Christmas Morning Breakfast Casserole

Even though this recipe has Christmas in its name, this breakfast casserole is great any time of the year. Perfect for Sunday brunch and even a weeknight dinner!

A small plate with a serving of casserole.

For many years, this breakfast casserole has been part of our Christmas family brunch. This recipe is full of ingredients that are common for breakfast: bread, eggs, ham, cheese, milk, cereal, and more.

I love how easy this casserole is to make. Assemble it the evening before and place it in the fridge overnight. On Christmas morning, throw it in the oven to bake for an hour and then serve.

An overhead image of a casserole dish with a small plate of food in front.

Every single time I make this casserole, people rave about it and there is typically never any leftovers. Simple and delicious – that is always a good combination!

All of the ingredients on a cutting board.

Ingredients for the Best Breakfast Casserole!

  • Sliced bread
  • Black forest ham
  • Grated cheddar cheese
  • Eggs
  • Milk
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Hot sauce – don’t worry, it’s just a dash
  • Salt and pepper
  • Green pepper
  • Onion
  • Corn flakes cereal
  • Butter

A stack of bread slices with the crusts removed.

The first step to making this Christmas breakfast casserole is to remove the crusts from the bread. I use white bread, but whole wheat or multigrain will work just fine as well. This casserole uses 16 slices (8 for the bottom layer and 8 for the top). I like to stack 8 slices and then use a bread knife to cut the crusts off the four sides. Then do the same thing with the other 8 slices of bread.

The crusts are not used in this recipe. You can discard the crusts or use them to make something else. They could be used to make a small bread pudding, to make croutons, or dry them and process them to make bread crumbs.

Step by step photos for assembling the casserole.

Assembling the Layers!

As you put this casserole together, you will discover that it is essentially a ham and cheese sandwich with an egg mixture poured on top.

  1. Place 8 slices of the crustless bread in the bottom of a greased 13×9 baking dish. My dish is tapered and the bottom is a little smaller than the top. I have to cut a little off of two end pieces of bread so that they all fit on the bottom. You can see this in the picture above.
  2. Evenly place the slices of ham across the bread in the dish. Both shaved and sliced ham lunchmeat work great, but just make sure you have about 1 pound of sliced ham.
  3. Spread the grated cheese all over the ham. I use cheddar cheese, but there are many kinds that work very well including mozzarella, Monterey jack, provolone and more!
  4. Place the final 8 slices of bread on top of the grated cheese. 

A bowl of beaten eggs and milk being poured over bread.

Once the layers of the breakfast casserole are assembled in the baking dish, it is time to make the egg mixture. Use a large enough bowl and whisk together the eggs, milk, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Mix until the eggs are well combined into the milk. Slowly pour the egg mixture all over the bread. 

A casserole dish with slices of bread soaked in egg mixture.

You will notice that the bread will soak up all the liquid and it will work its way to the bottom of the casserole and soak into the first layer of bread as well. 

Covering the dish with plastic wrap.

Time to go in the Fridge!

Just before this goes into the fridge, evenly spread the diced onion and green pepper all over the top. Then, cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge. This is an important step for the bread and egg mixture to set.

As I said earlier, I love to make this for a holiday breakfast and brunch. It is so nice to be able to place this in the fridge overnight. This is ideal for Christmas or other days, when you do not want to spend much of the morning in the kitchen.

If you do not want to leave this overnight, it can be left it in the fridge to set for just 1 to 2 hours. I have done this many times and the casserole is just amazing!

Melted butter being poured on top just before it goes in the oven to bake.

There are a couple more simple steps to do with this casserole before it is ready to go into the oven. Take it out of the fridge and remove the plastic wrap. Pour the melted butter evenly across the onions and peppers. The butter will add so much flavour and richness to every bite.

Sprinkling cereal on top of the casserole.

Lastly, crumble a bunch of corn flakes cereal and sprinkle it all over the casserole. This adds a really nice crunch.

Lifting a slice out of the casserole dish.How Long to Bake the Breakfast Casserole?

Put the casserole in a 350F oven and let it bake for 1 hour.

Don’t be surprised if you see the casserole puff up as it happens to me pretty much every time I bake this casserole. Once you take it out of the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes, the puffed parts will settle right back down again.

Serve this with some Hash Brown Potatoes and fresh baked Buttermilk Biscuits for the ultimate brunch!

A slice of casserole on a plate in front of baking dish.

Other Great Breakfast Recipes!

Christmas Morning Breakfast Casserole

A close up of a slice of breakfast casserole.
5 out of 5
7 reviews
Print
Delicious baked overnight breakfast casserole recipe that is perfect for Christmas and other holiday breakfast. Great for a weekend brunch or even a weeknight dinner!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 16 slices white bread , crust removed
  • 1 pound black forest ham slices
  • 3 cups grated cheddar cheese
  • 6 eggs
  • 3 cups 2% milk
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1/2 tsp hot sauce
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 onion , diced finely
  • 1/2 green pepper , diced finely
  • 1/3 cup butter , melted
  • 1 cup Cornflakes , crushed

Instructions

  • Use 2 tbsp butter to grease a 13x9 baking dish. Place 8 pieces of bread on the bottom of the baking dish. Evenly place slices of ham on top of the bread and sprinkle the grated cheese over the ham. Place remaining slices of bread on top of the cheese.
  • In a bowl, beat the eggs, with the milk, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread in the casserole dish. Top with diced onion and green pepper.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for a minimum of one hour, or leave in the fridge overnight.
  • Take out of the fridge and pour The melted butter evenly all over the casserole. Sprinkle crushed corn flakes cereal all over the top.
  • Bake in a 350F oven for 1 hour.
  • Take out and let stand 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Nutrition

Per serving:

Calories: 566kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 33gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 233mgSodium: 1464mgFiber: 2gSugar: 10g

Nutrition Disclaimer

 

Categories

A small plate with a serving of casserole.

Did you try this recipe?

Leave a comment and let me know how it turned out. Or, take a picture to share on Instagram and tag me @theblackpeppercorn.

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Recipe Rating




9 comments

  • 5 stars
    your recipe came high on my search for dishes like this, and it did not disappoint a bachelor taking care of a farm for a vacationing couple. lovely change to just heat up something filling at 545 am instead of cooking by the light of the rising sun.

    i cut the sourdough bread i had thin-ish, and added on-hand mushrooms to the topping too. variety of cheeses really made a big taste difference versus previous wife-savers I have made.

    well done!

    • Reply
    • Hey Tom! So glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for sharing your variations!

  • 5 stars
    Made this recipe Christmas morning, and it was a big hit!

    I especially loved that I could prepare most of it the night before so there was less to do on Christmas day.

    This will be nice for any gathering, and not just for breakfast.

    • Reply
  • Can you make this ahead and freeze?

    • Reply
    • Hmm, I am not sure how well it would freeze. I would fear that the water in the eggs might separate during the freezing. If you do end up trying it, I would love to hear how it turns out.

      • Reply
  • 5 stars
    Made it for a group of picky eaters and there was nothing left.
    Delicious!

    • Reply
  • I make this for Christmas morning too! I use peameal bacon instead of the Black Forest ham and I serve it with hollandaise sauce to pour over the top, it’s delicious! I love that it’s made the day before, because you already in the kitchen all Christmas Day, it’s nice to have one less thing to make!

    • Reply
    • I am sure it would be amazing with pea meal bacon as well!

      • Reply
  • Awwwww! Thanks, Steve! I appreciate the credit for this casserole (but I stole it too). I’m so glad you think of me when you make it. I have made a number of your recipes and I too think of you when I’m making them. I’m so glad you liked it so much. We also had it for Christmas morning!

    • Reply

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