Make-Ahead Egg and Sausage Wake-Up Casserole
Serve this easy Make-Ahead Egg and Sausage Wake-Up Casserole to get your family jumping out of bed. A yummy breakfast strata like this one, made with cooked sausage, eggs, and melted cheese makes a fast morning meal. Just add some fresh fruit on the side.
Make-Ahead Egg and Sausage Wake-Up Casserole Recipe
Howdy! Chef Alli Here. Let’s Get You Cookin’….Shall We? ?
There is not a breakfast casserole in the land that my family doesn’t love. And trust me, we’ve tried nearly every. single. one!
Actually, we love all things BREAKFAST, and most of our favorites contain eggs in some way or form: strata, French toast bake, omelets, quiche, egg casserole, fritattas. You just name it.
Breakfast meals like Sheet Pan Pecan French Toast Bake or Oven-Baked Caramel Apple French Toast send my family right over the moon.
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And since we really enjoy breakfast for dinner, we often bake Biscuit and Gravy Breakfast Casserole (with sausage!), Cowboy Breakfast Bites, or Ham and Cheddar Cheese Quiche (made with puff pastry).
What to Love About This Recipe –
- Make-ahead meals are the best thing ever.
- This breakfast bake freezes really well. Make – freeze – thaw – bake! So Easy.
- Breakfast casseroles are cozy, warm, and comforting. Who doesn’t love that???
Is Breakfast Casserole and Breakfast Strata the Same Thing?
Great question! In my mind, a breakfast strata is a type of breakfast casserole. All stratas are breakfast casseroles, but not all breakfast casseroles are stratas!
A strata typically always has cubed bread as one the main ingredients. Instead of cream as is used in most quiche recipes, most stratas call for milk. (So technically this recipe is a breakfast strata, fyi.)
Milk is what helps give breakfast strata the beautiful puffiness as it bakes, and also a wonderfully light texture, making it very close to what I’d call savory bread pudding.
And Don’t Confuse Breakfast Strata with a Breakfast Fritatta….
As stated above, breakfast strata is a type of breakfast casserole. A fritatta is something completely different!
A fritatta is an egg dish that’s similar in texture to an omelet or quiche; the way a fritatta is cooked is what sets it apart.
Frittatas are cooked in an oven-safe skillet (I like to use my cast iron skillet) because they are cooked about two-thirds of the way on the stovetop and then finished in the oven. This cooking method is what makes a frittata a bit crispy on top, unlike a quiche.
Why Does a Good Breakfast Bake Need to Rest in the Fridge for up to 24 Hours?
This step makes sure that all the bread (in the case of this recipe, the bagel bites) has a nice long time to absorb the milk and egg mixture, really helping the strata to get puffy and light, with an almost souffle texture.
How to Make Egg and Sausage Breakfast Bake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, onion, mustard, parsley, shredded cheese, cooked sausage, and bagel pieces.
- Pour the prepared egg mixture into a greased 2-quart oval casserole dish, spreading it out evenly; cover with foil and refrigerate for 4-8 hours, or overnight.
- When ready to bake the breakfast casserole, remove it from refrigeration about 1 hour before you’d like to bake it, uncovering it as as it rests on the counter.
- Bake the casserole, covered with foil, on the center oven rack for 35-40 minutes, or until the breakfast casserole is nicely puffy on top and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of the cooking time. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips for Making A Simple Every Day Breakfast Casserole with Sausage and Eggs
- If possible, let the breakfast casserole rest overnight in the fridge so the liquids can be absorbed into the bagel pieces.
- If you’re like me, tempted to add half-or-half or cream in place of the milk, don’t do it! The consistency of milk is lighter than cream helping the casserole become puffy and tender.
- Any cooked meat can be substitute in place of the sausage in this breakfast bake. We enjoy using chopped ham or chopped bacon in place of the sausage.
- And the same goes for cheese in this breakfast bake, substitute any preferred shredded cheese in place of the cheddar.
- If you make this for a brunch and would like a more upscale version of this casserole for your guests, substitute feta cheese in place of the cheddar, then add 1 cup well-drained and chopped artichoke hearts and 2 Tbs. kalamata olives into the bread mixture. Divine!
More Breakfast Recipes to Enjoy –
- 2-Ingredient Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns
- Instant Pot Cheesy Bacon Egg Bites
- Easy Baked Cinnamon-Sugar Donuts
- Super Moist Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Muffins
- Easy Orange Breakfast Crescents
Printable Make-Ahead Sausage and Egg Casserole Recipe
Make-Ahead Egg and Sausage Wake-Up Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups bagel pieces about 3/4-inch in size (this is about 6 oz.)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 lb. sausage cooked, crumbled, and fats drained
- 2 cups milk
- 4 eggs beaten
- 1 tsp. granulated onion
- 1 Tbs. spicy brown mustard or substitute 1 tsp. ground mustard powder
- 2 Tbs. chopped flat-leaf parsley optional
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs; whisk in the milk, onion, mustard, and parsley. Add the shredded cheese, cooked sausage, and bagel pieces, stirring to combine.
- Pour the prepared egg mixture into a greased 2-quart oval casserole dish, spreading it out evenly; cover with foil and refrigerate for 4-8 hours, or overnight.
- When ready to bake the breakfast casserole, remove it from refrigeration about 1 hour before you’d like to bake it, uncovering it as as it rests on the counter. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake the casserole, covered with foil, on the center oven rack for 35-40 minutes, or until the breakfast casserole is nicely puffy on top and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean; remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of the baking time. Let the breakfast bake rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- If possible, let the breakfast casserole rest overnight in the fridge so the liquids can be absorbed into the bagel pieces.
- If you’re like me, tempted to add half-or-half or cream in place of the milk, don’t do it! The consistency of milk is lighter than cream helping the casserole become puffy and tender.
- Any cooked meat can be substitute in place of the sausage in this breakfast bake. We enjoy using chopped ham or chopped bacon in place of the sausage.
- And the same goes for cheese in this breakfast bake, substitute any preferred shredded cheese in place of the cheddar.
- If you make this for a brunch and would like a more upscale version of this casserole for your guests, substitute feta cheese in place of the cheddar, then add 1 cup well-drained and chopped artichoke hearts and 2 Tbs. kalamata olives into the bread mixture. Divine!
Nutrition
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