Make-Ahead Brunch Recipe: "Ham & Cheese" Breakfast Casserole Recipes from The Kitchn

We're heading into the fall holiday season, which means that brunch casseroles are about to enjoy their heyday. So we decided to revisit one of our most popular recipes ever a recipe published several years ago for a breakfast bake with bread, pancetta, Gruyere, and eggs. I'm afraid that I'll sound horribly hyperbolic if I talk about this recipe too long. It's rich, eggy, and unbelievably, incredibly delicious. This is one to memorize, folks, and to pull out for in-laws and overnight guests. It may just be the very best brunch casserole we've ever made.

We ate a lot of breakfast casseroles growing up. Any time there was a crowd to be fed before noon, this baked dish of egg, sausage, cheese, and day-old bread would appear. And yet, as adults, we've discovered that the classic breakfast casserole is a relative mystery to many of our friends.

The appeal is this: you throw everything in the dish the night before, allow the bread to soak up the egg-and-milk mixture overnight, and bake it in the morning. Breakfast casserole is perfect for a brunch party, since you don't have to stand at the stove making individual omelettes or batches of pancakes. And it beats waiting outside in the cold at a crowded restaurant.

This recipe is an updated version of the gooey, sausage-and-cheddar casseroles of our youth, and it was inspired by a fancy ham and cheese sandwich. We used pancetta and Gruyre (although you could try an even more sophisticated cheese, with challah bread and caramelized onions for a touch of sweetness. Then we added nutmeg and thyme to brighten things up.

The best part about this make-ahead casserole: you got to sleep in (and even crawl back to bed while it bakes in the oven).

Tester's Notes
When I revisited this casserole I did so with great anticipation. It's always received rave reviews and I was hungry to try it. I wasn't disappointed (and neither was my husband, who fell upon it the next morning with a glint of this-is-too-good-to-be-true delight in his eye). This dish is outrageously good, with tender, eggy bread and savory cheese in every bite.

I've made a lot of breakfast casseroles, but this is the first one to be layered in such a distinct way. Usually I jumble the bread, meat, and cheese all up together. This one is baked in layers, like a strata, with the bread on the bottom, then the pancetta, cheese, and herbs. This makes for a beautiful presentation and a very tasty dish; I liked how the layers looked as they were spooned out.

A couple notes: While the make-ahead aspect of this dish is very convenient, you don't have to make it ahead. You can also throw it together and bake it immediately.

Also, I did find that it needed a little more time to bake, especially since I used a deeper oven-safe bowl to bake it in. So that is reflected in changes to the instructions below. - Faith

"Ham and Cheese" Breakfast Casserole

Serves 6 to 8

4 cups (loosely packed) day-old challah or other egg-enriched bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 pound pancetta (thickly sliced), diced
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated Gruyre cheese, from about 4 ounces

Grease an 8-inch square baking dish (or another 1 1/2 quart to 2-quart baking dish) and spread the cubed challah in the bottom.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a skillet over medium to low heat. Add the onions, salt, and sugar. Saut until they are lightly caramelized (a medium golden brown color), about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in another heavy skillet, heat the other tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and saut the pancetta until the fat is almost all rendered and it begins to get crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Set on a paper towel to drain.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, dry mustard, nutmeg, and thyme. Season with about 1/4 teaspoon of salt and a generous quantity of black pepper.

Spread the pancetta over the bread cubes, then layer the onions on top. Sprinkle grated Gruyre on next, and then pour the egg mixture over the entire thing.

Press down on the top gently, so that all of the bread cubes get soaked a bit with the egg mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, preheat the oven to 350F and take the casserole out of the fridge while the oven is preheating. Bake, uncovered, for 35 to 50 minutes, or until the edges are bubbling and the top begins to brown. The baking time will be greatly dependent on the depth of dish you use. Check the interior with a knife; if it comes out clean the bread custard is baked through. (Cover with foil near the end of cooking if the top is already browned.)

Serve with a green salad, some asparagus, or just a tall Bloody Mary.

Post and recipe by Elizabeth Passarella. This was the very first post Elizabeth wrote for us!

Related: Breakfast Casseroles & Beyond: 15 Recipes for Brunch

(Originally published February 20, 2008)

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Freezer Recipe: Sausage and Vegetable Breakfast Casserole Recipes from The Kitchn

Being Southern and all, I grew up eating, and loving, breakfast casserole. (Some of you may call it a strata or bake. To be honest, I still don't know the difference.) My mother's recipe is basicjust sausage, bread, eggs, and cheese. Any time mom has to feed a crowd, whether for company, early football games, or Christmas, this is the dish she makes.

I love hers to no end, but I recently discovered one I like just a bit better. I spent a week in New England this summer, and on one particularly early morning, a friend of my host (and a very highly regarded cook) made us her breakfast casserole. It was similar to my mother's, but at the same time seemed more "high end." The sausage and cheddar kept if familiar, but the substantial bread cubes and abundance of veggies made it feel just a little bit more gourmet.

I forgot to ask her for the recipe, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about that meal. Using my favorite as a base, along with my memories of the dish, I came up with my own version that I think is pretty darn good. It's not hard by any means, but the chopping and the cooking and the soaking do take a bit of forethought. That's why I decided to double the recipe, that way, I can keep one for now and freeze another for later.

Now that its fall, you never know when your going to need to feed a crowd (or even just a hungry family.) You might as well plan ahead. And when this breakfast casserole lands on the table, you'll be glad you did!

Sausage and Vegetable Breakfast Bake

Yields 2 casseroles (8 servings each)

4 cups 2% or whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
12 large eggs
2 heaping teaspoons dry mustard powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 16-ounce loaves day-old Italian or French bread, cubed
Olive oil
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 pound mushrooms, sliced or chopped
1 large head broccoli, chopped
1 pound (16 ounces) sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 pounds bulk breakfast sausage
Cayenne pepper

Grease two 9x13-inch casserole dishes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, eggs, and mustard powder. Season generously with salt and pepper. (You can do this in two bowls if you'd like.) Add the bread cubes to the egg mixture and toss to combine, making sure every piece is saturated. Set aside.

In a large skillet or braiser, heat a few glugs of olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, and broccoli and cook until softened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the sausage to the skillet and cook until crumbly and no longer pink. Remove from the heat and season generously with salt, pepper, and cayenne.

Toss the vegetables, sausage, and cheddar cheese with the bread mixture until thoroughly combined. Spread in the prepared casserole dishes. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or a minimum of 2 hours if necessary, but the longer the better).

Preheat oven to 375. Wrap one dish tightly with plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Label with date and cooking instructions (see below) and freeze for later use. Bake the remaining casserole, uncovered, until top is light golden and the center is cooked through. Serve warm.

To cook the frozen casserole: Remove from the freezer and thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Bring to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking. Bake, uncovered, at 375 for 50 to 60 minutes, or until top is light golden and the center is cooked through.

Related: Recipe: Cinnamon-Cream Cheese Breakfast Bars

(Images: Nealey Dozier)

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