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!
If I put two of these in the oven at the same time with a tray of biscuits will it take longer to cook?
Yes, it will likely take longer to cook.
Awesome thanks
What will happen to the casserole if I don’t wait to cook it until morning and cook it right away? I have searched for this answer and can not find anyone who can help.
I imagine it’d be just fine. It’s just often helpful to be able to make it ahead.
I love this ! I toast my bread cubes and also add an onion chopped,but I add onion to everything! Thank you.
Sounds delicious! Glad you enjoy it!
Can this be prepared 2 days before?
I’ve never made it that far in advance to be able to say for sure. I think it would be ok. Just keep in mind that it isn’t recommended for cracked eggs to sit for longer than 2 days.
This was very good! I made the recipe with hot sausage, Pepperidge farm sandwich bread, and substituted Dijon in place of the dry mustard. It was a hit!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Love this recipe. It’s been a staple im house for years. We have always topped it with a can of cream of mushroom soup mixed with 1/2 cup of milk. That’s added right before baking the next morning. So yummy.
Could I use a french baguette instead of the sandwich bread?
I feel like that might be a little firm for this casserole, but you could try it.
Lindsay, I hope this goes to you first! This is just an FYI. I’ve been making this recipe since the late 80s, early 90s when it was in Sunset Magazine’s annual recipe collection. Baguettes work just fine with the recipe. I found a “sturdier” bread works better and makes less of a mushy casserole.
Can you freeze this and then bake it? Thank you!
I don’t know. You could certainly freeze it and then thaw it and bake it. I’m not sure how well eggs would do being cooked from frozen. I’ve never tried it.
How many does this serve im serving 12 hungry people
Depends on how much they eat. If they really are pretty hungry and you aren’t serving this with anything else, it’s possible you’ll need a little more. Maybe 1 1/2 recipes worth. But I’m someone who would rather have leftovers than run out.
I I’llm going to try this Christmas. Can the bread be sandwich round sourdough?
I haven’t tried sourdough in this one. I would think the crust might be a little firm/chewy, but you could try it.
How do you do the sourdough bread? How much and do you tear it up in pieces?
I actually use sandwich bread in this recipe and just cut into 1 inch cubes.
I have read that you can use seasoned croutons instead of bread. How many cups of bread do you estimate this is?
I wouldn’t recommend croutons. I’m not sure how many cups it is, I’m sorry.
do you use ground sausage for this recipe or sausage links, cut up?
I use ground sausage.
Can you half this recipe to check if we like it before making it for family gathering?
Sure!
Have made this the night before many many times and love it ! I was wondering if you could freeze if you needed to make it a few days ahead of time?
I’m so glad you enjoy it! I’ve never tried freezing it, but I imagine it would be fine.
One of our sons has celiac disease and we use gluten free bread. It still comes out great!
So glad to hear that!
Top drawer. I use 5 Costco Bagels and I char mild Italian sausage for added flavour plus a medium chopped onion with the sausage.
Glad you enjoyed it!
How long is too long for making this ahead?
I would not leave it unbaked in the fridge for longer than 24 hours. Once you bake it, it should be good for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.