Moist, fluffy, and flavorful breakfast bake is a lifesaving casserole for busy cooks feeding a crowd!
Egg-soaked bread is layered with ham, diced onion, bell pepper, and cheddar cheese under a crunchy buttery breadcrumb topping for a cozy and comforting breakfast or brunch.
This one-dish overnight brunch or breakfast is a guaranteed family favorite and makes it easy to host guests.
Our Favorite Breakfast Bake
- Relax and ease into your morning with this make ahead recipe.
- Stretch your food dollar with this budget helper and use up leftover buns, or bits of meat or veggies from the week.
- This a great weekend meal to feed a crowd – just set the casserole on the table and let guests and family help themselves.
- Delish served with a piping hot latte, a coffee, or even a London fog.
Ingredients & Variations
Eggs – Scrambled eggs are the essential foundation. Use egg whites for extra protein or if cutting back on fat. Be sure to add milk, or the bread will not absorb the eggs.
Bread – Leftover bread, hamburger or hot dog buns work well here because they have just the right amount of crust. If they are starting to stale, that’s even better. Or, you can use slices of stale bread.
Ham – Diced ham of any kind combined with egg and cheese for a delicious rich and smokey flavor.
Vegetables – Use fresh bell peppers and onions. Yellow bell peppers are a good middle of sweetness between green (least sweet) and red, which are the sweetest. Use what you like best or have on hand. Breakfast egg bake is so forgiving!
Cheese – Cheddar cheese is the best for melting and flavor. Choose between mild, medium, or extra sharp.
Variations – This versatile recipe will accommodate your favorite flavors or your pantry stock. Substitute sausage or bacon crumbles. Switch out the cheddar for pepper jack. Tater tots or hash browns can be tossed in or used as the bottom layer, as could biscuits, crumbled or cut in half.
How to Make a Breakfast Bake
- Place buns or bread in a single layer, cut side down, as described in the recipe below.
- Sprinkle with diced ham and peppers.
- Whisk eggs with milk, seasonings, and remaining ingredients, except cheese, and pour over the bread and ham layer.
- Top with shredded cheddar, reserving some for the topping.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow bread to absorb the egg mixture.
- In the morning, top with remaining cheese and buttered breadcrumbs, and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for an hour.
Tips & Tricks
- Bake this casserole with a foil cover to prevent it drying out. Then remove the cover 10-15 minutes at the end to allow the top to brown.
- Use a glass casserole dish instead of a metal baking pan to prevent the bottom from burning.
Leftovers?
- Tightly wrap leftovers in individual portions, and refrigerate up to 3-4 days, or in a freezer zip bag for up to 3 months.
- Thaw before reheating in the oven in a foil packet or covered baking dish.
More Breakfast Ideas
Have you tried this Breakfast Bake Recipe? Leave a comment and rating below!
Breakfast Bake
Ingredients
Base
- 4-5 dry hot dog buns, hamburger buns or thick bread , or enough to cover bottom of 9 x 13 dish
- 1 cup diced ham , or back bacon or cooked bacon
- 1 red bell pepper , diced
Egg Layer
- 8 eggs
- 2 ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ small red onion , finely chopped
- 1 bell pepper , red or yellow, chopped fine (or other veggies)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese , or slices to cover casserole
Topping
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup dry bread crumbs
- ½ cup melted butter
Instructions
Base
- Butter a 9×13 inch casserole dish. Place buns cut side down to cover the bottom of the casserole dish. Use broken pieces to fill in any empty spots.
- Top bread with ham and one diced red pepper.
Egg Layer
- In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk, dry mustard and black pepper. Add onion and finely chopped bell pepper. Pour mixture on top of buns.
- Sprinkle with 2 cups cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Topping
- In the morning, preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle casserole with ¼ cup shredded cheese.
- In a small bowl, melt butter and mix with breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over casserole.
- Bake uncovered for 60 minutes. Check after 45 minutes. Place foil on top if browning too much for the remainder of cook time.
- Remove from oven and rest for 10 minutes before serving.*
Notes
- If you prefer less crumbs, pour ¼ cup melted butter over top of casserole, mix ¼ cup melted butter with ½ cup crumbs, and sprinkle over casserole.
- If using thinner bread (rather than buns), make two layers of the bread.
- *The breakfast casserole puffs up while baking, and settles after it’s been out of the oven for a few minutes.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information does not include optional ingredients or garnish and is an estimate. It may change based on actual ingredients and cooking methods used.
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