Bacon Breakfast Casserole

A combination of bacon, egg, cheese and bread are baked together to make this popular Bacon Breakfast Casserole recipe.

Our make ahead breakfast casserole makes breakfast, brunch or dinner easier when the dish rests overnight in the refrigerator.

Serve this casserole with a Fruit Tray, a Big Batch of Fruit Salad or Tiktok Cinnamon Rolls for an excellent meal.

Recipe For an Easy Breakfast Casserole With Bacon

This Bacon Breakfast Casserole recipe is the perfect meal for people who love bacon, eggs, cheese, and toast. 

Cheesy goodness with plenty of salty and smoky bacon and eggs makes one of the best ways to start the day. A regular on our family menu because it uses easy ingredient to create a hearty meal that pairs perfectly with fresh fruit!

Our family enjoys casseroles that can be mixed up ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Taking stress out of meal prep at the holidays is especially helpful.

This cheesy casserole is very similar to my Easy Egg & Sausage Casserole, Ham, Egg & Cheese Casserole and Everything Bagel & Sausage Casserole, but it is made better with lots of bacon!

Why This Recipe Works

• Creates a hearty meal with simple ingredients that most people enjoy.
• Leftovers freeze and reheat very well making meal prep easier.
• This casserole is a family favorite for church potlucks, family meals, brunch and Christmas and Easter breakfast.
• When we make a big brunch we love serving this make ahead casserole recipe with Oatmeal Waffles.

Ingredients Needed For Bacon Breakfast Casserole With Bread

• Eggs – We typically use 10 eggs, but a dozen work fine as long as your pan is deep enough.
• Bread – I like to use four slices a thick bread and allow them to dry out a bit before cutting into cubes. A couple more pieces can easily be added if there’s adequate space in the pan.
• Cheese – Shredded sharp cheddar cheese is our favorite, but most yellow cheese works fine.
• Milk – Helps make the casserole a bit more fluffy and lightens it up a little.
• Bacon – We always use a full pound of thick cut bacon chopped into smaller pieces!
• Salt and Dry Mustard – Optional seasonings that we like to use for a deeper flavor.
• Chives or Green Onions – Slice up for an optional garnish to sprinkle on right before serving.

Overnight Casserole With Bacon

Bacon Breakfast Casserole is mixed up and refrigerated overnight before baking and enjoying. 

Since the bread sits in eggs and milk overnight it is best to use slightly stale bread as it will maintain more structure when baked.  Fresh bread can become mushy in overnight casseroles.

You can also let fresh bread sit out on the counter for a few hour or all day and then slice into cubes.

When I met with farmers in Nebraska I asked the group to share their family’s best recipes. The experiment turned up these amazing Ham and Cheese Sliders, Pork Chop and Stuffing Casserole and Tender Baked Pork Chops.

Growing up in a rural community as part of a small tight-knit church Joel said this casserole was always on the menu at church breakfast gatherings.  

Joel’s mom gave him this recipe on a handwritten card when he went away to college.  She and Joel have each made it with each of the choices of meat, bacon, sausage or ham. 

One of Joel’s tips is to cuts up the bacon into smaller pieces before frying it so the bacon is ready to go straight into the casserole. As long as you don’t burn the bacon I don’t think it matters how you cook it!

How to Make a Breakfast Casserole With Bacon

1. Layer dried bread cubes in a greased 9 x 13-inch pan
2. Sprinkle cheese and bacon in layers over bread
3. Whisk eggs, milk, dry mustard and salt together and pour over casserole
4. Cover and refrigerate overnight
5. Bake for 30 – 45 minutes at 350º F

How Far Ahead Can This Casserole Be Make?

This breakfast casserole should be mixed up and the slices of bread allowed to soak up the eggs in the refrigerator overnight or up to 18 hours ahead of time.  

To make this Christmas breakfast casserole with bacon 2 or 3 days ahead of time cook and chop the bacon, cube the bread and shred the cheese, but store separately in the refrigerator. Then 24 hours ahead of time mix the ingredients, cover tightly and return to the fridge.

Once baked the overnight bacon and egg casserole can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.

Can You Freeze This Breakfast Casserole?

Cool cooked casserole completely, cut into serving sized pieces, wrap each piece in a paper towel and place in freezer bag.  

Remove as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. Freeze up to 2 to 3 months.

This bacon and egg casserole with bread tastes best when placing in the refrigerator to defrost overnight.  I use a microwave to reheat the casserole while wrapped in the paper towel.

Freezing serving sized pieces makes a great breakfast and is an excellent way to meal plan!

Step By Step Instructions

Bake or fry bacon, pat dry with paper towels and chop into coarse pieces. Set aside.

Cut slightly dried or day old bread into cubes. Layer in the bottom of a lightly greased 9 x 13 baking dish.

Sprinkle a generous layer of cheddar cheese on top.

Now sprinkle the main ingredient – bacon. Make a thick, beautiful layer of the amazing meat.

In a medium sized mixing bowl whisk eggs. Then add milk, dry mustard and salt.

Mix well.

Pour over the other casserole ingredients.

Be gentle to avoid displacing those ingredients.

Cover tightly and refrigerate over night.

Set out on the counter 30 minutes before baking.

Preheat oven to 350°F and bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes until set. Serve warm and enjoy!

Should An Egg Casserole Be Covered When Baking?

This breakfast casserole should not be covered when baking.  Covering a casserole helps hold in moisture and can prevent excessive browning.  This casserole has plenty of moisture and exposure to the heat will help the eggs bake more evenly.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Use dried bread when making an overnight casserole – fresh bread will be soggy
• Be sure to store in a level spot in the refrigerator.
• If looking to decrease carbs fewer slices of bread can be used
• When feeding a crowd add a couple slices of bread and a few more eggs 
• Cook bacon and cut into one-inch strips or bite-sized pieces
• I prefer thick sliced bacon because more bacon is usually better
• Garnishing with chives or green onions is optional & adds an enjoyable fresh flavor
• Keep the casserole covered in the refrigerator, but uncover when baking

Other Delicious Brunch Ideas

• 34 Best Brunch Recipes
• Brioche French Toast Casserole
• Egg, Sausage & Brioche Breakfast Casserole
• Sausage Hashbrown Casserole
• Spinach & Bacon Quiche

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Printable Recipe for Bacon Breakfast Casserole

Recipe originally shared June 3, 2019 with pictures updated on October 20, 2023.

Bacon Farmer Joel

This recipe was shared by Joel Kaelin of DeWitt, Nebraska. He has a passion for working with pigs that developed as a young adult participating in 4-H and FFA.  He has been a farm manager or Lead Officer at the Fairbury nucleus pig farm for DNA Genetics for three and a half years.

Joel grew up on a hog, cattle and crop farm, showed hogs at the county fair.  He really enjoyed the livestock judging contest at the fair. He won at age 8 which might’ve been luck, but he enjoyed judging the hogs the best.  Joel participated in livestock judging in college while earning a degree in Animal Science from the University of Nebraska Lincoln. Since working to select better animals is a favorite pastime of Joel’s it’s no surprise that’s what he’s made a career out of.

Married for ten years, Joel and his wife have 7-year-old twins, a boy, and a girl and they are expecting again in October.  When Joel isn’t working with pigs he enjoys college football, yard work, mowing, and being outdoors.