Christmas Morning Breakfast Casserole

A classic, baked bread and egg casserole with chunks of sausage, ham, mushrooms and lots of gooey Monterey Jack cheese. Perfect to greet a holiday or weekend  crowd, this Christmas Morning Breakfast Casserole is even good for a dinner.

Christmas is tomorrow so prep this today to pop it in the oven to bake Christmas morning without any fuss.

It starts with day old bread. I make this usually with a loaf of challah bread, but since I made my Gramma’s Potato Rolls the other day I had a few left over and thought they would be great in this. I was right.

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Just a quick chop and in the baking dish they went.

Next I browned some breakfast sausage. Feel free to use any kind you prefer.

Chopped red and green bell peppers, a red onion and sliced mushrooms went in the pan and browned with the sausage.

This mixture goes on top of the chopped bread.

Next comes the diced ham, green onions.

I shred up some Monterey Jack cheese to sprinkle on top.

Now give all of this a good toss to mix it up a bit if you like, or leave it as is layered.

In a mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, cream and water. Pour this over the entire dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight so it sets.

In the morning before guests or the family wake up, pop this in the oven to bake to a golden brown.

Under that crunchy bread and gooey cheese topping is a custard like egg mixture filled with all the sautéed goodies.

This is a fantastic breakfast casserole and feeds a crowd.

Lots of textures and the maple syrup comes through and goes well with the sausage and ham. With that hint of sweet and the savory it’s a winner.

The bread, egg and cheese bind all the sautéed vegetables and meats together beautifully.

I hope you give this a try and have a wonderful holiday. Enjoy!

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Review

5 from 3 votes

Christmas Morning Breakfast Casserole

A classic baked bread and egg breakfast casserole with chunks of sausage, ham, mushrooms and lots of gooey cheese. Perfect for a holiday or weekend crowd. Perfect for a holiday or weekend crowd. Adapted from Bryan Voltaggio's recipe in Food & Wine.

Prep Time40 mins

Cook Time50 mins

Total Time1 hr 30 mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American, Western

Keyword: breakfast casserole

Servings: 8

Calories: 792kcal

Author: Kevin Is Cooking

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb ground breakfast sausage
• 1 medium red onion diced
• 1 red bell pepper cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 green bell pepper cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 lb crimini mushrooms sliced
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 8 large eggs
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 8 cups day-old challah sliced 1 inch thick and cut into 1-inch dice (3/4 lb) (See Note 1)
• 6 oz ham finely diced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

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Instructions

• Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
• In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the sausage and brown over medium heat, breaking up pieces with spoon and until the fat is rendered, about 3 minutes. Add the red onion and cook until lightly browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the bell peppers, kosher salt, pepper and cook, about 7 minutes. Let cool completely.
• In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, water and maple syrup. To the greased baking dish layer the bread, vegetable mixture, ham, green onion and cheese. Pour the egg mixture evenly over all and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight to set.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Uncover the casserole and bake for about 50 minutes, until it’s just set and the top is browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

1. Feel free to use other breads like sourdough, bread rolls or wheat. Just be sure it's a day or two old and not too moist.

Nutrition Facts

Christmas Morning Breakfast Casserole

Amount Per Serving

Calories 792 Calories from Fat 531

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 59g 91%

Saturated Fat 27g 135%

Cholesterol 344mg 115%

Sodium 1008mg 42%

Potassium 620mg 18%

Total Carbohydrates 32g 11%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 9g

Protein 31g 62%

Vitamin A 40.8%

Vitamin C 41.1%

Calcium 34.3%

Iron 18.8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.