Breakfast Casserole For A Crowd

The savory combination of sausage, eggs, cheese, bread cubes and milk makes a delicious Breakfast Casserole for a crowd.

Recipe For Breakfast Casserole For A Crowd

Several classic flavors bake together in our Breakfast Casserole to make a simple and enjoyable meal that always gets compliments.

Sure we enjoy Cinnamon Rolls With Heavy Cream and Pancake Tacos for breakfast, but it is always nice to have an option that is packed with protein.

We made this Breakfast Casserole for a Crowd for Easter breakfast at church after the sunrise service. Serve with Fruit Salad for a Crowd, Crisco Biscuits and jam with coffee for an easy and delicious buffet.

This brunch recipe is inspired by our regular sized Sausage, Egg and Cheese Casserole.

The key to converting it to a much bigger batch is having two 13″ x 18″ high-sided sheet cake pans and a set of commercial sized mixing bowls.

Ingredients Needed:

• Sausage – We like Bob Evans sausage or Jimmy Dean regular, mild sausage for crowds. We try to avoid zesty or hot sausage for big breakfast parties or brunch.
• Eggs – We like to crack and scramble our own and enjoy some quality time with friends in the process. If necessary note that 20 eggs is 4 cups of liquid.
• Cheddar Cheese – I prefer sharp cheddar, but mild works fine too.
• Bread – Chop into small cubes and allow to lightly dry out on the counter before mixing in.
• Milk – 1% or 2% milk is our preference.
• Green Onions – Make a great garnish, but need to be sprinkled on top just before serving and more than once I’ll have them sliced and forget to add to the casserole.

What To Do With Leftovers

One of the biggest challenges when cooking for a crowd is not having any idea how much food to prepare. This big batch of breakfast casserole recipe reheats really well, so it’s easy to error on the side of caution and make extra.

The leftovers maintain quality well! Freeze leftovers in individual sized portions for quick breakfast options throughout the month.

Defrost first for best results. Wrap in a damp paper towel to reheat quickly and enjoy. 

Steps That Can Be Done Ahead of Time

Browning and draining the sausage can be done up to 3 days ahead of baking. This is the most time consuming step.

We like to crack and scramble the eggs. Store 20 scrambled eggs in an air tight container in the refrigerator. 

Keeping the exact amount of eggs separate while cracking is easiest as a large container can be hard to divide evenly.

Make Ahead Casserole

The entire sausage, egg and cheese breakfast casserole can be mixed up, covered tightly and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking.

Before mixing up ensure that you have enough room in your refrigerator to store one or two pans in a level spot.

Step By Step Instructions 

In an extra large mixing bowl whisk eggs. Even if you crack and scramble eggs a day or two ahead of time use a fork and run through one more time to make sure every yolk is beaten. 

Add milk and salt and stir well.

Then add cheese and slightly dried bread cubes.

Stir again.

Finally add cooked sausage. Use a sturdy long handled spoon to mix everything together. 

Generously coat a 13” x 18” pan with nonstick cooking spray. Take extra care to get the sides and the corners of the pan with spray.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes until the center is topped and the casserole is cooked through.

Recipe Tips

• Using two Nordic Ware prism textured aluminum high-sided baking pans is key to making a double batch of this recipe as disposable aluminum pans don’t stack, store and travel nearly as well.
• Going to a commercial food store like GFS, Sam’s Club or Costco and using liquid eggs may have save time and hassle.
• This is a perfect casserole to make if you have chickens producing lots of eggs. Share at a family meal along with our Big Batch of Brownies to help decrease your supply.

Breakfast Casserole for 40 People

This is a great recipe to make for a celebration because the number of pieces to be cut from each pan can be decided ahead of time. You may not know how many guests to expect, but you can know how many pieces of casserole you have to serve.

The original recipe makes 20 pieces, so two 13 x 18″ pans are needed to make 40 pieces of casserole.

Two pans will fit in a typical home oven and take about an hour to bake. This makes the equivalent of 4 – 9 x 13″ pans of this breakfast casserole with eggs. 4 typical sized pans won’t fit in an oven at once, so this can create more limitations.

More Popular Recipes For Crowds and Celebrations

Having delicious meat as the main dish like Ham in a Roaster, Turkey in a Roaster Oven, or Brisket in a Roaster is a great way to start planning the party.

Then serve with Mac and Cheese for a Crowd, Corn is a Roaster Oven, or a simple Big Batch of Coleslaw.

Finish the meal with an assortment of cookies, Cherry Cobbler for a Crowd or a Large Batch of Banana Pudding.