This easy overnight casserole is layered with bread, cheese, crumbled sausage and green chilis, and soaked in a seasoned egg custard overnight. It couldn’t be simpler to put together and the best part is in the morning when your kitchen is clean and your dishes are done and all you have to do is pop it in the oven! The popular casserole is a staple on many people’s holiday tables. At my house, it’s been our Christmas morning breakfast for over 40 years, and we love it on Easter and other special occasions, too. Wouldn’t be a holiday without it!
Ingredients Needed
- Bread – No need to get fancy. While most similar casseroles call for dried out french bread, I actually recommend basic everyday soft white sandwich bread fresh from the bag.
- Butter – Use real butter.
- Cheese – You’ll need a lot of cheese! I call for a mix of Jack and Cheddar. That’s my favorite combination, but in a pinch I’ve also used Colby Jack, and it would also be great with some pepper Jack in there. Experiment if you’d like to, but the classic way is terrific! My one tip: I do not recommend pre-shredded cheese in a bag for this recipe. Shredding directly from a block of cheese will produce better results.
- Green Chiles – You’ll find tiny cans of these near the jarred salsa at the grocery store. I don’t bother draining the tiny can, just use your hands to grab the chilis from the can and sprinkle onto the casserole, the juice that comes with it is just fine.
- Sausage – There are always a lot of questions when I have recipes that call for sausage of any kind. It’s probably because there are so many different types: breakfast sausage, Italian sausage, sausage in links, sausage in castings, sausage in tubes, sausage in 8 different sections of the supermarket! You’ll find this sausage in the fridge section, usually near the bacon. Avoid sausages with flavors like maple. I only use Jimmy Dean because that’s what my Mom always used and we like the flavor the best!
- Eggs
- Milk
- Spices
- Salt
- Pepper
- Oregano
- Paprika
- Garlic
- Dry mustard
How To Make Overnight Sausage and Egg Casserole
- Make sure your sausage is cooked before you begin assembling your casserole. You’ll start with the bread. Cut off the crusts, butter one side, and place the pieces butter-side-down in a 9×13 baking dish.
- Sprinkle on your shredded cheese, followed by the cooked sausage crumbles, and green chilis (no need to drain).
- Finally you’ll whisk together eggs, milk, and some spices and seasonings. Stir the egg mixture immediately before pouring on top of the assembled casserole. Otherwise all the spices will all gather in one spot and drop onto one single piece of casserole!
- It then goes in the fridge overnight to allow the liquid to be full absorbed and for the flavors to blend. In the morning you just pop it into the oven and have a gorgeous breakfast or bunch in under an hour!
Storing and Other Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within 3-4 days for best results.
- Reheating tip: Leftovers will reheat more evenly if you cut your piece of casserole into a few smaller pieces before popping in the microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
I would consider 4-6 hours the minimum rest time, and up to 24 hours the max. This doesn’t mean it wouldn’t still work if left in the fridge beyond that, but I have not tried it.
I have not tried making this in larger than a 9×13 inch pan so I can’t promise it would cook evenly. Your best bet for serving a crowd is making multiple pans.
If you really don’t like the flavor of green chiles, it certainly won’t affect the way the casserole cooks to leave them out. If you have picky eaters who just don’t like the color or texture, you could try blending the can of chiles (juices and all) with a little of the milk and mixing that in with the milk and egg mix before pouring over the casserole.
Your casserole will still taste great with bagged cheese, but it may affect the final consistency, with the cheese slightly separated from the other ingredients due to the coating its tossed it to keep it from sticking together in the bag. In my opinion this is one of those recipes where its worth the effort to grate it fresh.
Overnight Sausage and Egg Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6-8 slices plain white sandwich bread
- butter very soft, for buttering bread
- 2 cups Jack cheese, shredded I recommend shredding fresh
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded I recommend shredding fresh
- 12 ounces pork sausage crumbled and browned (I use Jimmy Dean)
- 1 4-ounce can green chiles
- 6 eggs large
- 2 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
Instructions
- Start by removing the crusts from your bread and lightly buttering one side.
- Place bread, butter side down, in a 9×13 baking dish. You want the bottom of the pan covered with no big gaps, so cut up some pieces like a puzzle to cover the whole pan.
- Grate cheese and sprinkle evenly over bread. Then, layer on browned sausage, followed by green chiles.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk eggs. Add milk and seasonings; combine well. Give the mixture a final whisk before immediately pouring evenly on top of the assembled casserole.
- Cover well and place in the refrigerator overnight.
- In the morning preheat your oven to 350℉. Bake (uncovered) for 50-60 minutes. You'll want the center to be puffed and set and the outside edges to be golden brown. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within 3-4 days for best results.
- Reheating tip: Leftovers will reheat more evenly if you cut your piece of casserole into a few smaller pieces before popping in the microwave.
Questions & Reviews
The recipe calls for 12 ounces of sausage. Jimmy Dean is also my favorite but it comes in a 16 ounce (1 pound) package. Would 4 more ounces of sausage added in be a problem?
No not a problem at all. I think package sizes have changed since I first wrote this. The standard package of Jimmy Dean is what you want!
I have a similar recipe and wonder it there would be a lot of difference if the crust was not cut off the bread. Thank you.
If you have really soft bread then you can certainly leave it on. I prefer it off, but that’s the way I’m used to 🙂
Hi there! Do you have a certain type of gluten free bread that would work with this recipe?
I’ve never made this recipe with gluten free bread, but if you have one you like to eat for other things, it should work well here, too!
Why can’t you use pre shredded cheese
You can, but pre-shredded cheeses don’t melt quite as well due to the additives that keep them from clumping. So you’ll get better results if you grate your own cheese.
Ok, this may never get answered as I had no idea your recipe had been around so long..!
But, I am stuck having to use Trader Joe’s Jalapeño Chicken sausage – already cooked links. Would this casserole work just fine if I chopped or sliced the links and added them instead of Jimmy Dea (my personal fave!)??? Fingers crossed I get a response before next week…
Hi Patty! You definitely can. Obviously the flavor will be different, and I’ve never used that sausage so can’t say exactly how it will taste, but as a recipe, the casserole will bake up just fine!
Does this need to be brought to room temperature before baking?
If you have time, I sometimes put it on the counter to take the chill off, but no- it can go straight from fridge to oven!