This Overnight Breakfast Casserole skips the bread entirely, so what you get is a rich, savory egg bake carried by sausage, sharp cheddar, and sauteed vegetables, closer to a frittata than a strata.
The Short Version
This is the dish that opens every holiday brunch in our family, straight from my mother-in-law's original recipe, and just like many treasured family recipes, it's never once needed updating to earn that spot.
It's a genuine make-ahead: eggs, sausage, and vegetables get layered the night before and refrigerated, so all that's left in the morning is an hour in the oven. Since there's no bread involved, it's naturally gluten-free too.
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What I Learned Making This
My mother-in-law has made this recipe for decades. It came from one of those spiral-bound community cookbooks, the kind put together as a fundraiser (probably a church or school cookbook), where every recipe was submitted by somebody's grandmother and none of them had ever been tested by a food blogger, just by whether people actually made them again. This one clearly did, because more than two decades after it landed on our family's table, it's still what she brings out every single holiday morning.
I haven't changed her ratios. The only thing I pay close attention to is spacing the egg yolks evenly around the dish before anything else goes in, so that every square ends up with one. It's a small thing, but it's the difference between a slice that looks like an afterthought and one that looks like it was actually planned.
★★★★★
"Made this a couple christmases ago and it was everything I wanted it to be. Delish. Making again tonight for tomorrow morning!"
Kathryn
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Ground pork sausage. My go-to is Jimmy Dean bulk breakfast sausage. It's reliable, easy to find, and browns without needing much doctoring. A gluten-free breakfast sausage works here too if you're serving someone with a sensitivity, since nothing else in the casserole contains gluten.
- Eggs. I use large eggs. Twelve of them go directly into the baking dish rather than into a separate bowl, which is part of what keeps this recipe quick at night.
- Heavy cream. This is what keeps the eggs from drying out overnight in the fridge and gives the finished casserole its richness. Half-and-half works in its place for a slightly lighter result, if you'd rather not use a full cup of heavy cream. I'd resist reaching for whole milk instead. It's thin enough that you lose the rich flavor the cream is there for.
- Extra sharp cheddar cheese. We're big fans of the sharpness against the savory sausage and mushrooms. Sharp or mild cheddar, or a mix of all of them, works as a swap if extra sharp is too much for your table.
- Mushrooms, onion, and green pepper. Sauteed alongside the sausage, these bulk up the casserole and keep it from being just eggs and meat. If you genuinely don't care for mushrooms, leave them out, though I haven't tested how that changes the texture once it's baked.
- Optional mushroom sauce (canned cream of mushroom soup, milk, garlic powder). This gets drizzled over the top and is completely optional, but I'd call it highly recommended. If you'd rather not use canned soup, this homemade cream of mushroom soup recipe from Culinary Hill is one I'd point you to as a starting place.
How to Make
Crack the eggs into the Dish
Keep the yolks intact and spaced evenly, then pour the cream over the top. Brown the sausage and sauté the vegetables.
Layer the cheese, the sausage mixture, then more cheese
Half the cheese goes directly over the eggs before the sausage mixture goes on top. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake straight from the fridge in the morning.
Before You make This
- Distribute the egg yolks evenly around the pan before you build the rest of the layers. This is the difference between every square having a yolk in it and half the pan being yolk-free. Once the sausage and cheese go on top, you can't fix it, so get this part right first.
- Poke a hole in each egg yolk with a toothpick before you add the cream. Left whole, the yolks stay as solid domes that don't take on any of the cream around them and can bake unevenly. Breaking the surface lets a little cream mix in, so the eggs set more evenly across the dish.
- Drain the sausage before it goes into the dish. Excess grease pools at the bottom of the casserole and makes the eggs greasy instead of clean-tasting. A few minutes with the meat in a colander is worth it.
- Cover tightly before it goes in the fridge overnight. A loose cover lets the eggs pick up other flavors from the fridge and can dry out the top layer before it ever sees the oven.
FAQs
Since there's no bread in this recipe, it's a solid option for guests with gluten sensitivities. Use a gluten-free breakfast sausage and, if you're making the mushroom sauce, a gluten-free cream of mushroom soup.
Either way works. The overnight version is built for mornings when you don't want to do any prep before guests arrive, but you can assemble and bake it same-day if that's easier for your schedule.
Serving suggestions
This casserole is the centerpiece, so I round out the table with things that don't need much attention in the morning. This sour cream coffee cake recipe from my grandma stays moist and tender for days and is easily made ahead. For something green, this arugula salad with a lemony vinaigrette holds up well sitting out during a longer brunch. If you're pouring drinks, a pitcher of breakfast mimosas means nobody's stuck mixing individual cocktails while the casserole is still warm.
Recipe
Overnight Breakfast Casserole with Sausage
Ingredients
Casserole:
- 1 pound ground pork sausage (I used Jimmy Dean)
- 8 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- salt and pepper
- 12 large eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 pound shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, divided
Optional Mushroom Sauce:
- 1 (10.5-oz can) condensed cream of mushroom soup
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
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Instructions
Casserole:
- Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Set aside.
- Brown sausage in a skillet over medium heat. Drain the meat well; excess grease left in makes the eggs greasy. Add mushrooms, onion, and green pepper to the same skillet. Cook over medium heat for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.1 pound ground pork sausage , 8 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms, 1 large onion, , 1 green pepper, , salt and pepper
- Break eggs into the baking dish, keeping the yolks intact, doing your best to evenly distribute the yolks around the pan. Poke a hole in each yolk with a toothpick; this lets the cream mix in slightly so the eggs set evenly. Pour cream over the eggs and top with half of the cheese.12 large eggs, 1 cup heavy cream, 1 pound shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese,
- Using a slotted spoon, add sausage mixture to the baking dish. Top with remaining cheese, cover tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350℉. Bake covered for 30 minutes and uncovered for another 30 minutes, until set.
Mushroom sauce:
- Combine soup, milk and garlic powder in a small saucepan and cook until heated through. Add additional milk to reach your desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with the casserole.1 (10.5-oz can) condensed cream of mushroom soup, ½ cup milk, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Notes
- Prep the yolks carefully. Distribute the yolks evenly around the pan so everyone gets a slice with a yolk in it. Poke each yolk with a toothpick before adding the cream. Whole yolks stay solid and don't cook as evenly.
- Drain the sausage thoroughly. Leftover grease pools at the bottom and makes the eggs taste greasy.
- Cheese swap: Sharp or mild cheddar, or a mix, works in place of extra sharp if you want a milder result.
- Cream swap: Half-and-half works in place of the whipping cream for a slightly lighter result. Whole milk is too thin and won't give you the same rich flavor, so avoid that swap.
- Gluten-free: Use a gluten-free breakfast sausage and, if serving the mushroom sauce, a gluten-free cream of mushroom soup.
- Make ahead: Assemble up to 12 hours ahead, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Bake straight from the fridge.
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Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
Linda king says
My household is iniversally not a fan. The taste of the casserole is good, but noone liked the texture of the egg white/egg yolk. We won't be making this again.
Hi Linda, keeping the egg whites and yolks separate might not be for everyone. If you liked the flavor, try whisking the eggs before adding in the rest of the ingredients.
Pat Bozek says
If you double the recipe, do you double the time?
Hi Pat, I've never doubled the sausage in this recipe. It's plenty filling, in my opinion. If you try it, please stop back and let us know your thoughts!
Arleen says
Can left overs be frozen ?
Hi Arleen, I've never frozen any leftovers so I can't say for sure. If you give it a try, please stop back and let others know how it worked for you!
Molly Anderson says
I just made this for me and my husband. I’m trying to incorporate more protein in my diet and it definitely filled me up! I did about 4.5 oz of sharp cheddar, 5 oz colby jack, and then 5 oz mozzarella on top of the sausage mix (I was low on cheeses lol) instead of just sharp cheddar. It turned out so yummy and so flavorful. Great recipe!!