This easy overnight casserole is layered with bread, cheese, crumbled sausage and green chilis, and soaked in a seasoned egg custard overnight. It couldn’t be simpler to put together and the best part is in the morning when your kitchen is clean and your dishes are done and all you have to do is pop it in the oven! The popular casserole is a staple on many people’s holiday tables. At my house, it’s been our Christmas morning breakfast for over 40 years, and we love it on Easter and other special occasions, too. Wouldn’t be a holiday without it!
Ingredient Notes
- Bread – No need to get fancy. While most similar casseroles call for dried out french bread, I actually recommend basic everyday soft white sandwich bread fresh from the bag.
- Cheese – You’ll need a lot of cheese! I call for a mix of Jack and Cheddar. That’s my favorite combination, but in a pinch I’ve also used Colby Jack, and it would also be great with some pepperjack in there. Experiment if you’d like to, but the classic way is terrific! My one tip: I do not recommend pre-shredded cheese in a bag for this recipe. Shredding directly from a block of cheese will produce better results.
- Green Chilis – You find tiny cans these near the jarred salsa at the grocery store. I don’t bother draining the tiny can, just use your hands to grab the chilis from the can and sprinkle onto the casserole, the juice that comes with it is just fine.
- Sausage – There are always a lot of questions when I have recipes that call for sausage of any kind. It’s probably because there are so many different types: breakfast sausage, Italian sausage, sausage in links, sausage in castings, sausage in tubes, sausage in 8 different sections of the supermarket! You’ll find this sausage in the fridge section, usually near the bacon. Avoid sausages with flavors like maple. I only use Jimmy Dean because that’s what my Mom always used and we like the flavor the best! It looks like this (you may use their low-sodium/low-fat version if you prefer):
How To Make Overnight Sausage and Egg Casserole
- Make sure your sausage is cooked before you begin assembling your casserole. You’ll start with the bread. Cut off the crusts, butter one side, and place the pieces butter-side-down in a 9×13 baking dish.
- Sprinkle on your shredded cheese, followed by the cooked sausage crumbles, and green chilis (no need to drain).
- Finally you’ll whisk together eggs, milk, and some spices and seasonings. Stir the egg mixture immediately before pouring on top of the assembled casserole. Otherwise all the spices will all gather in one spot and drop onto one single piece of casserole!
- It then goes in the fridge overnight (no, you may not skip this step) and in the morning you just pop it into the oven and have a gorgeous breakfast or bunch in under an hour!
What to Serve With Overnight Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole
- We love serving this with a platter of fresh fruit.
- For a fun special drink, try our Sparkling Citrus Punch or Virgin White Peach Sangria
- Want some other overnight ideas? Sometimes we’ll do one sweet and one savory and serve this Overnight Sasuage and Egg Casserole along side this Overnight Strawberry Lemon Croissant French Toast (SO good!) or Cinnamon Rolls (see overnight directions in notes.)
- Check out our index of dishes for Breakfast and Brunch for more great holiday ideas!
FAQs
- How long does this HAVE to sit? How far in advance can I prep this casserole? I would consider 4-6 hours the minimum rest time, and up to 24 hours the max. This doesn’t mean it wouldn’t still work if left in the fridge beyond that, but I have not tried it.
Did You Make This?
I’d love to hear from you! Snap a picture and tag me on Instagram, then come back and give this recipe a rating!
Overnight Sausage and Egg Casserole
An easy overnight casserole with crumbled sausage, eggs, and cheese.
Ingredients
- 6-8 slices plain white sandwich bread
- Very soft butter for buttering slices
- 2 cups shredded jack cheese not pre-shredded from a bag
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese not pre-shredded from a bag
- 12 oz pork sausage crumbled and browned (I use Jimmy Dean)
- 1 4- oz can green chiles
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
Instructions
- Start by removing the crusts from your bread and lightly buttering one side.
- Place bread butter side down in a 9x13 baking dish. You want the bottom of the pan covered with no big gaps, so cut up some pieces like a puzzle to cover the whole pan.
- Grate your cheese and sprinkle it evenly over the top of the bread. Spread the browned sausage on top of that. Open your can of green chilis and use your hands to sprinkle them over the top of the casserole.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl whisk eggs. Add milk and then seasonings and whisk to combine well. Give the mixture a final whisk before immediately pouring evenly on top of the assembled casserole.
- Cover well and place in the refridgerator overnight.
- In the morning preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake (uncovered) for 50-60 minutes. You'll want the center to be puffed and set and the outside edges to be golden brown. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge and reheated in the microwave.
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Questions & Reviews
Family tradition for over 40 years! I have been making this for Christmas breakfast for over 40 years after being given it in college by a classmate. I have given this recipe to many family and friends over the years that have made it a tradition too.
My family has the same tradition for as long as I can remember. Jimmy Dean sausage and all the fresh shredded cheese. I add different veggies on occasion, various asparagus, onions cooked up with the sausage and red peppers, etc….
This has been our family favorite casserole for years now. Was wondering if you have had success freezing it and either thawing/not thawing before baking. Am trying to meal-prep before a baby.
I’ve never tried freezing pre-bake, but I’ve made it and frozen it in individual squares. I’ll say it’s best fresh, but not bad warmed back up!
This has become our traditional Christmas breakfast for several years now! Everyone loves it and it is so delicious and easy for a very special occasion!
I love this and it reminds me of your mom. I make it for Christmas Eve breakfast most years with orange rolls or cinnamon rolls and fruit.
This was so delicious!
So if you really don’t want to make with bread, is there any other option? We have given up bread and potatoes. Otherwise this sounds perfect for us!! Thanks
I’ve never tried it without bread, so I’m not sure what that would turn out like, but you might want to check out this other egg dish, which has a similar vibe, but no bread or potatoes.
I added two more eggs and reduced the cheese to two cups. Grandkids love it!
This was amazing! My family loved it! Assembled it in the morning before work, popped it in the fridge to soak all day, and baked it for dinner. So easy and delicious!
Oh, and instead of pork sausage we used a pound of jennie o turkey breakfast sausage because that’s what we prefer. So yummy!
Love this! Your yummy morning drink link at the bottom is broken.
YUM! I made this last weekend when we had overnight guests, and it was a hit. We’re not really green-chile types around here, but I noticed a “mild” variety at the store, so that’s what I used. I also took a tiny shortcut and used the Jimmy Dean’s sausage crumbles that are already cooked. Anyway, it’s been requested for Christmas morning as well, so thank you for solving that problem too! 🙂
Can you make this without the bread? I ask because I want to make this, but I also want to make the overnight cinnamon rolls and it seems like a lot of bread for one meal…
Thanks!
Sherri
you need the bread. It absorbs all of the egg and then it grows and gets fluffy when you cook it. It is soooo good and worth it. I found it on here and I make it ALL of the time.
I made this for brunch this weekend and it was FANTABULOUS. Oh my goodness. I followed the recipe to the letter except I used wheat bread and chicken-apple sausage (several non-pork eaters). It was great. I also made the Overnight Baked French Toast and followed the directions to the letter. It was perfect. I’m going to order the cookbooks as I am a believer. Thank you for the fantastic, PERFECT recipes.
Can this be made 2 nights ahead?
Yes, that would probably be okay.
I tried this yesterday, it was great! I served a crowd of about 25 when I doubled the recipe. I was a bit nervous about serving a new recipe, but it turned out great! Thanks.
My husband volunteered to bring breakfast to his team meeting at work the other day. He was just going to bring donuts or something boring. I said, “No, no, no dear. We don’t do boring.” I made this the night before and your cinnamon rolls, popped this in the oven in the morning and went back to bed for an hour; super duper easy. It was a huge hit! I’m expecting a raise any day now. 😉 Thanks for the recipe!
Can’t wait to try this casserole…have checked several, but this one sounds like the best one, and all the reviews were good, so will be making it soon….thanks for posting 🙂
I have not made this yet, but I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate how specific you are about your ingredients. The pictures are also very helpful. I have one of these make-ahead breakfast casseroles that I make using ham; but I would like to try one with sausage. Also, with mine I have to cube every slice of bread, which takes a lot of time. This would be great for Christmas morning or a brunch. Thanks for posting!
Hey Sara, just wanted to let you know I made this for brunch after my son’s baby blessing. It was a huge hit. I made three 9 x 13 pans for 25 people and there were only two pieces left. I had several people ask for the recipe and I sent them the link. I’ve been looking for an overnight breakfast casserole for Christmas Eve, and this is it. Thank you!!!
I’m not a vegetarian, but sausage freaks me out!:) Has anyone tried this same recipe with bacon and how did it turn out? I’m thinking New Years Day brunch!
I have a 15×10 pan I want to use…any thoughts on whether I should increase the recipe, or go for less cooking time? And its good to go in the morning, straight into the oven? Don’t need to worry about it getting too dry overnight…I seem to remember that concern from a strata that was similar to this that I made years ago. Thank you, Ann