Ah, weekend breakfast. I do like to have one special day for some kind of eggy breakfast or brunch. Sometimes it's Saturday and sometimes it's Sunday. I knew I wanted to attempt some kind of fantastic meaty breakfast casserole, but I wanted the proportions to be just right. I didn't want it too eggy. And, decidely, did not want this to be like a quiche, fritatta or stratta. So I give you this less eggy, more bready and meaty breakfast treat. It's super easy to make and absolutely delicious!
You Need Only the Basics for This Fantastic Breakfast Casserole
I consider bread, eggs, milk, cheese and breakfast meat to be fairly common in most of our homes. That's what makes this recipe so darn easy - you probably have most of the ingredients on hand. And there is something special about a weekend breakfast, right? You've slept a little later than usual (if you're lucky) and you've worked hard this week, darn it! This means you deserve a special breakfast treat... and so does everyone you share breakfast with.
The steps are fairly straightforward:
- Cook the bacon and sausage and set aside to cool.
- Cut your French bread into cubes and put in a large bowl.
- Beat your eggs and add to bread bowl. Mix well and let bread soak 10 minutes.
- Shred cheese (or use already-shredded).
- Chop the bacon and sausage.
- Add meats and cheese to egg bowl and mix.
- Transfer to a baking dish and cook at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.
I went with a smaller 11x7 baking dish for this because going with the 9x13 size would make it a little too big. With the smaller size you get 6 good-sized portions. This is the perfect size to allow for home fries on the side. If you wanted to make it slightly more brunchy, you could also do some kind of greens on the side or even a fruit cup. It's up to you. 🙂
Looking for More Breakfasty Ideas?
- Cheddar Stuffed French Toast w/Warm Peach Compote
- Cheddar Herb Buttermilk Biscuits
- Skillet Frittata w/Spinach, Leeks & Feta
- How to Make a Western Omelet
- Roasted Tomato, Asparagus & Gruyere Quiche
- How to Make a Cheese Omelet & Home Fries
Fantastic Meaty Breakfast Casserole
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 pieces 1x
Description
Make your loved ones a special treat this weekend and try my fantastic meaty breakfast casserole. Easy to make and absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
- 4 cups French bread cubes (about ½ a French loaf)
- 5 eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 cup chopped breakfast sausage - the brown-n-serve kind (6 sausage links)
- 1 cup chopped bacon (6 strips)
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon herbs de provence (or thyme)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Optional garnish:
- Orange wedges
- Chopped scallion
NOTE: You will need non-stick cooking spray for this and an 11"x7" baking dish
Instructions
Cook your bacon and sausage first so they have time to cool down before you chop them. Between the two this should only take 5-10 minutes to cook. I set mine aside on a paper towel-lined paper plate to absorb some of the grease.
- Cut the French bread into cubes. This took about half of a French bread loaf – depending on size and width of loaf. I cut the French loaf into thick slice first, then cut them into cubes from there. My video shows this well. Put bread cubes in a large mixing bowl.
- Crack and beat your eggs. I usually beat the eggs a bit, then add the milk, then finish beating.
- Pour the eggs over the bread cubes and toss with a large spoon or your hands. Make sure all the bread is cover and soaking in the eggs. I kept the bread chunks mostly intact, meaning I wasn’t actively squishing them together. Let the egg and bread sit for 10 minutes while you finish the prep.
- Shred the sharp cheddar and parmesan cheese or use already-packaged shredded cheese. Put in a bowl.
- Chop the sausage into small pieces. I sliced my in half lengthwise, then chopped down into smaller pieces from there.
- Chop the bacon into approximately the same size as the sausage.
- Add the salt to the egg and mixture along with ½ teaspoon of dried herbs. Not too much salt here since the bacon and sausage have salt too. I used herbs de provence, but you could use thyme or basil if that’s what you have.
- Add the sausage, bacon and cheese to the egg and bread bowl. Toss with a large spoon or with your hands until all the ingredients are combined.
- Spray an 11”x7” baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Transfer the casserole mixture into the baking dish. Be sure to distribute evenly with a spatula and press down gently to make for a smooth top.
- Cook in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes or until starting to brown and crisp around the edges.
- If you are using the optional chopped scallions and oranges you can cut those now or when the casserole is cooling.
- Once the casserole is out of the oven and cooled down a bit, you can cut the squares. An 11x7 baking dish will give you six good-sized squares. Run a knife or metal spatula around the edges of the baking dish so it’s easier to remove the casserole pieces.
- Serve with home fries, greens or whatever you’d like on the side.
Leave a Comment