Save This savory morning bake layers browned sausage and sautéed vegetables with cubes of day-old bread and plenty of shredded cheese. After soaking in a rich egg and milk custard, it bakes until golden and set. It is an ideal make-ahead dish that feeds a crowd comfortably during the colder months.
The kitchen was still dark when I pulled the casserole dish from the fridge that Sunday morning, the eggs and cream already soaking into the bread from the night before. I could hear snow falling outside in that particular muffled silence winter brings. By the time everyone stumbled downstairs, the whole house smelled like sausage and melted cheese.
I started making this after a particularly chaotic holiday morning when I burned three pans of eggs trying to cook for eight people at once. The next year I built this casserole the night before, slid it in the oven, and actually sat down with coffee while it baked. Nobody missed the stress.
Ingredients
- Breakfast sausage: Use the kind you crumble, not links, and let it get properly browned so the fat renders out and flavors everything.
- Onion and red bell pepper: These add sweetness and a little crunch, dont skip the saute or theyll steam and turn watery in the oven.
- Baby spinach: It wilts down to almost nothing, so a whole cup disappears into the layers without anyone complaining about greens.
- Eggs, milk, and cream: This is your custard base, the cream makes it rich enough to feel like a treat, not just scrambled eggs in a pan.
- Sharp cheddar and mozzarella: Cheddar brings flavor, mozzarella brings melt, use both or it tastes flat.
- Day old bread: Stale sourdough or a country loaf soaks up the egg mixture without turning to mush, fresh bread will fall apart.
- Salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme: Just enough to wake everything up without competing with the sausage.
- Butter: For greasing the dish so nothing sticks when you serve it.
Instructions
- Prep the pan:
- Heat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and butter a 23x33 cm baking dish generously. You dont want any cheese welding itself to the corners.
- Brown the sausage:
- Crumble the sausage into a hot skillet and let it sizzle until its deep golden and cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes. Move it to a plate but leave a tablespoon of the fat behind.
- Saute the vegetables:
- Toss the onion and bell pepper into that same pan and cook until theyre soft and starting to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the spinach and let it wilt down, then pull the pan off the heat.
- Make the custard:
- Whisk the eggs, milk, cream, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and thyme in a big bowl until smooth. This is what holds everything together and makes it creamy.
- Layer it all:
- Scatter half the bread cubes in the buttered dish, then layer on half the sausage, half the vegetables, and half the cheeses. Repeat with the rest of the bread, sausage, vegetables, and cheese.
- Soak the bread:
- Pour the egg mixture evenly over the top and press down gently with a spatula so the bread drinks it all in. Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight if youre smart.
- Bake covered:
- Slide the covered dish into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. The foil traps steam and cooks the center without drying out the top.
- Finish uncovered:
- Pull off the foil and bake another 20 minutes until the top is golden and the middle barely jiggles when you shake the pan. Let it rest 10 minutes before cutting in.
Save I brought this to a friend recovering from surgery, still warm in the dish wrapped in towels. She texted me two days later asking for the recipe, and I knew it had done its job. Food that takes care of people without asking anything back is the kind worth keeping around.
Make Ahead Magic
Assemble this the night before and let it sit in the fridge while you sleep. The bread soaks up the custard slowly and evenly, and when you wake up all you do is turn on the oven. Ive baked it straight from the fridge dozens of times with no trouble, just add five minutes if its ice cold.
Swaps That Work
Turkey sausage keeps it lighter, vegetarian sausage works if you crumble it well, and Ive thrown in mushrooms, kale, or leftover roasted vegetables without a single complaint. Just make sure anything you add is already cooked and not watery, or the custard wont set right.
Serving and Storing
This sits on a brunch table like a hero and reheats so well you can eat it all week. I cut it into squares, wrap them individually, and microwave them for 90 seconds on busy mornings. It also freezes beautifully if you wrap portions tight in foil, then thaw and reheat in the oven until warmed through.
- Pair it with a bright fruit salad to cut the richness.
- A glass of something bubbly makes it feel like an occasion.
- Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to four days.
Save This casserole has saved more mornings than I can count, and it never asks for much in return. Make it once and youll understand why it belongs in the winter rotation.
Recipe FAQs
- → Can I prepare this the night before?
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Yes, you can assemble the entire dish, cover it, and refrigerate overnight. Simply bake it in the morning for a fresh meal.
- → What type of bread is best?
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Day-old bread works best as it absorbs the egg mixture without becoming too mushy. Sourdough or country loaves are excellent choices.
- → Can I substitute the meat?
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Absolutely. You can swap the pork breakfast sausage for turkey sausage, vegetarian crumbles, or even bacon for different flavors.
- → How do I know when it is done?
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The dish is ready when the center is set and no longer jiggles, and the top is a golden brown color.
- → Can I add other vegetables?
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Yes, mushrooms or kale make great additions. Just sauté them with the onions and peppers to remove excess moisture before layering.
