While I love to make dishes like eggs benedict with perfectly poached eggs or a whole breakfast of fried eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toast, that’s not always in the cards when I’m trying to cook for a crowd. That’s why I came up with this quick overnight breakfast casserole.
Whether you’re whipping up breakfast for a special occasion or you’re just looking for a delicious breakfast that’s quick to come together for busy mornings, this easy breakfast casserole is for you.
Many of the ingredients are probably already in your pantry or fridge and the hands-on prep time is minimal. Since you can make it ahead of time, all you need is to quickly bake it in the morning and — voila! — breakfast is served.
Besides being quick, what I also love is that this recipe brings together all of the elements of breakfast in one dish. Eggs, veggies, meat, and bread are all married together in one dish to make for an easy but hearty breakfast.
The next time you’re looking for a simple casserole that will feed the entire family (or a crowd of guests) in the morning, check out this nearly-effortless overnight breakfast casserole.
Common Questions about Overnight Breakfast Casserole
How long can I store an overnight egg casserole before baking?
While we recommend storing it in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours, it can last as long as 24 hours before baking it the next morning.
How do you reheat egg casserole?
You can pop a slice in the microwave for a couple minutes or you can reheat it in the oven at 350. If choosing to use the oven it should take about 20 minutes for one slice and around 40 minutes for more, but check periodically for doneness.
Can I use a different meat in my breakfast casserole?
Any kind of meat (or meat alternative) can be used in the breakfast casserole. Just make sure the meat is cooked (and cooled) before adding it to the eggs.
Making Overnight Breakfast Casserole Ahead of Time
The best part about this egg breakfast casserole is that it’s designed to be made ahead of time. Just follow the recipe, pop it in the fridge, and bake it when you’re ready!
Storage
This breakfast bake is easy to store and is quick to reheat. That’s what makes it so convenient.
Refrigerator: Wrap the dish with plastic wrap or foil and store for up to 5 days. Alternatively, you can store individual slices in airtight containers or ziploc bags.
Freezing: Freeze individual slices in ziploc bags or wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. Store for up to 3 months.
Tips For The Best Overnight Breakfast Casserole
While this is a simple and easy recipe, there are a few things that will help make it turn out just right.
- Whole milk – Use full fat milk to make sure to get the creamiest casserole.
- Mustard – I prefer using dijon mustard for its earthy flavor but you can use dry mustard, too.
- Fully combine wet ingredients – Making sure that the wet ingredients are completely mixed ensures that all of the flavors are incorporated but also that the yolks and whites are fully combined.
- Covering – You can opt to not cover the dish and check on it periodically to make sure that it doesn’t brown too quickly. Alternatively, you can leave the foil on and remove it in the final stages of cooking to allow just the cheese to brown slightly on top.
Ingredients
- Eggs
- Milk
- Dijon mustard
- White bread torn into pieces
- Diced ham
- Onion diced
- Green bell pepper diced, divided
- Red bell pepper diced, divided
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Shredded pepper jack cheese
- Scallions
Kitchen Supplies You’ll Need
- Casserole dish
- Parchment paper (or cooking spray)
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon or rubber spatula
- Cutting board
- Serving spoon
- Optional: Hand mixer, stand mixer, blender, or food processor
How to Make Overnight Breakfast Casserole
- Add the eggs, milk, and dijon mustard to a large bowl and whisk the ingredients together until fully combined. You can also use a stand mixer, hand mixer, blender, or food processor.
- In a small bowl, reserve a quarter of the diced red peppers and green peppers.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir the bread cubes, ham, onion, and remaining diced peppers into the egg mixture.
- Slowly pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. If needed, use the spoon or a spatula to spread the mixture to make sure that the bread, ham, onion, and peppers are evenly distributed.
- Sprinkle both cheeses on top of the mixture, making sure to cover it evenly.
- Next, top with the reserved bell peppers.
- Then, cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
- Place the dish in the refrigerator overnight or for up to 12 hours.
- When ready to bake, leave the casserole on the counter to get closer to room temperature while the oven is preheating.
- Remove the plastic wrap or foil prior to baking.
- Once the casserole has finished baking, slice it into even squares.
- Serve topped with scallions (green onions) if desired.
What to Serve with Overnight Breakfast Casserole
- Condiments – Many people like ketchup on their eggs but there are lots of other options, too. Sour cream, dijon mustard aioli, hot sauce, and sriracha are all good accompaniments.
- Cinnamon rolls – Serving a breakfast or brunch spread? Try balancing out your savory dishes with sweets like traditional cinnamon rolls.
- Potatoes – Fresh hashbrowns are a natural side dish with this casserole but tater tots or cubed roasted potatoes work well, too.
- Fresh fruit – A fruit salad or an arrangement of seasonal fruits is a bright side for morning eggs.
- Bread – A biscuit goes well with a slice of egg casserole. Or you can serve regular toast, croissants, or warmed french bread.
- Soup – Have breakfast for dinner (or lunch) and serve a slice of this with a hearty mushroom soup, chicken noodle, or broccoli cheese.
Why You Should Make This Recipe
Outside of this being an easy way to get breakfast on the table for a crowd, there are plenty of other reasons to love it!
- Fast – Hands-on prep time is minimal and it heats quickly in the morning.
- Simple – Prepping and combining the ingredients is a cinch. Any cook, from the experienced to the novice, can whip this together easily.
- Customizable – Eggs are an amazing canvas for creativity. You can use this recipe as a start to craft your own customized casserole.
Variations and Add-ins
- Pico de gallo – Experiment by adding pico de gallo or replacing some or all of the peppers and onions.
- Heat – Spice up your breakfast casserole by adding jalapenos, a can of green chiles, or other spicy peppers. You can also try adding cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, or hot sauce.
- Chesapeake-style – Switch out ham for lump crab meat and add as much Old Bay as you like.
- Meats – Add or swap cooked ground breakfast sausage, chopped Italian sausage, or crumbled bacon. It’s also a great way to use up roasted chicken or fajita beef slices from last night.
- Spices – Customize this recipe by adding your favorite spices. Garlic powder and onion powder both work well, but you can also get creative.
- Potatoes – Fold cubed or shredded potatoes into the egg mixture before baking. Just make sure to brown potatoes first.
Try these too
- Mayonnaise – According to Alton Brown, adding a bit of mayonnaise mixed with a touch of water to scrambled eggs makes them smooth and creamy. Try the same trick in this casserole by adding the mayo/water mixture (equal parts of each) to the eggs before mixing.
- Cream cheese – Try adding a dollop or two of cream cheese to the wet ingredients before mixing to add more cheesy flavor and creaminess.
- Veggies – This breakfast casserole is a great way to sneak in veggies at the start of the day. Try adding diced tomatoes, chopped mushrooms, or spinach.
- Cream – Replace some or all of the whole milk with heavy cream or crème fraîche for a richer casserole.
- Bread – If you’re avoiding bread, you can omit it or use gluten-free bread.
- Slow cook – Want breakfast ready in the morning when you wake? Make a slow cooker breakfast casserole by adding these ingredients to your crockpot and setting it to low with a timer to cook overnight and remain warm until you’re ready to eat.
- Cheese – You can replace some or all of the cheddar and pepper jack with any other hard cheeses that you like. Colby Jack and gruyere are two good options.
If you love this easy breakfast casserole recipe, you’re going to love these other morning recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
Other Easy Breakfast Dishes
Poppy Seed Ham and Cheese Sliders
More Breakfast Casseroles
- Easy French Toast Casserole
- Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
- Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole
- Pressure Cooker Eggnog French Toast
- Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bake
- Blueberry Baked French Toast
- Caramel Marshmallow Baked French Toast
If you love this recipe for Holiday Morning Breakfast Casserole as much as I do, please write a five-star review, and be sure to help me share on Facebook and Pinterest!
CONNECT WITH YUMMI HAUS!
Be sure to follow me on my social media, so you never miss a post!
PIN THIS TO SAVE FOR LATER
Overnight Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 9 eggs
- 3 cups milk
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 9 slices white bread torn into pieces
- 1 pound diced ham
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 small green bell pepper diced, divided
- 1 small red bell pepper diced, divided
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
- scallions for topping optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, and dijon mustard.
- Reserve a quarter of the diced red bell pepper and the green bell pepper. Set aside.
- To the egg mixture stir in the bread, ham, onion, and diced peppers.
- Butter or spray a 9×13 baking dish.
- Pour the mixture into the dish.
- Top with both types of cheese and the reserved bell peppers.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge overnight or for up to 12 hours.
- When ready to bake preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Let the casserole sit on counter for 30 minutes to take the chill of while the oven preheats.
- Bake the casserole at 350 for 55-60 minutes, you may need to cover it with foil if it begins to brown too quickly.
- Remove from the oven and serve!
- Top with scallions when serving if desired.
Notes
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- You can swap out the meat in this dish, try it with cooked sausage or bacon!
- You can spice this up by adding diced jalapenos or diced green chiles.
- Use whatever cheese you like, swiss would be great.
- I use sandwich bread but any kind of bread would be great, croissants would work, Italian bread, brioche or you can even add more than one kind of bread – but keep in mind that some of them will absorb more of the liquid or less – so the final result could be either dryer or moister than this original recipe!
Nutrition
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Yummi Haus cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
Karen Goodall says
This breakfast casserole was fantastic. I made it for visiting family over the Christmas holidays and everyone loved it. I did not change anything; it was excellent as is. I will definitely be making this again.