Overnight Sausage Egg Casserole
This Overnight Sausage Egg Casserole is a baked egg casserole made with bread cubes and a blend of sausage, onions, eggs, cheese, and spices layered into a savory, make-ahead breakfast bake – sometimes called a breakfast strata. Perfect for holidays, brunch, or busy mornings.
This sausage and egg breakfast casserole with bread is one of those recipes that feels almost too easy for how delicious it is. You assemble everything the night before, let the bread soak up all that creamy egg custard overnight, and then bake it off in the morning.
It’s especially convenient during the holidays or any time you need a big, protein-packed breakfast (or lunch or dinner!) to feed a hungry crowd. Things can get chaotic enough without adding complicated meal prep. This overnight casserole keeps everything simple, and satisfying.
I first shared this recipe back in January 2014, and I’ve recently updated it with fresh new photos. But don’t worry – the recipe itself hasn’t changed. I just believe food should look as good as it tastes! If you love hearty breakfast bakes like this, you definitely need to try my Corned Beef Hash Breakfast Casserole or Ham Spinach Quiche with Hashbrown Crust next.
Why you’ll love it
- Prep-ahead friendly. This is an overnight casserole by design, perfect for making a holiday morning, brunch gathering, or a house full of guests a little less stressful.
- Everyday ingredients. Nothing fancy, just a short list of familiar, affordable ingredients that come together quickly.
- Hearty and wholesome. Packed with protein and easy to make gluten-free by changing the bread, this casserole is both filling and feel-good.
- Easy to customize. The custardy egg base works with whatever you have on hand –swap the sausage, switch up the cheese, add veggies, and so on.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Sausage. I prefer medium-spiced ground pork sausage, but feel free to go for a milder version if you prefer less heat. If you can only find sausage links, just remove the casings before cooking.
- Onion. The natural sweetness and depth help balance the richness of the sausage and cheese. Feel free to substitute shallots or green onions here for a milder flavor.
- Eggs. A dozen slightly beaten eggs create the custardy foundation that binds all the components together. For a lower-cholesterol option, you can use a mix of whole eggs and egg whites, though this may slightly alter the dish’s richness.
- Milk. Milk contributes creaminess and moisture. I use whole milk here for the richest flavor, but you can substitute 2% milk if needed.
- Cheese. For the cheesy part, I highly recommend using a block of cheddar (regular or sharp) and shredding it yourself, as it has MUCH better flavor and melts more evenly than the pre-shredded kind.
- Seasonings. Dry mustard adds a subtle warmth while salt and pepper tie it all together. I typically use about ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper, but feel free to adjust to taste.
- Bread. Sturdy bread absorbs the custard, creating a tender, pudding-like base. Removing the crust is optional, but recommended when using a sturdier bread. Soft crust works fine when left on. Be sure to tear (or slice) the bread into small pieces so it soaks evenly. Brioche or challah gives a slightly sweet, tender texture, while whole-grain or sprouted breads add fiber and heartiness. Gluten-free bread works too – just make sure it’s firm enough to hold up overnight.
How to make a sausage and egg casserole with bread
Step 1: Cook the sausage and onion. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the sausage, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks, then add the chopped onion and sauté until softened. Drain any excess fat, then set aside to cool slightly.
Step 2: Prepare the egg mixture. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth. Gradually stir in the milk, shredded cheese, dry mustard, salt, and pepper until fully combined. Gently fold in the cooked sausage and onion mixture.
Step 3: Assemble the casserole. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray, then spread the bread cubes evenly across the bottom of the pan. Pour the egg-and-sausage mixture over the bread cubes.
Step 4: Refrigerate overnight. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, allowing the flavors to meld and the bread to absorb the custard fully.
Step 5: Bake the next day. In the morning, preheat the oven to 350°F, then uncover the casserole, and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until the eggs are set and the top is golden brown. Let it rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Helpful Tips For Making Overnight Casserole
- Handle the eggs with care. Use the freshest eggs you can get your hands on and whisk them until the yolks and whites are thoroughly combined with a bit of air incorporated, but not so much that it’s bubbly or foamy. This ensures the custard rises evenly, creating a fluffy, tender egg bake.
- Prep some components ahead. You can save even more time by cubing the bread, shredding the cheese, and cooking the sausage and onion mixture a few days in advance, storing each in its own airtight container. Then, the night before baking, all you need to do is whisk the eggs with milk and seasonings, assemble the casserole, and pop it in the fridge.
- Soaking time matters. Letting the casserole soak in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours is ideal, as this gives the bread enough time to fully absorb the egg custard and develop a soft, pudding-like texture. Any longer can lead to a soggy casserole.
Variations
- Swap the protein – You can easily use lean beef, ground chicken, or turkey sausage in place of pork sausage for a lower-fat option. Each option changes the flavor slightly, but all work well.
- Add veggies – There’s plenty of room for a colorful blend of sautéed bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions. Baby spinach or kale also makes a great addition. Just make sure any vegetables are well-drained before adding them to prevent a watery casserole.
- Customize flavors – Feel free to add a bit of smoked paprika, thyme, garlic powder, or onion powder for more depth. Or experiment with other melty cheeses like Gruyère, Swiss, Colby Jack, Mozzarella, or Monterey Jack for a different flavor profile.
While letting it sit overnight gives the bread time to fully absorb the custard, in a pinch, you can assemble and bake it the same day. Just keep in mind that it will be slightly less custardy and pudding-like. Even so, it still turns out delicious and makes a great last-minute breakfast or brunch.
The edges should look lightly golden, and the center should no longer jiggle when you gently shake the dish. If you’d like extra reassurance, insert a knife or toothpick into the center of the casserole. If it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, the eggs are fully set. If it comes out coated in wet custard, continue baking in 5-10 minute increments, checking again as needed.
Storing
Storing: Allow leftover sausage egg casserole slices to cool to room temperature, then transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
Freezing: Wrap slices tightly in plastic wrap, then in a layer of foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw portions overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating: Reheat individual casserole slices in the microwave or in a 325°F oven until heated through.
More breakfast casserole recipes
- High-Protein Breakfast Casserole
- Ground Beef Breakfast Casserole
- Loaded Breakfast Casserole
- Corned Beef Hash Breakfast Casserole
If you love this easy overnight sausage and egg casserole with egg recipe, I would be so grateful if you could leave a 5-star 🌟 rating in the recipe card below. I love reading your comments and feedback!
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Sausage and Egg Overnight Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 lbs medium pork sausage or mild, according to heat preference
- 1 cup onion finely chopped
- 12 eggs slightly beaten
- 4 cups whole milk
- 8 oz cheddar cheese shredded (use a block of cheese and shred for best flavor)- I use a block of Kraft 2% cheddar- you can use regular or sharp cheddar here
- 2 tsp dry mustard
- salt and pepper to taste (I use about ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper)
- 4 cups sprouted grain, whole-grain, brioche, or gluten-free bread cubes depending on your dietary preference, (remove crust if firm-so the custard soaks in evenly, or leave on for softer loaves, like brioche or white wheat bread) and tear (or slice) bread into small pieces or cubes
Instructions
- Cook sausage and onion, drain, crumble, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs, then add the milk, cheese, dry mustard, salt and pepper. Then add the sausage/onion mixture and stir to combine.
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish with olive oil spray then place the bread cubes in the bottom of the pan.
- Pour egg mixture on top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- The next morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the casserole, uncovered, for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the middle is completely set.
Notes
- You can easily substitute lean ground beef, ground chicken, or turkey sausage for the pork sausage in this recipe
- I’ve made this casserole with crust on (for a little more rustic feel), and crust cut off- I recommend removing the crust if it isn’t really soft, so the custard can soak in evenly. Brioche crust is so soft, there’s no need to remove it. Softer breads will create a more custard-like texture, and firm breads, like whole grain, will provide more structure.
- This can also be made into a vegetarian casserole by using a mixture of sauteed vegetables in place of the sausage. I love a blend of red, yellow, and green bell peppers with mushrooms and onion. Just make sure that you drain them well before adding them to the dish. Baby spinach is also a great addition to this dish to add some fresh greens.
- You can cube the bread and shred the block of cheese and place it into separate sealed containers, and cook the sausage and onion several days in advance of assembling the casserole. Then, all you need to do is whisk the eggs with the seasonings and milk and assemble the casserole the night before baking.
- In a pinch, you can also assemble and bake this casserole all in one day, but it will turn out fluffier since the bread doesn’t have time to soak up more of the liquid. I have done this, and it still turns out great in a time crunch.
Nutrition
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I have made similar types of breakfast casseroles with these ingredients. Some of the shortcuts I use are croutons, you can use plain or perhaps a garlic flavor to add some flavor and since the casserole sits overnight in the fridge the croutons soften and it sure is quicker than cutting bread into little squares! Also, I have found that mixing the sausage into any liquid base makes the sausage sink to the bottom of the bowl and not really mix well. I usually pour the egg mixture in first, then sprinkle the cooked sausage on top; same goes for the cheese, it tends to sink too since it’s heavier than the egg mixture and in my opinion you can NEVER HAVE ENOUGH CHEESE. I love overnight casseroles – no muss, no fuss – just a delicious breakfast. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Thanks for the tips, Patty! I agree, you can never have enough cheese, lol! I’m glad that you enjoyed it!
Is there any way this can be frozen either before or after baking and if so, how long can you freeze it? Also wondering if you tried doing this cupcake sized so you can make individual servings. I’ve made this for years and we love it. I’m just wondering about the cupcake size and freezing?
Hi Kimberly! Yes, you can freeze it uncooked, just assemble, cover with plastic wrap and seal it up with foil and pop it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before cooking. You can also freeze it cooked, after it has cooled completely, wrap individual servings in plastic wrap, then place it in a sealed freezer-safe container and freeze up to 3 months.
When I told my family what was baking, they were like “meh, ugh “. Then they saw me cutting into it and it’s now gone! They loved it. I did add green pepper with the sausage/onion and I added mushrooms and white pepper to the egg mixture. My sausage was still hot and I didn’t want to add it to the egg mixture for fear it would scramble. I poured the sausage mix over the bread, sprinkled the cheese over it then poured egg mix over. It is a keeper, for sure. Used Pepperidge Farm whole grain honey wheat. Delicious. Thank you.
I love all of your additions DeeDee! Thank you for the review. I’m so glad that you all enjoyed it! 🙂
can you use bacon instead of sausage?
I haven’t tried it with bacon, but it should be fine. It will change the texture a bit, but would still be tasty!
I made this last night and baked it this morning and was so excited, but sadly ended up being super disappointed. It was nowhere near done at the hour mark and even after another half hour there was an inch of water in the bottom of the pan. I had to drain the water out and bake for another half hour, so 2 hours total. The top tasted okay, but the bottom was super soggy because of the moisture down there. I’m not sure what went wrong 🙁
Kaylee, I’m not really sure because I’ve made this so many times with great results and it gets rave reviews. Did you use skim or low-fat milk? What kind of bread did you use? Was the sausage drained well?
Hi,
I want to half this recipe for my small family. How do you recommend adjusting the time and temp?
Thanks,
Mikaela
Hi Mikaela! You can half the ingredients and bake it in an 8×8 baking dish. However, I haven’t tested the recipe this way so I’m not sure about baking time. I would start checking it a 40 minutes and pull it once the casserole if fully set.
Can this be baked in 3 or 4 casseroles instead of just one?
Hi Rachel! I’m sure that would be just fine, you would just need to adjust the cooking time. I haven’t tested this, so I’m not sure how long it would need to bake in smaller portions.
Have you ever made this with ham? If so, how much did you use?
Hi Adicia! I have not made it with ham but an equal swap should work well. Let me know how it turns out!
yummy
I’m glad that you enjoyed it Pat!
could I use heavy cream instead of milk? if so how much do you recommend?
thanks
Hi Jennifer! You’ll want to keep the amount of liquid the same. It calls for 4 cups of whole milk. You could try doing one part heavy cream to 1 part water (2 cups of heavy cream and 2 cups of water), but I haven’t tested this so I can’t guarantee the same results. Also, this would significantly change the nutrition info for the recipe. I would recommend going with whole milk instead.
Can this be frozen after cooking?
Hi Sally! I wouldn’t recommend freezing. It will affect the texture when reheated.
I have made this casserole for decades and have frozen it ahead of time . The secret is to freeze it before you bake it. To make ahead/freeze this casserole: you can freeze unbaked casserole up to 2 months. Cover very tightly with plastic wrap and foil. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake the next morning. It comes out perfect, as though it were freshly made. This is a Christmas morning favorite in our household. 😊
Love this tip, Cynthia! I’m definitely going to try this!
This egg casserole is outstanding. I served it today at a Mother’s Day Brunch and it fed 15 adults with some left over. Everyone raved about it. Just reading the ingredients I knew it wouldn’t fit in the standard 9 x 13 pan so I put it in a 13 1/2 x 10 3/4 x 2 1/2 and it fit perfectly. I also had some sliced mushrooms and red bell pepper on hand so I cooked those with the sausage. This is delicious and I will definitely be making again. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for the review, Jennifer! I’m so glad that everyone enjoyed it! 🙂
I have a very large family, and would like to make a double batch in an extra large 13 x 17 lasagne pan. How should I adjust the recipe?
Hi Nancy, I’m sorry I missed this! I would just double and use two pans.
Do think this would turn out ok using Aldi’s Keto-friendly bread? I have a small loaf I bought for my husband taking up room in the freezer, and since the rest of the recipe is ok on his Keto plan this would kill two birds with one stone.
Molly, I haven’t tested it out with that kind of bread so I’m not sure how it would taste. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out!
How many slices of bread yields 4 cups? Do you have an ounce amount?
Hi Abby! You get about a cup of bread cubes from 2 slices of bread, so once you trim the crusts off and cube the bread, it’s about 8 slices. Of course, this is going to depend on the size of your bread loaf. I slice and cube the bread and fill a 4 cup Pyrex container. The next time I make it, I’ll weigh it, but the beauty of this recipe is it will still turn out great if it’s not exact.
I have a similar recipe of this breakfast casserole and it’s always been a favorite of my family. It’s so easy to prepare and a no fuss recipe.
Thanks Grace! I love easy breakfast recipes and this one is a staple for us. I appreciate you taking the time to leave a review!
My Mom made this as our Christmas Day brunch since I can remember. It was a huge favorite. Only thing she did differently is mix 1 can of cream & mushroom soup with 1/2 cup milk and pour over the casserole before baking the next morning. So good both ways. I’ve learned to spice it up with Jimmy Dean’s hot sausage! Love that you posted this recipe!
Hi Tracy! That version sounds amazing too! It’s such a great nostalgic recipe. We’ve had it for years, too. 🙂 Happy holidays!
Can I make the afternoon before instead of night before?
Yes, Tiffany, that would be fine. 🙂
Could you do this without potatoes?!?
Hi Kiersten! There aren’t any potatoes in the recipe.
Have you ever done this in muffin tins? I’ve been unsuccessful finding a recipe for an overnight “casserole” that’s baked in muffin tins. I’m trying 350 for 20-ish minutes and will see if they are done.
I haven’t tried this Ashlie, but I’d love to know how they turned out!
I’ve made it in muffin tins many times! I r also don’t add bread so I reduced the milk slightly and they turn out great!
Great idea in the muffin tins Melissa! I’ll have to try that!
The only thing I wasn’t clear about was whether to leave it covered or not when baking. I opted to leave it covered and checked it in 30 minutes. I then uncovered it so the cheese would be fully melted.
Hi Deborah! I bake it uncovered, but that would work well to do half and half. I’m going to make that note in the recipe card. Thank you! I hope that you enjoyed it!
I made this, this morning and made a small pack of pepper gravy to go with it, and OMG !! It was so good,. Thanks for posting this beautiful recipe.. It made enough for 16 servings and got my meal prep for breakfast done for a while,. I froze a bunch of them.. Thanks again.. 🙂
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it Sandra! 🙂
Do I have to use fresh bread cubes or does dried stuffing bread cubes work?
Hi Gina! You’ll need to use fresh bread or the casserole will be too dry. The dried stuffing will soak up a lot of the liquid.
Hi there! Could you make this fully cooked the night before and heat it up in the morning? If you can, what temp and how long do you suggest to heat it for?
Hi Jenn! This would definitely work because I’ve made this recipe for meal prep. I would cover it with foil and warm at 300 degrees F until heated through, probably around 20 minutes.