Hearty Breakfast Bake (Printable version)
Savory morning bake with sausage, eggs, cheese, and vegetables. Perfect for meals ahead or sharing.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1 pound breakfast sausage, casings removed
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 medium onion, diced
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
→ Dairy
05 - 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
06 - 1 cup whole milk
→ Bread
07 - 6 cups cubed day-old bread, preferably French or sandwich bread
→ Eggs
08 - 8 large eggs
→ Spices & Seasonings
09 - 1 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
11 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
12 - 1/2 teaspoon paprika
→ Optional
13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or parsley
# How to Prepare:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - In a large skillet over medium heat, cook sausage until browned and cooked through, breaking up with a spoon. Drain excess fat.
03 - Add diced onion and red bell pepper to the skillet. Sauté 3-4 minutes until softened. Stir in spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
04 - In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika until combined.
05 - Spread cubed bread evenly in the prepared baking dish. Layer sausage and vegetable mixture on top. Sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over all.
06 - Pour egg mixture evenly over the layered ingredients, pressing gently to help bread absorb the liquid.
07 - Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes, until the center is set and the top is golden brown.
08 - Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired, then slice and serve warm.
# Expert advice:
01 -
- It's a make-ahead miracle that actually tastes better the next morning.
- One dish feeds a crowd without you being trapped in the kitchen.
- The cheese gets gloriously melted and the bread soaks up all those eggy flavors perfectly.
02 -
- Don't skip letting the assembled casserole sit for at least an hour (or overnight) before baking—the bread needs time to absorb the egg mixture or you'll end up with pools of liquid at the bottom.
- If you're baking it fresh after assembly, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes at minimum before it even hits the oven.
03 -
- Use a good quality bread—French bread or Italian loaf works better than regular sandwich bread because it has better structure and won't turn to mush.
- If you're doubling this recipe, use a 9x13 dish and a 8x8 dish instead of trying to fit everything in one pan, or bake them in shifts at the same temperature.