Prep this tasty casserole the night before, giving you more time to enjoy the Christmas festivities!
Picture this: Christmas morning, about 9 AM. By this point, the little kids have been up since 6, opened presents and stocking stuffers, gorged themselves on candy, and are now hangry. They (and you!) need something in their bellies, fast! But who has the energy or time to start making a big breakfast at this point in the morning? Enter this Christmas breakfast casserole. It can be assembled the night before, stored in the fridge, and baked up fresh in no time. A Christmas miracle? Not really—just plan ahead and your Christmas morning self will thank you.
This kind of breakfast casserole (sometimes called a strata) is popular in the States on Christmas morning. Because of that make-ahead element, it’s a great way to enjoy a hearty breakfast without missing out on the Christmas morning festivities. Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, it’s a wonderful recipe to have on hand for brunches or special occasion breakfasts. My youngest son would always request it for his birthday breakfast!
Besides the make-ahead benefits, you will love Christmas breakfast casserole because it’s failproof, uses easy ingredients, and serves a crowd. It can be the only thing you serve, or you can certainly pair it with fresh fruit or muffins. Whenever you serve it, it’s destined to become a family tradition.
How Long To Toast Those Bread Cubes?
In the ingredients list, it calls for six slices of white toast, cut into cubes. Wondering how toasty to toast your white bread? Lightly toast it. You just need to crisp up that outer layer of the bread so that it can effectively soak up the egg and dairy in this casserole. It doesn’t take long at all if you have a 2- or 4-slice toaster!
FAQs & Tips
How to Make Ahead and Store
Since Christmas breakfast casserole is, by nature, a make-ahead recipe, you’re good to go in that arena. Just be sure to get that chill time—the minimum is 2 hours (for those of you who are up super late on Christmas Eve) and max is 24. After 24 hours chill time, you risk the casserole turning out too soggy. Refrigerate any cooked leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
What Can I Substitute for the Pork Sausage?
You can either use turkey bulk breakfast sausage or a plant-based bulk breakfast sausage, like the nationally available Impossible brand. If none of those options work, consider sautéing mushrooms and onions instead of sausage; however, reduce the combined dairy to one cup total to account for the moisture released by the cooked veggies.
Tip: A Resting Period Helps
After taking the casserole out of the oven, give it a 5 to 10 minute resting period. Doing so allows the texture to fully set and there’s less danger of it being runny or falling apart when you portion out the servings.
Serving Suggestions
Simple sides for your Christmas breakfast casserole include fresh fruit, yogurt parfaits, or Blueberry Muffins. For a big brunch party, the casserole goes well with a meatless dish like Baked Oatmeal. Round out your brunch table with Monkey Bread, Home Fries, and of course, mimosas!
Christmas Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 16 ounces ground pork sausage
- 6 large eggs beaten
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 6 slices white toast cut into cubes
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- Kosher salt to taste
- Fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat until browned. Drain the excess fat.
- Combine salt, eggs, milk, and cream in a large bowl. Add the cooked sausage, garlic powder, onion powder, bread cubes, and shredded cheese. Stir until evenly mixed.
- Transfer the mixture into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the casserole covered for 55 minutes. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 325°F, uncover the casserole, and bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes or until the casserole has set.
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley for garnish and enjoy.
Leave a Comment