This is hands-down one of the Easiest Breakfast Casseroles you’ll ever make—no exaggeration, no gourmet gymnastics required. Just a handful of simple ingredients, a little layering action, and you’re on your way to breakfast glory. Whether you go with crumbled sausage or chopped ham (or whatever odds and ends you’re trying to use up), this casserole delivers every time—minimal effort, maximum applause.
Easiest Breakfast Casserole
Picture this: it’s Saturday morning, the kids actually roll out of bed (small miracle), and this beauty is already in the oven or on the table, all hot, bubbly, and loaded with cheesy, savory goodness. Or maybe you’ve got weekend guests and want to pull off an effortless brunch that says, “Oh this? Just something I threw together.” This is it: weekend magic in a baking dish.
About the Easiest Breakfast Casserole:
If you’re feeling fancy, you might call this a breakfast strata, but it’s really just a savory bread pudding in disguise, and we’re fine keeping things humble. Especially in the am! We just call it casserole and call it a day.
Besides, no matter what it’s called, you’ll love is how it all comes together: layers of bread (think French toast’s savory cousin), soaked in an easy egg and milk mixture, topped off with a hearty helping of sausage or ham, and of course, there’s cheese. Because mornings without cheese? We don’t do that here.
Making the Easiest Breakfast Casserole:
Like any bread pudding, this is best made with bread that’s sturdy (not your softest everyday white sandwich bread) and bread that’s a little dry.
If time allows, cut the bread into cubes and air dry for about 8 to 10 hours (if you have a safe place for it), or if you need to get to work on it in a hurry, dry the cubes of bread in the oven. Directions are in the recipe.
Easiest Breakfast Casserole
Make Ahead:
The casserole can be assembled the night before and baked off in the morning, but it’s quick enough and easy enough to make the morning of.
If you decide to assemble the night before, don’t put the cheese on until you’re ready to bake, and when morning comes, if at all possible, take out of the fridge an hour ahead.
A bit of a compromise is to brown the sausage or prepare the ham the night before. The eggs, milk, and seasoning can be mixed the night before, and the cheese grated if needed. Then the morning assembly is super quick. It’s up to you.
Variations:
If desired, this can be fancied up with a few veggies:
- Diced vegetables can be sautéed in about a tablespoon of butter or oil, Choose about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of vegetables of your choice.
- Bell pepper, onion, and mushroom all work very well. Sprinkle over the ham or sausage layer, then add cheese and proceed with the recipe.
The cheese can be varied, as well; anything that will melt will work well here.
Serve With:
For an elegant touch, serve your casserole with a simply dressed spring green salad, a simple fruit salad, or an assortment of fresh fruit. We happen to love honeydew and cantaloupe with ours.
Of course, you can’t go wrong with bacon, since the casserole already calls for sausage or ham.
Leftover Breakfast Casserole:
Store in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for three to four days. This works best if cooled before covering.
- For best results, reheat servings, lightly covered, in the microwave.
- Larger amounts may do better in the oven. Reheat in a preheated oven (350 degrees F.), covered, for 15 to 20 minutes. If it appears dry, drizzle with just a little milk or water, recover, and heat for a few more minutes until absorbed.
I do not recommend freezing this casserole.
Saving Money on the Easiest Breakfast Casserole:
Let’s talk budget tips: You are likely to find great prices on all kinds of breakfast items in the week prior to almost any holiday, but particularly prior to those holidays famous for brunch, Easter and Mother’s Day.
Use holidays as opportunities to stock up (in as much as you can) on many items, buying enough to last for weeks or months. To see what might be on sale during any holiday, check out my post Win at the Grocery and follow the clickable photos at the bottom of the page.
Take advantage of discount stores like Aldi or Lidl, if you have one nearby.
Breakfast Sausage and Ham:
There’s no sense in ever paying full price for either item.
- Ham: If using ham, your best bet is to buy a portion when it is on a holiday sale. It will keep in the fridge for several weeks, can be frozen, or can be prepared and served, and leftovers portioned for the freezer. Seriously, a six to eight pound ham portion can be picked up on a holiday sale for less than the price of a ham “steak” from the grocery store almost any time of the year.
- Breakfast Sausage used to be incredibly cheap; these days, it pays to watch the sales and freeze. Take it out of the freezer a day or two before; it’s a struggle to work with frozen. If not an option, try sawing off the metal at the ends of a tube and using the defrost setting on the microwave. When partially thawed, remove and pull off the wrapper and any thawed portion before placing back in the microwave to thaw the rest.
Eggs:
- Both Aldi & Lidl, as well as buyer’s clubs, have great everyday prices but usually do not approach a great pre-holiday grocery store sales price.
- If you have room, stock up at a low. Eggs keep for several weeks after the “buy by” date. They are best stored in the original container on the bottom shelf, not the door.
- The American Egg Board (the people behind the Incredible Edible Egg Commercials) is a great resource for any egg questions!
Grocery Cheese:
- Grocery Store Cheese is a great item to pick up at rock-bottom prices and keep on hand. The best pricing is a discount store’s sales, but if not an option, know the lows at your grocery.
- Cheese keeps for weeks, unopened, and can be frozen. After freezing, it will be a little crumbly but still great for casseroles and cooking.
Bread:
- Buy a sturdy bread for this casserole, but do shop around for it! It doesn’t have to be gourmet or fancy, but do check the bread aisle as well as the bakery.
- The discount stores are going to be a great bet.
Easiest Breakfast Casserole
Easiest Breakfast Casserole
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 55
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x
- Category: breakfast & brunch
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 10 dry white bread slices, cut into cubes (about 10 cups of cubes)
- 1 pound ground pork sausage, crumbled and cooked or about 1 1/2 cups diced ham
- 1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar
- 10 large eggs
- 2 cups milk (do not use low-fat or nonfat)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- pepper to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon)
Instructions
See instructions for drying bread and/or assembling ahead are below, as well as adding optional vegetables.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a 9×13-inch glass baking dish. Place bread in prepared dish. Top bread with sausage or ham and cheese.
In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, milk, mustard, and salt and pepper as desired. Pour over sausage mixture. (May be prepared 1 day ahead and refrigerated until ready to cook.)
Bake casserole until puffed and center is set, about 45 – 50 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes and room temperature, then cut into squares.
Optional Vegetables: If desired, saute in about a tablespoon of butter or oil about 1 1/2 to 2 cups vegetables. Bell pepper, onion, and mushroom all work very well. Sprinkle over the ham or sausage layer, then add cheese and proceed with the recipe.
Preparing the Bread:
If there is a safe place to do so, bread cubes may be dried in the open air for at least 8 hours or overnight. If not, dry in the oven on a large sheet tray (or two) at 250 degrees F. for 20 to 30 minutes, redistributing every 10 minutes. Do not allow to brown. Remove promptly and cool before proceeding.
Assembling Ahead:
The casserole can be prepared ahead, but hold the cheese until ready to bake. To bake, remove from the fridge about an hour before ready to bake, and when ready to bake, add the cheese on top and continue with the recipe.
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I’ll be taking this recipe by Fiesta Friday, hosted this week by Zeba @ Food For The Soul and Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook.
Helpful Links:
If you came to this recipe looking for a way to use ham, be sure to check out the link below for 12 Days of Ham. You might want to see the sister post for 12 Days of Turkey, too.
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