A Southern breakfast casserole is made for slow weekend mornings, holiday brunches, and any time you want breakfast ready for a crowd. Sausage, eggs, cheddar, vegetables, and bread bake into one savory dish that can be assembled ahead of time.
The bread needs enough time to absorb the egg mixture, but the casserole should still feel light rather than soggy. Resting the baked dish before cutting helps each square hold together.
What You’ll Need Before You Start
- 9×13-inch baking dish
- Large skillet
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon
- Instant-read thermometer
- Measuring cups and spoons
ShiMuv Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound breakfast sausage
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 small bell pepper, diced
- 8 cups day-old bread cubes
- 10 large eggs
- 2½ cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2½ cups shredded sharp cheddar, divided
- 1 tablespoon butter for the baking dish
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
How to Make It
- Prepare the baking dish. Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish. If baking immediately, heat the oven to 350°F. If assembling overnight, leave the oven off until the next morning.
- Cook the sausage and vegetables. Brown sausage in a skillet over medium heat for 6–8 minutes, breaking it into crumbles. Add onion and bell pepper and cook another 4–5 minutes until softened. The sausage should reach 160°F. Drain excess grease.
- Layer the bread. Spread the bread cubes evenly in the prepared dish. Spoon the sausage mixture over the bread, then scatter 2 cups cheddar across the top.
- Whisk the custard. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, dry mustard, ¾ teaspoon salt, and black pepper until completely blended and no streaks of egg white remain.
- Pour and soak. Slowly pour the egg mixture over the casserole, pressing the bread gently with a spatula so the top pieces absorb some custard. Let stand 20 minutes before baking, or cover and refrigerate up to overnight.
- Add the final cheese. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup cheddar over the top just before baking. If the casserole was refrigerated overnight, let it stand at room temperature about 20 minutes while the oven heats.
- Bake until set. Bake uncovered 40–50 minutes. The center should be puffed, no liquid egg should remain, and the center of an egg casserole should reach 160°F.
- Rest and cut. Let the casserole stand 10 minutes before slicing. Sprinkle with parsley and cut into squares; the rest allows the custard to settle so the servings hold together.
Recipe tip: Day-old bread works better than fresh bread because it absorbs the egg mixture without dissolving into the custard.
Food safety: Cook breakfast sausage to 160°F and bake egg casseroles until the center reaches 160°F. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
From Recipe to Content
Turn the Recipe Into a Simple Food Story
- Open on a golden casserole square being lifted.
- Show sausage and vegetables browning in the skillet.
- Capture the layered bread, sausage, and cheddar.
- Film the egg custard pouring evenly over the dish.
- End with melted cheese and a clean center slice.
TRY THIS IN SHIMUV
Create this recipe as a short food video
Open the editable prompt and finished example image in ShiMuv, then review or customize everything before generation.
Create a short food video showing how to make a Southern breakfast casserole. Open on a golden baked square with sausage, egg, and melted cheese. Show sausage browning with onion and bell pepper, bread cubes filling the baking dish, sausage and cheddar layered across the bread, eggs milk and seasoning whisked into custard, the custard poured slowly over the casserole, the top turning golden in the oven, and one clean square lifted after resting.Opens with this prompt and finished example image ready to review. Nothing generates or spends credits until you confirm.
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