Overnight Mother’s Day Brunch Casserole for Stress-Free Mornings
This breakfast casserole assembles the night before and bakes fresh in the morning. You’ll have a hot, satisfying brunch ready with minimal effort while Mom sleeps in.
The bread soaks up a custard-like egg mixture overnight, creating a texture that’s part French toast, part bread pudding.
Why Day-Old Bread Makes All the Difference
Slightly stale bread is your friend here. Fresh bread turns mushy when it soaks up the egg mixture overnight, but day-old bread holds its shape while absorbing all those flavors.
If you only have fresh bread, cut it into cubes and let them sit out for 2-3 hours before assembling the casserole. Challah, brioche, or thick-cut Texas toast work beautifully, but regular sandwich bread does the job too.
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Make-Ahead Strategy for Busy Mornings
Assemble this casserole up to 24 hours before baking. The longer it sits, the more custard-like the texture becomes as the bread fully absorbs the egg mixture.
You can prep the sausage and vegetables up to two days ahead and store them separately in the fridge. Just warm the sausage slightly before adding it to the casserole so it doesn’t cool down the other ingredients.
Overnight Mother’s Day Brunch Casserole for Stress-Free Mornings
Ingredients
Garnish
Equipment Needed
- 9×13-inch baking dish
- Large skillet
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Aluminum foil
Instructions
- Cook sausage: Cook breakfast sausage in a large skillet over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, breaking it into bite-sized pieces, until browned and cooked through. Remove sausage and set aside, leaving 1 tablespoon of drippings in the pan.
- Sauté vegetables: Add butter to the skillet with sausage drippings. Cook diced onion and bell pepper for 5-6 minutes until softened. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Layer casserole: Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Layer half the bread cubes in the bottom, then sprinkle with half the cheese, all the cooked sausage, and the sautéed vegetables. Top with remaining bread cubes and remaining cheese.
- Add egg mixture: Whisk together eggs, milk, dry mustard, salt, pepper, and paprika in a large bowl until well combined. Pour evenly over the bread mixture, pressing down gently to help bread absorb the liquid.
- Chill overnight: Cover tightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. The bread should absorb most of the egg mixture.
- Bake casserole: Remove casserole from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake covered for 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake 15 minutes more until center is set, edges are golden brown, and a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
- Rest and serve: Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped green onions and serve warm.
Nutrition Facts
Per Serving (1 serving)
