Breakfast Bake Recipe

It can be easy to make breakfast recipes sound showy or gimmicky, but some just give you a lot of return for the little you put in. This are the most reliable recipes you can do. This is a keeper breakfast bake recipe.

Five ingredients and one pan. The hardest part is done the night before! I’ve done this for Christmas morning, for a neighbor who had a baby, and for Sunday brunches when nobody wanted to think. It really delivers!

From the time the dish gets put in the oven, the entire house smells like melted cheese and sausage. My husband is usually already standing near the oven before the timer goes off.

There are no special skills needed, no unique prepping or tricky timing involved. Just grease a pan, layer in the cooked meat and cheese, go to the batter section, mix up a quick Bisquick batter, and pour it over. Simple as that. If you prepare the meat layer the night before, you only have to mix the batter and slide the pan in in the morning.

Breakfast will be finished in forty-five minutes.

What’s Actually Going On Inside This Casserole

Bisquick batter serves two purposes here — it functions as a binder and a light crust. As it bakes, it settles through the layers of meat and cheese, creating layers you don’t have to construct yourself. The combination of eggs and milk provides a custardy texture and the cheese melts and crisps slightly around the edges as well.

The overnight rest is really important. When the assembled casserole is sitting in the refrigerator, the batter seeps into the meat and cheese layer. This creates a more cohesive texture. The casserole will not be soggy, but fully integrated. It will slice easily and stay together on the plate rather than falling apart in pieces.

The sausage (or ham, or bacon) adds the fat and seasoning that makes the dish taste finish. You can prepare this without toast or a side of fruit if you want, but no one will complain if you do.

What to Know Before You Start

To help save yourself the headache and to improve the final product, consider the following:

Cook the meat fully before it goes in the pan

If you are cooking breakfast sausage, make sure to fully cook and crumble it first. After cooking, drain the grease and allow it to cool for ten minutes. You will want it to be warm and not steaming. When layering, hot meat will melt the cheese too early. It will also raise the temp of the batter when you pour it on.

The same rules apply for bacon and ham as before. If it’s leftover ham, chop it up and let it get to near room temperature. As for the bacon, it should be cooked and crumbled and the extra grease should be blotted.

Glass or ceramic pan over metal

While metal pans do work, a 9×13 glass or ceramic dish is optimal because they give better heat distribution. Plus, you can see when the edges are set and when the bottom is done. For this recipe, I like to use a Pyrex 3-quart oblong baking dish because it is the right size, is super easy to clean, and can go straight from the fridge to the oven.

Don’t skip the non-stick spray

The cheese might stick to the bottom and sides of the pan even if you use a glass one. Be sure to spray the pan really well, even up the sides. If you want to be super safe, you can place a strip of parchment paper on the bottom before spraying. This can be especially helpful if you’re making it for company and want the first slice to come out really clean.

The batter will look thin — that’s on purpose

It may look like the amount of the egg and Bisquick mixture is not nearly enough because when the mixture is poured over the meat and cheese, it may seem like it’s just going to sit at the bottom or pool. Do not panic and do not add more.

Thin batter is better as it puffs up a bit during baking and the Bisquick takes care of the rest. The most common mistake with this recipe is doubling the batter. This is what creates a doughy and undercooked middle.

Breakfast Bake Ingredients

This 9×13 pan serves 8-10 people and here is what goes into it:

• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 pound breakfast sausage, cooked, crumbled, and drained
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup Bisquick baking mix
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

That is the entire list. There are no hidden ingredients and no secret pantry staples.

Cheese

It will work just fine to use pre-shredded cheddar since it will save you some time. If you want to take it a step further, shredding a block of cheddar cheese will give you a cleaner taste, and it melts a little more evenly than pre-shredded cheese. If you want to mix it up, sharp cheddar will give you a stronger taste in every bite, and medium cheddar will be more of a subtle flavor. Adding some Monterey Jack will give you extra meltiness.

Meat

Breakfast sausage is a great option It provides its own seasoning so you don’t have as much flavor work to do. If you are using bulk sausage you can cook it in a skillet on medium heat and break it up into small, even crumbles. Ham is also a great option, especially if you have leftover diced smoked ham, as it is savory with less fat. Bacon also provides a great smoked flavor and crispier texture, but requires a little more prep work.

Milk

Whole milk gives the best texture — richer and more custardy. Two percent works fine. I wouldn’t use skim milk here; the fat matters for how the eggs set up.

Bisquick

I use Bisquick since the original recipe specifies that. The leavening agents are probably going to work differently based on the ratio of eggs and milk used. If you wish to do a homemade substitute, use the standard formula — flour, baking powder, salt, and fat, and do it as a cup for cup swap.

How to Make This Breakfast Bake

Step 1: Prep and grease the pan

Prepare the 9×13 baking dish by completely coating it in non-stick cooking spray. Take your time with this. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it should cover the sides and corners. Place the baking dish on the counter next to where you will be assembling the dish.

Step 2: Cook the sausage

In a skillet, cook one pound of sausage, crumbling it as it cooks. A meat chopper can speed up the process and create more uniform pieces, plus, it makes the job easier. When there is no pink remaining, drain the sausage and let it cool. It needs to be warm, not steaming, when added to the pan, so wait about ten minutes.

Step 3: Layer the meat and cheese

Evenly distribute the cooked crumbled sausage on the bottom of the prepared pan. Next, sprinkle the shredded cheddar on top. You want the cheese to be evenly distributed because it will separate the batter from the meat and act as a barrier. It will also allow the top of the casserole to bake to a nice golden brown.

If you’re doing this the night before, you would pause here. Now you want to tightly cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate it. The batter will go on in the morning, just before the baking step.

Step 4: Mix the batter

In a big mixing bowl, add the eggs, milk, Bisquick, salt, and pepper. Beat until smooth. If you are using a good whisk, you may need two to three minutes to complete the task. You should have complete incorporation of the Bisquick without any lumps. If your batter is thin and pourable, similar to the consistency between pancake batter and heavy cream, that is correct.

Step 5: Pour the batter and bake

Evenly distribute the batter over the surface of the cheese and meat. Move slowly and cover every area as the batter will settle. If some areas appear thin, that is okay. The batter redistributes while baking.

Set the oven temperature to 375°F. Bake in the oven for about 40 to 45 minutes. After 40 minutes, take a toothpick and stick it in the center of the casserole. If the toothpick is clean, then it is done. The top of the casserole should be golden brown, and the sides should have pulled away from the side of the pan. You should also be able to shake the pan and the center should not jiggle.

Allow the casserole to rest for five to ten minutes before cutting. The casserole will be hot in the middle so resting will help it to set up for clean slices.

Four Versions We’ve Actually Made

Ham and Swiss

Instead of sausage use diced smoked ham, and for cheddar use shredded Swiss. The outcome will be more delicate — less fatty and less aggressively seasoned, with a slight nuttiness from the Swiss. This variation is especially good for brunch since you might be serving other dishes and want to avoid one dish overpowering everything else.

Spicy sausage and pepper jack

Try using hot instead of mild breakfast sausage and substituting pepper jack for the cheddar. You can also add a quarter teaspoon of smoked paprika to the batter. This version has real heat, so start here before you think about adding more.

Bacon and gruyère

Cook and crumble a pound of bacon, replace the cheddar with shredded gruyère, and add a tablespoon of Dijon mustard to the batter. Gruyère cheese has a beautiful melt and nutty, more complex flavor which pairs nicely with the bacon’s smokiness. When I want to impress people, this is the kind of thing I prepare for a holiday brunch.

Vegetarian

Skip the meat and instead, lightly brown some diced bell pepper, onions, and mushrooms in a little olive oil until softened and the moisture evaporates. Use two cups of this veggie mix in lieu of the sausage. To make up for the missing sausage seasoning, add an extra 1/4 tsp of black pepper and a small sprinkle of garlic powder to the batter.

Make-Ahead and Leftover Notes

The partial-prep method is the best one

The meat and cheese should be layered in a pan the night prior to baking. Cover the pan and place in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, you will mix the batter fresh and pour it over the cold layers. Bake immediately at 375°F. Using this method, the texture will have the layers puffs, the batter puffs the way it should, and the entire dish will cleanly hold together as you cut into it.

Fully assembled overnight also works

If you want to do everything the night before, like layering, mixing the batter, pouring it, covering it, and refrigerating it, that also works. In the morning, just go from the fridge to the preheated oven. Keep in mind that you will need to add 5 to 8 extra minutes to the bake time because it’s starting out cold. Check it with a toothpick.

Storing and reheating leftovers

If you have leftovers, you can keep them in the refrigerator for four days. You can choose to leave them in the baking dish they were cooked in as long as they are covered or move them to another dish as long as it has an airtight seal. If you wish to reheat individual slices, the microwave will work but it may take 60 to 90 seconds up to a minute and a half. If you want the best texture, a toaster oven is recommended at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes. It will allow the edges to become crispy and the middle to be heated evenly.

This casserole freezes nicely after baking, too. After it cools, cut it into single servings, wrap each individually in plastic wrap, and freeze them for up to two months. To enjoy, thaw it in the fridge overnight, and then reheat it as directed. The texture is a bit firmer than when it is made fresh, but the taste is just as good!

Breakfast Bake FAQ

Can I make this breakfast bake without Bisquick?

Yes. Use 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1.5 tsp. baking powder, add 0.5 tsp. salt, and 1 tbsp. of cold butter. Use a pastry cutter to blend until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Substitute this for the Bisquick in the same quantity – 1 cup. The result will be a little less refined, but will work just fine.

Why is the center still jiggly after 45 minutes?

Here are some ideas why this might be happening. First, you may need to adjust your oven temperature, because a lot of ovens are off from what the dial says by as much as 25 to 50 degrees, so consider purchasing a thermometer that will tell you the actual temperature of your oven. Second, if your bake is coming straight from the fridge/freezer, you’ll need to add 8 – 10 minutes to your expected bake time. Third, if you added more veggies or cheese, the added moisture might cause your dish to take longer to set, so you might want to cover your dish with some foil and bake it in 5 minute intervals, checking your bake with a toothpick each time to see if it is done.

Can I add hash browns?

You can do that, but it’s a structural change. Use thawed-frozen shredded hash browns that have been thawed and pressed for moisture. Press them into the bottom of the greased pan as the first layer before the meat and cheese. They will crisp slightly on the bottom during baking and create a potato crust. Be sure to add about 5 to 8 minutes to the bake time to fully cook the potato layer.

Is it safe to assemble the night before and bake in the morning?

Certainly, as long as the meat is completely cooked prior and the put together casserole goes in the fridge right away. Also, do not keep a raw egg dish at room temperature more than two hours. So, if you have a dish to assemble, do so, cover it, and refrigerate it. Pull it out when you turn the oven on and then it goes right in.

Other Morning Casseroles Worth Bookmarking

If this one works for you, then these are worth saving too:

• Easy Breakfast Casserole — a classic sausage and egg casserole baked in one pan
• Quick Breakfast Casserole — ready fast with simple ingredients
• Sausage Croissant Breakfast Casserole — buttery croissants layered with sausage and eggs

Please leave a comment letting me know how this breakfast bake recipe turned out for you.