Winter Brunch Casserole (Printable)

Hearty layers of eggs, sausage, veggies, and cheese create a cozy morning meal perfect for winter days.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1 lb breakfast sausage, casings removed

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium onion, diced
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped

→ Dairy & Eggs

05 - 8 large eggs
06 - 1 cup whole milk
07 - ½ cup heavy cream
08 - 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
09 - ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

→ Bread

10 - 5 cups day-old bread cubes (e.g., sourdough or country loaf)

→ Spices & Seasonings

11 - 1 tsp salt
12 - ½ tsp black pepper
13 - ½ tsp garlic powder
14 - ½ tsp dried thyme

→ For greasing

15 - 1 tbsp unsalted butter

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter.
02 - In a large skillet over medium heat, cook sausage, breaking apart until browned and fully cooked, about 6–8 minutes. Remove sausage, leaving 1 tablespoon fat in pan.
03 - Add diced onion and red bell pepper to skillet; sauté 4–5 minutes until softened. Stir in baby spinach and cook until wilted, about 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat.
04 - In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and dried thyme until smooth.
05 - Layer half of the bread cubes evenly in the prepared dish. Top with half the sausage, half the vegetable mixture, and half the shredded cheeses. Repeat layering with remaining ingredients.
06 - Pour egg mixture evenly over the layers, pressing gently to allow bread to absorb the liquid.
07 - Cover with foil and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes or up to overnight to enhance flavor and texture.
08 - Bake covered with foil for 30 minutes in the preheated oven.
09 - Remove foil and bake an additional 20 minutes until the center is set and top is golden brown.
10 - Allow casserole to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You assemble it the night before, so theres no scrambling when people are actually hungry.
  • It feeds a crowd without you standing over the stove flipping individual portions.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully, which means breakfast sorted for days.
02 -
  • Day old bread is not optional, fresh bread will turn to pudding and ruin the texture.
  • Press the layers down before refrigerating or you end up with dry bread floating on top and soggy bread on the bottom.
  • Let it rest after baking or the first slice will slide apart into a mess on the plate.
03 -
  • Use a mix of cheddar and mozzarella, one cheese alone wont give you enough flavor and stretch.
  • Dont skip the resting time after baking, it lets the custard firm up so your slices hold together.
  • If the top browns too fast, tent it loosely with foil for the last few minutes.

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