Weekends seem like the perfect time for a big breakfast, but making scrambled eggs and bacon for a large family can be time-consuming. This baked egg casserole makes a hearty breakfast a cinch! This recipe is a favorite because it can be prepped ahead, then assembled and baked the next morning, making weekend breakfast quick and virtually mess-free.
This casserole recipe is very flexible. The measurements work well with as little as 10 eggs or as many as 18, but the cook times may vary a bit. If you don’t have breakfast meat you can leave it out without any adjustments and the eggs are still delicious.
Use whatever cheese you have on hand or a mixture of multiple kinds. Freshly grated will always be my recommendation, but pre-grated bagged cheese will work as well. Any breakfast meat is delicious in this casserole; try bacon, sausage, or even sliced up, sauteed Canadian bacon.
Layer the cheese and breakfast meat into your casserole dish and set it aside while whisking up the eggs, milk, and seasonings. The flour will clump in pieces and that’s fine.
If you’re using crumbled bacon in the casserole you can wait until after pouring the eggs over the cheese and sprinkle it on the very top so it stays nice and crispy.
Give the egg mixture one last whisk then pour them over the cheese and breakfast meat. Bake uncovered for 45-60 minutes at 350. If the eggs are sunken in the middle still keep cooking; the center will puff up like a souffle when it’s cooked through and then deflate once it’s out of the oven.
If you are prepping the eggs ahead, cover the cheese and meat in the casserole dish, and transfer the eggs to a covered bowl or zip-top bag, then refrigerate overnight. The next morning set the pan on the counter while your oven preheats. Give the eggs a little stir to combine again, then pour over the cheese and meat layers. Bake as directed.
These have been a family staple for two decades now. They have been taken to many pot-luck meals, shared with friends after a new baby, enjoyed many Christmas mornings, and even been know to be whipped up on a weekday!
Give them a try this weekend and let us know which breakfast meat is your favorite!
XOXO
Shan and Doe
Baked Eggs
Ingredients
- 12 eggs
- 1 3/4 cups milk
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 heaping tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 4-6 cups colby-jack cheese, grated
- 2 cups breakfast meat, cooked and crumbled optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and llightly butter a 9 x 13 casserole dish.
- Spread all the grated cheese in the bottom of the prepared casserole dish.
- If you are adding breakfast meat layer it on top of the cheese. (if using bacon I like to add it very last after the egg mixture so it stays crispy)
- Set the casserole dish aside for later.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, crack the eggs and add the milk.
- Using the whisk attachment on the mixer, whisk together until the egg yolks are mostly broken up.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until mostly incorporated. The flour will be lumpy, that's ok.
- Give the eggs one last whisk and then pour it over the cheese and breakfast meat in the casserole pan.
- Place casserole in the center of the oven uncovered and bake for 45-60 minutes. The eggs are done when they are a light golden brown and the center has completely puffed up above the sides. The center will deflate and flatten once it's removed from the stove.
- Let the casserole stand for just a few minutes before slicing.
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