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This easy to prepare, Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole is chock full of hearty bacon, ham, cheeses and spinach. Put this together the night before and just pop it in the oven in the morning. Warm, cheesy and delicious!
Ladies and gentlemen, meet my weekend morning winner: a warm and cheesy, hearty and flavor-loaded, make-ahead breakfast casserole! Just look at those colors. And that golden, bubbly top. Can you even?!
Safe to say, I’m obsessed. There’s always a perfect time to enjoy this easy casserole, any time of the year. It’s chock full of bacon, ham, spinach, feta cheese and eggs… a full breakfast, baked all-in-one. The flavors are delicious while being mild enough for kids.
If calories weren’t a thing, I’d eat an entire breakfast casserole every Sunday. Just like if shopping was an Olympic sport, I’d have about five gold medals. A girl can dream!
Why I Love This Breakfast Casserole
- You make it ahead. What’s not to love about waking up to breakfast that’s all set to just bake up into the oven? You could even whip up the casserole in the morning, place it in the fridge and have breakfast-for-dinner ready that night. My favorite meal of the day!
- It looks and tastes amazing. The ingredients make this one of the best overnight breakfasts around. The egg base is full of flavor and dotted with pops of colorful veggies and proteins, looking and tasting delicious.
- It’s perfect to feed a crowd. This breakfast casserole serves between 6 to 10 people (depending on how hungry your people are), making it ideal for holidays and leftovers! It’ll satisfy everyone at the table and then some, trust me.
- Next to zero clean-up. One bowl, and one casserole dish means less dishes in the sink, which is winning in my books.
What You’ll Need
This breakfast casserole recipe is the perfect excuse to use up leftover ham and other ingredients you may have kicking around the fridge.
- Eggs: My recipe calls for 8 large eggs, which should be enough to fill the baking dish along with all the other ingredients.
- Milk: This girl keeps it light with skim milk. Of course, you can also use whole milk if you prefer.
- Bacon: You’ll need strips of bacon cooked to your preferred crispiness. I like mine a bit more crispy so that the bacon crumbles easily!
- Ham: You’ll need cooked ham that’s been diced. Did I mention this casserole is great for leftovers?!
- French Bread: Or another crusty loaf like ciabatta or sourdough, cubed into chunks.
- Spinach: I use fresh baby spinach. You can use frozen, just make sure to thaw the leaves and drain them first!
- Cheddar Cheese: I suggest sharp cheddar as it has great flavor that holds up well with the eggs and bacon. You’ll need to shred it, or buy pre-shredded cheddar. You can set some aside to toss over top of the casserole as well!
- Feta Cheese: I love the pockets of crumbled feta that melt throughout the casserole as it bakes.
- Seasoning: Ground nutmeg, salt and a crack of fresh black pepper for added flavor.
How to Make A Breakfast Casserole
Whether you’re making this easy casserole in the morning to bake right away, or storing it for the next day, the steps are super simple. Grab a bowl and let’s get started!
- Combine the Ingredients: First, whisk the eggs and milk. Next you’ll stir the meats and veggies into the mix, as well as the cheese and seasonings. Lastly, in go the bread cubes. Toss everything in the egg mixture until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Fill the Pan: Pour the casserole filling into a greased baking pan. Go ahead, give it a sprinkle of extra cheese. You know you want to.
- Store: Skip this step if you’re baking this casserole right away. If not, carefully cover the top of the casserole with foil, and then place it in the fridge overnight for safe keeping!
- Bake: Remove the foil and pop the prepared casserole into a preheated oven. Bake the casserole uncovered until the eggs have set and the top is a delicious, puffed up golden brown. Give it a sec to cool off a bit, and then serve!
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Pre-cook the add-Ins: When it comes to add-ins and variations of this recipe, don’t forget to use pre-cooked ingredients! Meats and vegetables should be cooked ahead of being added to the egg mixture for the casserole. This ensures that meats are cooked properly and that vegetables don’t water down the casserole!
- Proteins: Instead of ham and bacon, load up your casserole with other proteins like chorizo, sausage, chicken, or even ground beef.
- Veggies: You can mix up this recipe with all your favorite vegetables! Bell peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, broccoli, asparagus, and kale are all great ideas. I highly recommend cooking any veggies before adding them into the eggs, to avoid the casserole getting watery.
- Hashbrowns: Toss in some shredded or diced potatoes (or leftover roasted potatoes!) for an even heartier breakfast casserole.
- Cheese: Try out different kinds of shredded and crumbled cheeses besides cheddar and feta. Toss in grated parmesan, Swiss cheese, or Gruyère. Or make a tex-mex version with Monterey Jack!
Serving Suggestions
This breakfast casserole is crazy versatile, friends. Serve up a slice with your morning coffee(s) or whip out the entire casserole for family brunch.
- Make it a full breakfast and enjoy your casserole with a side of hashbrowns, scrambled eggs, toast, and baked beans.
- And If you’re doing brunch, you can’t forget the Mimosas (Or if you’re feeding a crowd, why not go with a pitcher!)
- For a light, healthy breakfast, have a slice of this casserole alongside an easy Fruit Salad or Acai bowl with an Immunity Boosting Smoothie!
- Serve it with sweet breakfast ideas like Homemade Pumpkin Muffins or Blueberry Banana Bread.
How to Store and Reheat Extras
Store leftovers of your baked breakfast casserole in the fridge, airtight or covered, for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat slices in the oven or in the microwave before serving.
Can I Freeze It?
Yes! I wasn’t kidding when I said this recipe was make-ahead. You can store this breakfast casserole whole, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or stored in a freezer-safe container. You can also freeze individual portions separately, also wrapped or in freezer bags! This casserole keeps frozen for up to 3-4 months.
Thaw the casserole in the fridge overnight, and then reheat it in the oven or the microwave.
Common Questions
If you’re storing your casserole in the fridge, you can make this breakfast up to 48 hours ahead. Any longer than that and I’d recommend freezing it instead! When you’re ready to bake it, leave the casserole to sit out on the counter for about half an hour, or while the oven preheats, to take the chill out.
This could be a sign that the eggs are overcooked. This is likely because the casserole was left in the oven too long or the temperature was too high! Check on the casserole towards the end of the baking time, to make sure you take it out on time. You can also let the casserole cool down a bit before slicing, which helps the filling set up a bit.
The eggs should be set, and the top should be puffed up and a nice golden brown. If you really want to get technical, you can use a thermometer to check that the internal temperature of the casserole is 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
More Easy Breakfast Ideas
- Overnight Breakfast Enchiladas
- Tomato and Zucchini Frittata
- The Best Migas Recipe
- Easy Vegetarian Spinach Quiche
- Slow Cooker Veggie Omelette
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Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon, cooked to a desired crispness and crumbled
- 1 (8-ounce) loaf of French bread, cut into 2-inch cubes
- 8 large eggs
- 3 cups skim milk
- ½ cup diced ham
- 1 to 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- shredded cheddar cheese, for topping
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish or a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and milk; whisk the two until well blended.
- Stir in the crumbled bacon, ham, spinach, cheeses and ground nutmeg; season the mixture with salt and pepper.
- Add the bread; mix it all until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the mixture into previously prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
- Cover the casserole with foil and refrigerate it overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Bake the casserole uncovered for 50 minutes or until the eggs are cooked and the top is puffed and golden brown.
- Let it stand for several minutes before serving.
Notes
- The casserole can be made and refrigerated up to 48 hours ahead of baking.
- Store leftover baked casserole airtight in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Store it in the freezer for 3-4 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Brilliant idea. I always have ambitious breakfast plans … the night before. Then I wake up at noon and settle for a cup of coffee and a container of yogurt. Speaking of which, I need another cup of coffee. 🙂
LOOOOL!!!! 😀 I love all the plans I make before going to bed because I sleep better. Then, I wake up, and well, they were *just* plans… no harm done. haha 😉