Easy Breakfast Casserole (Breakfast Strata)

Name: Breakfast Casserole Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 7 large eggs; ¾ of a whole baguette or sourdough (gluten free if needed) (about 6-7 cups, sliced into 1-2 inch thick pieces, see notes); 10-12 ounce bacon (diced); 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning (Herbs de Provence); 1 ¼ cups milk (full cream or low fat) ( or heavy cream for custard like texture); salt and black pepper ( to taste); 2 ⅓ cups cheddar cheese (grated); 2 tablespoon parsley; 2-3 tablespoon green onion ( chopped); butter for greasing the casserole; olive oil for cooking

Breakfast Casserole - Want to start your day with a hearty, crowd-pleasing meal? This layered casserole is easier to make than you think! Fluffy bread soaked in a savory milk and egg mixture is topped with crispy bacon and melty cheese, then baked to golden perfection.

I'll show you how to whip up this comforting breakfast with ease. Whether it's for a holiday brunch or a lazy weekend morning, this casserole is a simple yet satisfying way to feed a crowd and keep everyone coming back for seconds!

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Breakfast Strata Casserole

This blog is all about making homemade meals easy, approachable, and delicious, using fresh, everyday ingredients.

If you're looking for more ways to simplify your cooking routine, check out the About page to see how I can help you make meals you and your family will love!

Leftovers are one of my favorite ways to create new dishes without extra effort, and this Breakfast Casserole is a great example.

Got leftover ham from a holiday dinner? Put it to good use in this simple recipe!

I've got plenty of ideas for transforming leftovers into something special, like turkey wraps, turkey shepherd's pie, or even pumpkin chili.

Watch the Video

Why It's Yummy

It's a clever recipe for reusing day-old bread or vegetable scraps and leftovers.
Overall, the breakfast egg casserole hits all the marks - fast prep, make-ahead potential, fridge cleanup, customizable, and kid-friendly nutrition. No wonder it's such a popular breakfast dish.

🥚 Make Next: Spicy Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients

Cheese - Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack, or mozzarella, Havarti, Fontina. Gruyere. For extra flavor add parmesan, crumbled feta, goat, or cotija cheese for garnish when the breakfast casserole is ready.
Bacon - or ham, ground chicken, turkey or chopped breakfast sausage without casing.
Bread - Baguette, challah, ciabatta, sourdough, buns, and most of the gluten-free options will work here too.
Milk - makes the casserole rich and creamy. The fat in whole milk binds with the egg proteins to give a custard-like consistency that can't be achieved with non-fat or low-fat milk.
Vegetables - mix & match! Bell peppers, spinach, kale, mushrooms, asparagus, tomatoes, onions. To prevent sogginess, pre-cook/saute the veggies lightly on the stove before hand.

If you use crusty day-old bread you'll have a mix of soft and textured bites, crispy edges, cheesy pockets, and plenty of crunchy bacon in every bite.

You don't necessarily have to leave the bread soaking in the mixture overnight, 1-2 hours is enough.

How To Make Breakfast Casserole

STEP 1: In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk/cream, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.

Set egg mixture aside.

STEP 2: Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy.

Drain on paper towels.

STEP 3: Add to egg mixture, reserving 2-3 tablespoons bacon for garnish.

STEP 4: Stir bread, green onions, and cheese (reserve about ½ cup for later) into egg mixture.

STEP 5: Refrigerate 1+ hour until bread absorbs liquid. Let come to room temperature before baking.

STEP 6: After 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180°C) and grease a casserole dish with butter.

Related: Fried cabbage with bacon

Transfer soaked bread-egg mixture to prepared dish. Top with reserved cheese and bacon. Bake covered 20-25 mins.

STEP 7: Uncover and bake 15 mins more until set (test with toothpick) and top is crispy golden brown.

After removing from the oven, let the strata sit for 15-20 minutes.

SERVE! For garnish add parsley, green onions and more bacon on top.

Want something sweet for breakfast? Try these easy cranberry overnight oats.

A perfect casserole dish for breakfast or weekend brunch! Serve it along with a simple salad or a smoothie.

Tips

To check doneness, insert a knife in the center. If it comes out clean, the breakfast casserole is ready. Be careful not to overcook or the dish will dry out.
Day-old or stale bread with a firm texture will work best for breakfast casserole. French bread like baguette, Italian Ciabatta, sourdough or whole grain are all great options here. If the bread is too fresh and overly soft the casserole will turn too soggy too fast.
Older bread will work too, but make sure to soak at least 3 hours in the egg mixture, for even better results leave it overnight.
For baking - place a tray in the bottom of the oven or under the casserole as some juices may leak out of the casserole while it's baking. It will also depend on your baking dish, ideally 9 (9x13) or 8 inch (I used 8x11) will fit the strata but I've used smaller ones too.
Grate the cheese from a block - Pre-shredded cheese may not melt well due to added preservatives. Shred fresh mozzarella for improved melting; it takes a bit more prep time but yields better results.
Every oven is different, and I the breakfast casserole starts to become too brown, cover it with aluminum foil until the end of baking time.

How To Serve Breakfast Casserole

cucumber salad or tomato basil mozzarella salad
Fruit salad: watermelon salad or strawberry cucumber salad
Muffins: cornbread jalapeno muffins or oatmeal zucchini muffins
Hashbrowns
Scones
smoothies
granola + yogurt
banana bread
zucchini bread
baked apples

Variations

Instead of bacon - sausage, mini pepperoni, chorizo, kielbasa, ham, pulled chicken (rotisserie, slow cooker bbq chicken), ground beef, salmon or leftover pork chops or ribs. The meat options should be cooked before adding to the casserole.
Just like in frittata, you can add spinach and cherry tomatoes.
For more flavors - add 1-2 tablespoons of green or red pesto to the egg mixture.
Mediterranean - artichoke, plum or sun-dried tomatoes, olives, onions (red or white), feta and crumbles and ruccola leaves on top for garnish.
Dairy free - milk can be substituted with plant-based milk and cheese as well.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

To Store. 4-5 days refrigerated in an airtight container.
To Freeze, allow strata to cool completely first. Wrap in foil then place in an airtight container or freezer bag, store for 2-3 months.
To Reheat, rewarm the breakfast bake in oven at 300F for 10-20 minutes until warmed through and crispy. You can also reheat individual slices in the air fryer at 350F for 5-10 minutes.

Before You Head Out

If you gave this recipe a try, I'd be so thankful if you could leave a ★★★★★ rating and review below. It helps other readers, supports my work, and means the world to me. Thank you for being part of The Yummy Bowl family. Happy cooking! ❤️

Recipe Card

Julia

Breakfast Casserole Recipe

5 from 18 votes

Breakfast Casserole - Layers of delicious fluffy bread soaked in milk and egg mixture and then baked with crispy bacon & cheese until perfection. A perfect casserole dish for breakfast or weekend brunch! Serve it along with a simple salad or a smoothie.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Total Time 50

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Calories: 423

Ingredients Method Nutrition Video Notes

Ingredients

7 large eggs
¾ of a whole baguette or sourdough (gluten free if needed) about 6-7 cups, sliced into 1-2 inch thick pieces, see notes
10-12 ounce bacon diced
2 teaspoon Italian seasoning Herbs de Provence
1 ¼ cups milk (full cream or low fat) or heavy cream for custard like texture
salt and black pepper to taste
2 ⅓ cups cheddar cheese grated
2 tablespoon parsley
2-3 tablespoon green onion chopped
butter for greasing the casserole
olive oil for cooking

Method

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk/cream, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Set egg mixture aside.
Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Drain on paper towels. Add to egg mixture, reserving 2-3 tablespoons bacon for garnish.
Stir bread, green onions, and cheese (reserve about ½ cup for later) into egg mixture. Refrigerate 1+ hour until bread absorbs liquid.
After 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180°C) and grease a casserole dish with butter.
Transfer soaked bread-egg mixture to prepared dish. Top with reserved cheese and bacon. Bake covered 20-25 mins. Uncover and bake 15 mins more until set (test with toothpick) and top is crispy golden brown.
After removing from the oven, let the strata sit for 15-20 minutes. For serving, add parsley, green onions and more bacon on top. We love shredded parmesan too. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 423kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 21gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 204mgSodium: 665mgPotassium: 251mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 721IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 338mgIron: 2mg

Video

Notes

Baguette sizes vary, when cut into pieces my bread made about 6-7 cups.
To check doneness, insert a knife in the center. If it comes out clean, the strata is ready. Be careful not to overcook or the dish will dry out.
Day-old or stale bread with a firm texture will work best for breakfast casserole. French bread like baguette, Italian Ciabatta, sourdough or whole grain are all great options here. If the bread is too fresh and overly soft the casserole will turn too soggy too fast.
If you only have fresh bread … in this case leave the bread to dry out. First, cut or tear the bread into the size pieces you need. Then spread the pieces on a baking sheet and let them sit uncovered at room temperature for a few hours or up to overnight. As the bread sits, the surface will become dried and hardened from evaporation.
To Store. Leftover strata keeps 4-5 days refrigerated in an airtight container. To reheat, bake at 300F for 10-20 minutes until warmed through. You can also reheat individual slices in the air fryer at 350F for 5-10 minutes.

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Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on the products used.

Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.

FAQs

What is the difference between frittata and strata?

Frittata is more of an omelet with different ingredients, without the bread. It is often prepared in a skillet or cake pan.

Strata is a breakfast casserole too, and made with soaking the bread in the milk and egg mixture overnight (preferably). It is then baked in a casserole dish and is thicker and fluffier than a frittata dish.

How will I know when breakfast casserole is fully baked?

Cooking time varies based on thickness. Check doneness by jiggling - it should be set, not jiggly. A clean toothpick also indicates doneness.

Can I bake the breakfast right away instead of leaving it in the fridge overnight?

Letting the bread soak for at least 1 hour (ideally 1-2 hours) before baking allows full absorption so the strata won't turn out to be soggy.

Can I make it gluten-free?

This breakfast strata can easily be made gluten-free by using your favorite gluten-free bread, and this is what I used as well.

Why do you use bread in strata?

Dry, crusty bread chunks are the secret to a chewy, chunky casserole texture. The crusty cubes soak up liquid, preventing a spongey, dense dish. Homemade sourdough or crusty artisan bread works best.

The key is using really crisp, dry bread - never soft sandwich slices. With ultra-crisp chunks throughout, your casserole will have incredible staying power and texture.

This recipe is inspired by Recipe Tin Eats - Cheese & Bacon strata cake.