Name: Breakfast Egg Casserole
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon salted butter, room temperature; 3 heaping cups sourdough bread, cut into 1”cubes; 6 strips bacon, diced; 1 pound ground breakfast sausage (in plastic roll package); 1 cup onion, diced; 1 small red bell pepper, diced; 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced; 12 Large eggs; 1 ½ cups whole milk or half & half; 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt; ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar jack cheese *see notes; 2 green onions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish; 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced, plus more for garnish

Description

This easy breakfast egg casserole recipe is a great way to prep ahead for your next weekend brunch. Make it the night before with fresh eggs, bacon, sausage, sourdough bread, veggies, and cheese. All you need to do in the morning is bake!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon salted butter, room temperature
3 heaping cups sourdough bread, cut into 1”cubes
6 strips bacon, diced
1 pound ground breakfast sausage (in plastic roll package)
1 cup onion, diced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
12 Large eggs
1 ½ cups whole milk or half & half
1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar jack cheese *see notes
2 green onions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced, plus more for garnish

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 400℉. Grease bottom and sides of a 9×13” baking dish with the room temperature butter, set aside. Add cubed bread to a large rimmed baking sheet and toast in the preheated oven, about 10-12 minutes, until bread is lightly brown and crispy.
In a large sauté pan, cook bacon over medium low heat until crisp, remove to a paper towel lined plate, drain all but 1 tablespoon of the grease. Increase to medium high heat, add in the sausage, onion, red bell pepper and garlic. Cook, breaking up the sausage, until sausage is cooked through and veggies are crisp tender, about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, cheese, green onion and parsley.
Add the toasted bread to the baking dish, followed by the sausage mixture, bacon, and the egg mixture. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (recommended), or bake right away. Bake casserole covered with foil for 30 minutes, remove foil and continue to bake until the center is set and has reached 160°F, about 10-15 minutes. The edges should be golden brown.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes, or cool completely and serve room temperature. Garnish with green onion and parsley before serving if desired.

Notes

Customizations

Add up to a cup of: Sauteed broccoli, sauteed mushrooms, wilted spinach, fresh asparagus, or any other veggies you like. Make sure to use pre-cooked veggies, like sauteed broccoli, sauteed mushrooms, wilted spinach, or fresh asparagus. Fresh vegetables will make the casserole watery.
Other cheese options: Colby jack, sharp cheddar, white cheddar, pepper jack, monterey jack, feta, parmesan.
Meats or no meats: Any type of cooked protein works well here, or eliminate it all together as needed.

Storing and Reheating

- Refrigerate leftovers. Store any leftovers covered tightly in the fridge for up to 3 days.

- Make-ahead. Freeze the baked and cooled egg casserole in a freezer-safe baking dish, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, then a layer of foil. Thaw the casserole in the fridge and then reheat it in a 350ºF oven.

Reheat. Reheat the full casserole in the oven at 350ºF. You can reheat individual servings in the microwave for 10-20 seconds until they’re warmed through.