Overnight Ham and Egg Breakfast Casserole is a delicious and super simple breakfast recipe. Bread is soaked in a flavorful egg and milk mixture and topped with ham and cheese. It is made ahead and stored in the fridge overnight (up to 2 days!) , then is ready for you to bake the next morning, which makes it a great recipe to use when you have house guests!
Of course if you don’t have time to wait overnight… pop over to these sausage egg cups or healthy breakfast egg cups.
Why It Is Such A Great Breakfast Casserole
- Wonderful after the holidays when you have all the ingredients in your house. You can use up leftover bread or rolls, eggs, and ham.
- Easy to put together. Cut, Whisk, Pour.
- Simple ingredients!
- No sautéing before assembly!
- Can be made up to 2 days ahead for easy breakfast.
- Kids will love it too… no onions no green stuff (just like my Chicken Noodle Soup for Kids)
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients that you need to make this overnight ham and egg breakfast casserole, plus some helpful tips on a few ingredients:
Leftover Ham
If you are using leftover ham, you will need about 2 ½ cups.
Ham Steak
If you are purchasing a ham steak at the grocery store, choose one that is around 1 lb. This will allow you to trim the bone and fat and still have the right amount of ham.
Bread
This recipe is a great way to use up day old bread. The recipes calls for “French bread” however you can use what you have.
If you have sourdough, use it. If you have leftover rolls, use them. I have made this with leftover slider buns, and it worked great!
Fresh Shredded Cheese
As always, I recommend that you shred your cheese fresh instead of buying pre-shredded bagged cheese. The fresh shreds will melt creamier and more delicious! The bagged cheese will work, but it is coated in anti-clumping agents and preservatives that prevent it from properly melting.
Step By Step Picture Instructions
Start by cutting your bread into cubes. If you have a bread with a thick or crusty crust, you will want to remove that and discard.
Prep a 9×13 casserole dish by spreading 1 tablespoon softened butter across the bottom and slightly up the sides. Now add the bread cubes.
Top with the cubed ham and finish by sprinkling on the cheese
Crack your eggs in a bowl, add the Dijon mustard, Lawry’s, onion powder, garlic powder and whole milk. Whisk so everything is combined and the eggs are all whisked.
Now pour it over the bread/ham/cheese. Making sure you pour it evenly over the entire casserole.
Give the casserole a gentle press so all the bread touching the egg/milk mixture.
Cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours, up to 48 hours!
I accidentally made this a day too early one time and it had to sit in the fridge and extra day… came out totally fine!!! So you CAN make this breakfast casserole up to 2 days in advance.
Baking
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
Let the casserole cool for about 15 minutes before serving.
Serving
Cut the Ham and Egg Breakfast Casserole into squares. It is excellent served with fresh fruit, vanilla yogurt and sweet breakfast pastries, blueberry breakfast cake, Banana Bread or coffee cake muffins.
It can also make a great breakfast for dinner! Serve it up with a green side salad dressed with vinaigrette (this basil vinaigrette is amazing!).
Storing
Keep any leftover breakfast casserole in the fridge in a covered container for 2 days. After that the casserole will still be fine to eat up to 4 days, but it will start to “dry out”.
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Overnight Ham & Egg Breakfast Casserole Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups French bread - cubed
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon each – Lawry's Seasoned Salt, onion powder & garlic powder
- 2 ½ cups (up to 3 cups) cooked ham - cubed, ham steak or leftover ham works great
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese - grated
- 1 tablespoon butter - softened
Instructions
- Spread the softened butter across the bottom and sides of a 9×13 casserole dish.
- Cube your bread (about 1-1.5 inches). Place the bread in the prepared 9×13 dish.**If your bread has a thick or tough crust remove that and discard, only using the inside, soft parts of the bread.
- Add your cubed ham on top of the bread cubes, then sprinkle on the cheese.
- In a bowl whisk together eggs, milk, mustard, and seasonings.
- Pour the egg mixture evenly over top of the bread/ham/cheese. Cover and refrigerate over night (12-24 hours). Can be made 2 days in advance.
Baking
- Preheat the oven to 375°. Meanwhile, uncover the casserole and set on the counter.
- Once the oven is fully heated, bake uncovered for 45 minutes.
- Let the casserole rest for about 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Serving
- Cut the casserole into 8 large squares or 12 smaller squares.This is excellent served with fresh fruit, vanilla yogurt and breakfast pastries or sweets like Blueberry Breakfast Bread, Cranberry Cake, Coffee Cake Muffins or Banana Bread.
Ann Moreno says
I made this for two people and baked it in a loaf pan. I didn’t have French bread so I cubed and toasted hamburger buns; added chives, onion powder, garlic powder, chopped chives and black pepper to the egg and milk mixture; and used shredded Mexican blend cheese in the dish and on top of it. It was delicious and I will use this recipe again.
Susie Weinrich says
Excellent! Love that you were able to use the ingredients you had on hand for the recipe.
Avon Crawford says
Perfect for an overnight casserole. Easy to put together. I used a pound of ground ham and had ham in each bite. I’m saving this recipe and will make it again. Thanks.
Susie Weinrich says
Ground ham is a great idea. You might also like this recipe for ham balls that uses ground ham.
Kathy Mc says
I wonder at the specifying white part of bread, cutting off crusts. I used up store-bought garlic drop rolls (totally crusty and getting very dry) and your recipe came out great, couldn’t even see other than white from the bread. Delicious recipe, thank you!!!
Susie Weinrich says
That is great info!! Thank you for sharing, it will be helpful for other users.
Vickie says
Very easy to prepare and very tasty!
AlyChap says
I cut this recipe in half and made it in an 8×8 pan on convection bake for 30 minutes. Made 6 servings. I always substituted some buttermilk I had for some of the milk. It was delicious and well received. I served yogurt and fresh blueberries with granola topping on the side.
Liz says
Made it exactly as written and it was a huge crowd pleaser! Used French bread and it turned out filling, but not too heavy Everyone had second helpings!
Lynna Mae Cox says
Sounds delicious an will be trying tis ! Minus added salt an add a few other ingredients, Thanks for a great breakfast meal idea !