I bake at 350 degrees? If so how how long should it bake for? I have something else I need
to bake simultaneously at 350.
Sure, I’d just check it as you go. Maybe 35-45 minutes?
This was awesome and so easy to prepare! I don’t usually leave comments, but had to this time. Thank you for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I made this for Christmas morning this year and it is delicious! Even the leftovers were tasty this morning. I’m definitely going to keep making this one. Followed the recipe exactly. It’s so quick and easy! Thank you!
My family has made this easy, yummy casserole for Christmas for years. For sone reason we all call it “Bob”!
I used to use one with tasted bread…and it wasn’t overnight….do you think u could do this recipe either overnight or that morning?
I haven’t tried doing it that morning but you can certainly give it a try. I’m sure it would be fine. It may just be better to let it sit overnight.
Would this work with frozen french toast bites instead of bread cubes?
I haven’t tried it to be able to say. You could try it. I would thaw them out first.
Do you cook the sausage prior to putting it on the bread??
Yes