Easy Breakfast Casserole - The Yummy Bowl (2024)

· Modified: by Julia | The Yummy Bowl · 20 Comments

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Breakfast Casserole - layers of delicious fluffy bread soaked in milk and egg mixture and then baked with crispy bacon & cheese until perfection.

Easy Breakfast Casserole - The Yummy Bowl (1)

A perfect casserole dish for breakfast or weekend brunch! Serve it along with a simple salad or a smoothie.

Jump To
  • Why It's Yummy
  • Ingredients
  • How To Make Breakfast Casserole
  • Tips
  • How To Serve Breakfast Casserole
  • Variations
  • Storing and Freezing Instructions
  • Recipe
  • FAQs
  • More Easy Breakfast Recipes? Try These Next Time!
  • Comments

Why It's Yummy

  • It's a clever recipe for reusing day-old bread or vegetable scraps and leftovers.
  • Overall, the breakfast egg casserole hits all the marks - fast prep, make-ahead potential, fridge cleanup, customizable, and kid-friendly nutrition. No wonder it's such a popular breakfast dish.
Easy Breakfast Casserole - The Yummy Bowl (2)

Ingredients

  • Cheese - Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack, or mozzarella, Havarti, Fontina. Gruyere. For extra flavor add parmesan, crumbled feta, goat, or cotija cheese for garnish when the breakfast casserole is ready.
  • Bacon - or ham, ground chicken, turkey or chopped breakfast sausage without casing.
  • Bread - Baguette, challah, ciabatta, sourdough, buns, and most of the gluten-free options will work here too.
  • Milk - makes the casserole rich and creamy. The fat in whole milk binds with the egg proteins to give a custard-like consistency that can't be achieved with non-fat or low-fat milk.
  • Vegetables - mix & match! Bell peppers, spinach, kale, mushrooms, asparagus, tomatoes, onions. To prevent sogginess, pre-cook/saute the veggies lightly on the stove before hand.

If you use crusty day-old bread you’ll have a mix of soft and textured bites, crispy edges, cheesy pockets, and plenty of crunchy bacon in every bite. You don’t necessarily have to leave the bread soaking in the mixture overnight, 1-2 hours is enough.

How To Make Breakfast Casserole

STEP 1: In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk/cream, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.

Set egg mixture aside.

Easy Breakfast Casserole - The Yummy Bowl (3)

STEP 2: Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy.

Drain on paper towels.

STEP 3: Add to egg mixture, reserving 2-3 tablespoons bacon for garnish.

Easy Breakfast Casserole - The Yummy Bowl (4)

STEP 4: Stir bread, green onions, and cheese (reserve about ½ cup for later) into egg mixture.

STEP 5: Refrigerate 1+ hour until bread absorbs liquid. Let come to room temperature before baking.

STEP 6: After 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180°C) and grease a casserole dish with butter.

Easy Breakfast Casserole - The Yummy Bowl (5)
  • Related: Fried cabbage with bacon

Transfer soaked bread-egg mixture to prepared dish. Top with reserved cheese and bacon. Bake covered 20-25 mins.

STEP 7: Uncover and bake 15 mins more until set (test with toothpick) and top is crispy golden brown.

After removing from the oven, let the strata sit for 15-20 minutes.

SERVE! For garnish add parsley, green onions and more bacon on top.

  • Want something sweet for breakfast? Try these easy cranberry overnight oats.

Tips

  • To check doneness, insert a knife in the center. If it comes out clean, the breakfast casserole is ready. Be careful not to overcook or the dish will dry out.
  • Day-old or stale bread with a firm texture will work best for breakfast casserole. French bread like baguette, Italian Ciabatta, sourdough or whole grain are all great options here. If the bread is too fresh and overly soft the casserole will turn too soggy too fast.
  • Older bread will work too, but make sure to soak at least 3 hours in the egg mixture, for even better results leave it overnight.
  • For baking - place a tray in the bottom of the oven or under the casserole as some juices may leak out of the casserole while it's baking. It will also depend on your baking dish, ideally 9 (9x13) or 8 inch (I used 8x11) will fit the strata but I’ve used smaller ones too.
  • Grate the cheese from a block - Pre-shredded cheese may not melt well due to added preservatives. Shred fresh mozzarella for improved melting; it takes a bit more prep time but yields better results.
  • Every oven is different, and I the breakfast casserole starts to become too brown, cover it with aluminum foil until the end of baking time.

How To Serve Breakfast Casserole

  • cucumber salad or tomato basil mozzarella salad
  • Fruit salad: watermelon salad or strawberry cucumber salad
  • Muffins: cornbread jalapeno muffins or oatmeal zucchini muffins
  • Hashbrowns
  • Scones
  • smoothies
  • granola + yogurt
  • banana bread
  • zucchini bread
  • baked apples

Variations

  • Instead of bacon - sausage, mini pepperoni, chorizo, kielbasa, ham, pulled chicken (rotisserie, slow cooker bbq chicken), ground beef, salmon or leftover pork chops or ribs. The meat options should be cooked before adding to the casserole.
  • Just like in frittata, you can add spinach and cherry tomatoes.
  • For more flavors - add 1-2 tablespoons of green or red pesto to the egg mixture.
  • Mediterranean - artichoke, plum or sun-dried tomatoes, olives, onions (red or white), feta and crumbles and ruccola leaves on top for garnish.
  • Dairy free - milk can be substituted with plant-based milk and cheese as well.
Easy Breakfast Casserole - The Yummy Bowl (6)

Storing and Freezing Instructions

  • To Store. 4-5 days refrigerated in an airtight container.
  • To Freeze, allow strata to cool completely first. Wrap in foil then place in an airtight container or freezer bag, store for 2-3 months.
  • To Reheat, rewarm the breakfast bake in oven at 300F for 10-20 minutes until warmed through and crispy. You can also reheat individual slices in the air fryer at 350F for 5-10 minutes.

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Recipe

Easy Breakfast Casserole - The Yummy Bowl (7)

Breakfast Casserole Recipe

Julia | The Yummy Bowl

Breakfast Casserole - Layers of delicious fluffy bread soaked in milk and egg mixture and then baked with crispy bacon & cheese until perfection. A perfect casserole dish for breakfast or weekend brunch! Serve it along with a simple salad or a smoothie.

5 from 18 votes

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Calories 423 kcal

INGREDIENTS

  • 7 large eggs
  • ¾ of a whole baguette or sourdough (gluten free if needed), about 6-7 cups, sliced into 1-2 inch thick pieces, see notes
  • 10-12 ounce bacon, diced
  • 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, Herbs de Provence
  • 1 ¼ cups milk (full cream or low fat), or heavy cream for custard like texture
  • salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 2 ⅓ cups cheddar cheese, grated
  • 2 tablespoon parsley
  • 2-3 tablespoon green onion, chopped
  • butter for greasing the casserole
  • olive oil for cooking

INSTRUCTIONS

  • In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk/cream, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Set egg mixture aside.

  • Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Drain on paper towels. Add to egg mixture, reserving 2-3 tablespoons bacon for garnish.

  • Stir bread, green onions, and cheese (reserve about ½ cup for later) into egg mixture. Refrigerate 1+ hour until bread absorbs liquid.

  • After 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180°C) and grease a casserole dish with butter.

  • Transfer soaked bread-egg mixture to prepared dish. Top with reserved cheese and bacon. Bake covered 20-25 mins. Uncover and bake 15 mins more until set (test with toothpick) and top is crispy golden brown.

  • After removing from the oven, let the strata sit for 15-20 minutes. For serving, add parsley, green onions and more bacon on top. We love shredded parmesan too. Enjoy!

VIDEO

NOTES

  • Baguette sizes vary, when cut into pieces my bread made about 6-7 cups.
  • To check doneness, insert a knife in the center. If it comes out clean, the strata is ready. Be careful not to overcook or the dish will dry out.
  • Day-old or stale bread with a firm texture will work best for breakfast casserole. French bread like baguette, Italian Ciabatta, sourdough or whole grain are all great options here. If the bread is too fresh and overly soft the casserole will turn too soggy too fast.
  • If you only have fresh bread … in this case leave the bread to dry out. First, cut or tear the bread into the size pieces you need. Then spread the pieces on a baking sheet and let them sit uncovered at room temperature for a few hours or up to overnight. As the bread sits, the surface will become dried and hardened from evaporation.
  • To Store. Leftover strata keeps 4-5 days refrigerated in an airtight container. To reheat, bake at 300F for 10-20 minutes until warmed through. You can also reheat individual slices in the air fryer at 350F for 5-10 minutes.

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NUTRITION

Calories: 423kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 21gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 204mgSodium: 665mgPotassium: 251mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 721IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 338mgIron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?@theyummy_bowl and tag #theyummy_bowl! Thank you!

Note:Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.

Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be foundhere.

FAQs

What is the difference between frittata and strata?

Frittata is more of an omelet with different ingredients, without the bread. It is often prepared in a skillet or cake pan.

Strata is a breakfast casserole too, and made with soaking the bread in the milk and egg mixture overnight (preferably). It is then baked in a casserole dish and is thicker and fluffier than a frittata dish.

How will I know when breakfast casserole is fully baked?

Cooking time varies based on thickness. Check doneness by jiggling - it should be set, not jiggly. A clean toothpick also indicates doneness.

Can I bake the breakfast right away instead of leaving it in the fridge overnight?

Letting the bread soak for at least 1 hour (ideally 1-2 hours) before baking allows full absorption so the strata won't turn out to be soggy.

Can I make it gluten-free?

This breakfast strata can easily be made gluten-free by using your favorite gluten-free bread, and this is what I used as well.

Why do you use bread in strata?

Dry, crusty bread chunks are the secret to a chewy, chunky casserole texture. The crusty cubes soak up liquid, preventing a spongey, dense dish. Homemade sourdough or crusty artisan bread works best.

The key is using really crisp, dry bread - never soft sandwich slices. With ultra-crisp chunks throughout, your casserole will have incredible staying power and texture.

This recipe is inspired by Recipe Tin Eats - Cheese & Bacon strata cake.

More Easy Breakfast Recipes? Try These Next Time!

  • Healthy Vegetable Frittata
  • Oatmeal Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
  • Bacon, Egg and Cream Cheese Breakfast Sandwich
  • Gluten Free Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole (Farmer's Casserole)

« Baked Candied Yams (Candied Sweet Potatoes)

Air Fryer Baked Potato »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Marge

    Easy Breakfast Casserole - The Yummy Bowl (12)
    Made this casserole yesterday but in different dish and it was so good and so fluffy!

    Soaked the bread for 5 hours only. Delicious!!

    Reply

    • Julia

      Thank you Marge, so glad that you liked it!

      Reply

    • Karyn Roesler

      Never bacon…hate mushy bacon…just a personal opinion. Ham or breakfast sausage, but again…the sausage gets mushy and I like links that have a crispy outside…I know…I’m difficult! Other than that I will try this because it looks delicious! Just with ham! Thank you

      Reply

      • Julia | The Yummy Bowl

        absolutely! Ham is a great substitute. Another thing with bacon is to perhaps choose the thickest bacon and cut it into larger pieces or leave whole strips inside. But I haven't tried it this way yet:)

        Reply

  2. Lyn

    Easy Breakfast Casserole - The Yummy Bowl (13)
    What a great make ahead breakfast idea!! I haven't made a strata before, but thinking now that I will need to try it out!

    Reply

    • Julia

      thank you, hope you'll love this one!

      Reply

  3. Deb

    Easy Breakfast Casserole - The Yummy Bowl (14)
    Recipe sounds easy and delicious! Approximately how many cups of bread would equal one baguette cut into cubes?

    Reply

    • Julia | The Yummy Bowl

      great question, I will have to measure it out soon. But an average length about 26-30 cm I thin would be 4 cups?

      Reply

  4. Robin

    I used dried out Baguettes and soaked them overnight. I didn't add the cheese, bacon or chives until this morning, because I don't like mushy bacon either. It appeared dry to me (probably because the Baguettes were dried out) so I added 4 more eggs over the top. Put the toppings on after taking the foil off to help crunchy it up.

    Reply

    • Julia | The Yummy Bowl

      Interesting! I soak the mixture for just one hour, with medium-old bread. Some baguettes vary indeed, and it is good advice to soak them separately until softened enough. My casserole was pretty juicy after baking!

      Reply

  5. Dina and Bruce

    Easy Breakfast Casserole - The Yummy Bowl (15)
    Made for the family! Thumbs up all the way around!

    Reply

    • Julia | The Yummy Bowl

      thank you Dina and Bruce!

      Reply

  6. Ned

    Easy Breakfast Casserole - The Yummy Bowl (16)
    Everything is better with bacon! This was so amazing, I can't wait to make it again. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Julia | The Yummy Bowl

      thank you Ned!

      Reply

  7. Sisley

    Easy Breakfast Casserole - The Yummy Bowl (17)
    What a way to start the day! I love a breakfast casserole and adding bacon like this was yummy!

    Reply

    • Julia | The Yummy Bowl

      thank you Sisley!

      Reply

  8. Gina Abernathy

    Easy Breakfast Casserole - The Yummy Bowl (18)
    I made this breakfast strata for dinner last night and it was a total winner with the family. Everyone loved it!

    Reply

    • Julia | The Yummy Bowl

      thank you Gina!

      Reply

  9. kate

    Easy Breakfast Casserole - The Yummy Bowl (19)
    Thank you for this yummy breakfast casserole recipe. It was delicious and the leftovers were great re-heated. I didn't have time to do the air-fryer method so I just used the microwave to reheat my piece and it was totally fine.

    Reply

    • Julia | The Yummy Bowl

      sounds awesome, glad you enjoyed Kate, thank you!

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Easy Breakfast Casserole - The Yummy Bowl (2024)

FAQs

Why is my breakfast casserole soggy? ›

Why is my breakfast casserole soggy? The primary suspects are not pre-cooking the veggies and and not draining the sausage grease. Here are my best tips to make sure you end up with a perfect breakfast sausage casserole.

What's the difference between a frittata and a breakfast casserole? ›

As for the cooking process, frittata is made by briefly cooking an egg-based custard in a cast-iron pan on the stove, then baking it for a short time in the oven. Meanwhile, the egg custard in a breakfast casserole is poured over layers of other ingredients in a deep baking dish before going into the oven.

What's the difference between a breakfast casserole and a strata? ›

Strata is otherwise known as “the breakfast casserole that your overnight guests will think you toiled away on all morning when in reality, you simply whipped it up the night before and just popped in the oven.” “Strata” is much shorter. Stratas are egg casseroles made with bread—lots of it.

Why do you have to refrigerate breakfast casserole overnight? ›

The casserole is covered and refrigerated overnight to allow the liquid ingredients to be absorbed into the bread. This is a perishable mixture and should be cooked the morning or day after assembly. Bake in an oven set no lower than 325 °F. Most recipes suggest 350 °F.

Can you make egg casserole 2 days ahead without? ›

Cover the casserole and store it (unbaked) in the refrigerator overnight or up to one day. Bake in the morning, according to recipe instructions. To freeze breakfast casserole prepare the recipe and add to your pan. Cover well with plastic wrap and then tinfoil and freeze for 2-3 months.

Which is healthier quiche or frittata? ›

While often compared to quiche, a frittata is a healthier option because it doesn't have a crust. The benefits are a lot like those of an omelet. At home, you can pile on vegetables and control the amount of oil you use to make it even healthier.

What is a crustless egg dish called? ›

In the most basic framework, a quiche has a pie crust and a frittata does not. A quiche is an egg custard pie and a frittata is, well, a crustless quiche.

What Italian egg dish is similar to a crustless quiche? ›

A frittata is an Italian egg dish like an omelet or quiche but lazy and forgiving. It's lazy because the recipe is easy, and you don't have to do the tricky omelet fold. It's also forgiving since you don't have to make a crust, and it uses no cream or milk, unlike an omelet or quiche.

What is the difference between quiche and breakfast casserole? ›

Egg Casserole

They are heartier than a quiche, leaning more towards a strata in texture. If you are dairy-free, you can use almond, cashew, coconut, hemp, rice, soy milk, or any other non-dairy milk you prefer.

What is a breakfast quiche called? ›

Frittatas are Italian in origin and can be described as a cross between an omelet and a crustless quiche. Frittatas take less time to make than quiche or strata. The dish is traditionally made by beating eggs with dairy—often heavy cream or half and half—together with ingredients like vegetables, meats and cheeses.

What is a breakfast casserole made of? ›

To make a breakfast casserole you beat some eggs, add milk and cheese, add cubed bread, add "mix-ins" like mushrooms, veggies, sausage, and herbs, put it in a casserole dish, and bake.

What are 3 traditional breakfast dishes? ›

This series of lists pertains to food and beverages popular in American breakfast. In the United States, breakfast often consists of either a cereal or an egg-based dish. However, pancakes, waffles, toast, and variants of the full breakfast and continental breakfast are also prevalent.

Can you bake two breakfast casseroles at the same time? ›

Can you cook 2 or more dishes in the oven at once? Yes. Most people fret when it comes to cooking two dishes at once, but it's your oven's job to keep the internal temperature set to what you selected. It may have to work a little harder when two or more cold dishes are inserted but trust that it will do its job.

Why is my breakfast casserole runny? ›

This is often due to high water content in some vegetables and dense meats that are used in these dishes. Browning /cooking the meats (and draining off any excess liquid) and sautéing the vegetables before cooking often helps this issue.

How to fix a soggy casserole? ›

10 Tips To Fix Or Prevent Watery Casseroles
  1. Prep vegetables ahead of time. Solstock/Getty Images. ...
  2. Add a starch. NIKCOA/Shutterstock. ...
  3. Experiment with pasta or grains. Pidjoe/Getty Images. ...
  4. Take the lid off. ...
  5. Drain fat from meat. ...
  6. Choose a dry or low-fat cheese. ...
  7. Sprinkle seeds into your bake. ...
  8. Remove excess liquid.
Oct 29, 2023

How do you keep casserole topping from getting soggy? ›

Nuts. Naturally crunchy and unlikely to get soggy like the other foods on this list, nuts make a delicious choice for casserole topping. Good, neutral options include chopped walnuts or almond slivers. For bolder flavor and color, opt for pistachios, or make it an extra rich dish with a sprinkling of toasted cashews.

How do you moisten a dry breakfast casserole? ›

Covering the dish will trap the steam in and keep it moist while it heats. How do you moisten a dry casserole? Add a little water or milk to the top of the it before reheating.

How do you fix soggy scrambled eggs? ›

Scrambled eggs can become watery if they are overcooked or cooked at too high a temperature, causing the proteins to squeeze out moisture. Cooking them gently over low to medium heat and not over-stirring can help prevent excess moisture.

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