This easy Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole is loaded with savory sausage and cheese. It takes minutes to put together, can be made the night before and baked in the morning. It's the perfect breakfast or brunch casserole for Christmas morning or any morning for that matter.
When refrigerator space is at a premium, I like to dump the prepared casserole mixture into a ziploc bag, seal the bag and place it in a much smaller refrigerator space than an actual casserole dish would take up. The next morning, I transfer the mixture to my baking dish and pop it in the oven. I like to use a springform pan, but you can use whatever casserole dish meets your fancy. After about an hour, I have an amazing Breakfast Casserole that delights even the pickiest of eaters.
This Breakfast Casserole recipe is quite versatile. Rather than sausage, use bacon or ham. Want some vegetables? No problem - add some sautéed mushrooms, blanched broccoli, fresh spinach, etc.Ingredients for Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole
I used the following ingredients for this awesome Breakfast Casserole: Breakfast sausage, eggs, half and half, dry mustard, salt, freshly ground black pepper, seasoned croutons and extra sharp cheddar cheese.
I used croutons rather than the more traditional bread to simplify the recipe. You can use whatever croutons you like, but I used cheese and garlic Texas Toast croutons. For the sausage, I used Jimmy Dean hot sausage, but a mild sausage would also work.
Starting with the Sausage
As a first step, I browned and crumbled the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until all of the pink was gone. This took about 10 minutes. Then, I drained the cooked sausage on some paper towels to remove as much of the grease as possible. Because I was going to add it to eggs, I let the sausage cool for about 15 minutes before assembling the mixture.
Putting the Breakfast Casserole Mixture Together
Putting the Breakfast Casserole Mixture TogetherAfter the sausage cooled a bit, I cracked the eggs into a large bowl. Then, I added the half and half, dry mustard, salt and pepper to the eggs. Next, I whisked the custard until everything was nicely combined.
Once the liquid ingredients were well mixed, I added the cooked sausage, croutons and cheese. I stirred the mixture with a wooden spoon until everything was well combined.
Normally, at this point I would have transferred the mixture to a casserole dish. However, because my refrigerator space was quite limited, I decided to dump the mixture into a ziploc bag for easier placement in the refrigerator. After sealing the ziploc bag, I placed it in the refrigerator.
The Next Morning
The Next MorningThe next morning, I removed the ziploc bag from the refrigerator and dumped its contents into a greased 9-inch springform pan. I used a silicon spatula to smooth out the mixture. The reason for using a springform pan for this casserole was for both presentation and ease of serving.
I popped the Breakfast Casserole into a preheated 375°F oven for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, the eggs were nicely set and the top was a golden brown. Before serving this amazing Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole, I sprinkled the top with sliced green onion tops.
To say that the casserole was delicious is an understatement. As a side note, any leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated for about a minute in the microwave! Yum!
For additional Christmas breakfast or brunch ideas you should check out my:
- Sous Vide Bacon and Gruyère Egg Cups
- Classic Eggs Benedict
- Sausage Bread
- Sausage and Cheese Crescent Ring
- My Mother's Southern Cheese Grits with a Modern Twist
Recipe
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Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound (16 ounces) breakfast sausage, cooked, crumbled, drained and cooled (See Tip 1)
- 6 extra large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups (10 ounces) half and half (See Tip 2)
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups (5 ounces) seasoned croutons (See Tip 3)
- 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded extra sharp Cheddar cheese (See Tip 4)
- 2 Tablespoons sliced green onion tops for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Whisk together the eggs, half and half, dry mustard, salt and pepper until well combined. Add cooked sausage, croutons and cheese. Stir to combine.
- Transfer casserole mixture to a gallon ziploc bag. Remove as much air as possible from ziploc bag and seal. Place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or over night. (See Tip 5)
- The next morning, preheat oven to 375°F.
- Transfer casserole mixture to a 9-inch greased springform pan or 10 x 10 greased casserole dish. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until eggs are set and top is golden brown.
- Remove from oven; allow to sit for 10 minutes before removing the sides of the springform pan. If desired, garnish with sliced green onion tops.
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings. (See Tip 6)
Tips/Notes
- I used Jimmy Dean hot sausage. You could also use mild sausage, cooked bacon or diced ham.
- You could use whole milk in place of the half and half.
- I used cheese and garlic Texas Toast croutons. You could a different seasoned crouton. You can't really taste the seasoning from the croutons, but the seasoning provides a subtle addition to the casserole.
- You could also use sharp or mild cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese or other cheese of your choice.
- You can by-pass the ziploc bag and place the mixture in the springform pan or casserole dish that you are going to use and cover with aluminum foil. If you place it in a springform pan ahead of time, put the pan on a plate or baking sheet to catch any liquid that may leak out.
- Leftovers, if any can be refrigerated and reheated in the microwave for about 1 minute, or in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
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