Description
A savory, cheesy, and crispy overnight breakfast casserole that allows you to prep the night before and bake in the morning. Perfect for feeding a crowd or enjoying a stress-free weekend brunch.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound pork breakfast sausage (links removed from casings)
- 2 cups frozen shredded hash browns (thawed)
- 1 loaf French bread or baguette (diced into 1-inch cubes)
- 8 large eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Butter or cooking spray (for greasing dish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until browned and crispy, about 8-10 minutes. Drain excess grease and set aside to cool.
- Dice the bread into 1-inch cubes. If the bread is fresh, toast the cubes in the oven at 350°F for 5 minutes to dry them out, then let cool.
- Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Spread half of the diced bread in the bottom.
- Sprinkle half of the cooked sausage over the bread, followed by half of the thawed hash browns.
- Repeat layers with remaining bread, sausage, and hash browns.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, heavy cream, whole milk, salt, pepper, mustard powder, and garlic powder until uniform.
- Pour the egg mixture evenly over the layered ingredients. Gently press down with a spatula to ensure absorption. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is golden brown, cheese is bubbly, and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cover with foil if browning too fast.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
For best results, use stale bread to prevent a soggy texture. Ensure hash browns are thawed and drained to avoid excess water. The casserole can be assembled the night before, covered, and refrigerated overnight; add 5-10 minutes to baking time if baking from cold. Do not freeze, as the texture of eggs and dairy will suffer.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 650
- Fat: 20
- Saturated Fat: 9
- Carbohydrates: 28
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 22
Keywords: breakfast casserole, make-ahead breakfast, sausage casserole, overnight breakfast, brunch recipe, easy breakfast, egg bake