Sausage and Egg Overnight Breakfast Casserole

This casserole is made with a blend of sausage, onions, eggs, cheese, bread, and spices layered into a savory, make-ahead breakfast bake.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 15

Servings

Calories 432kcal

Author Amee

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

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 9x13 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.

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.