This egg casserole recipe is breakfast at its finest. I mean how do you beat bacon and eggs, really? You don’t. Oh wait, you add cheese and make it the night before. That’s how. BOOM. Originally posted January 5, 2016.
Cheesy Bacon Egg Casserole Recipe
Have you seen my keys anywhere? They are silver. With some black rubbery parts. They are the ones that open my car, and my house. There are even some bonus keys on there that I have no clue what they open. No? You don’t see them anywhere? WELL ME NEITHER.
You guys. I have looked everywhere. Even in my front door. That’s where I usually find my keys when I lose them. Well, that is, after the neighbors pound on my door telling me my keys are in the lock. Or how ’bout the time I left my keys in the ignition. With the car running and the door unlocked. For 10 minutes while I went grocery shopping. If I didn’t get my car stolen for leaving it running unattended, I probably won’t this time right? Right??
Keys schmeys, who needs em. Now let’s talk breakfast. This recipe is a game-changer, guys. Just kidding Nathan! That one was for you. I got this email from my brother Nathan a few weeks ago after I posted this Honey Hot Chocolate for One, asking me what percentage of my posts involve the words “game-changer”? He even did a custom search for the term which came up with dozens of results. Apparently I need a thesaurus. What can I say? Some recipes are just totally CHANGING THE GAME.
The breakfast game, in this case. I meant to share this one with you guys before Christmas so you could make it on Christmas Eve. We were already at Eric’s parent’s house up in Montana when I sat down to write the post…when I realized that the recipe was pinned to the inside of my cupboard back home. Doh!
But really, you don’t have to wait for Christmas to make it. I don’t know why we’re always waiting for special occasions to make breakfast. I mean, you do have a freezer right? You could make this on a weekend and then portion it out and pop it in the microwave for a minute or two, and bam, breakfast done. Eggs are totally the best way to start in the morning. And bacon is the best way to start ANYthing.
Ingredients for Bacon Egg Cheese Casserole
Here’s what you’ll need to buy. Quantities are listed in the recipe below.
- Cheese. I used half cheddar and half pepper jack for a lil spicy kick. Pick the combo you like best!
- Flour
- Bacon. You’ll want to cook and crumble this in advance. Try cooking your bacon in the oven! It’s so much easier!
- Eggs
- Milk. I used whole milk, but any type is fine.
- Salt
- Pepper
- Seasoned salt. I love Lawry’s brand!
- Dry mustard.
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Paprika. You can substitute any of these spices that you like! Sky is the limit for eggs.
How to Make this Scrambled Egg Casserole
Here’s a basic overview with things to watch out for. All instructions included in the recipe below!
- Place the shredded cheese in a greased dish and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of flour. Toss together with your fingers to distribute evenly.
- Sprinkle bacon evenly over the cheese.
- Beat the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, seasoned salt, dry mustard, onion, garlic, and paprika. Pour over the bacon and cheese.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight. (Optional. Go ahead and make it right away if you’re feelin’ it.)
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes, or until the center is set and the top has browned.
- Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
How do I know if my egg casserole is done?
This egg casserole is ready to take out of the oven when it is bubbling on the sides and the edges are starting to brown. If you shake the pan a little bit, the center of the casserole should not be wobbly.
If you are still not sure, stick a toothpick in the center. If it comes out with no wet egg on it, it’s done!
Why is my egg bake watery?
This recipe produces a texture that will hold together nicely when spooned or spatula’ed from the dish. The flour you sprinkled on the cheese helps with that. In general, to avoid a watery casserole, let the casserole rest after baking with no lid to allow the steam to escape. Avoid adding frozen things like veggies that may be covered in ice crystals. Defrost frozen items first and dry with paper towels.
What is the difference between quiche and egg casserole?
Quiche and egg casserole are basically the same, but quiche is always made in a pie shell (so it’s round), and it usually has spinach in it (which is a great add-in to today’s casserole, too!) Egg casserole is usually made in a square pan or in a 9×13 inch casserole dish. Both of them are made with a mixture of eggs and cheese with some breakfast meat or veggie add-ins. Try this Cherry Tomato, Leek, and Spinach Quiche, or how about this Asparagus, Tomato, and Goat Cheese Quiche?
How do you reheat Egg Bacon Casserole in the oven?
If you have an already-baked egg casserole and want to reheat it in the oven, it’s really easy to do. Cover the casserole tightly with foil and put it in the oven at 350 degrees F. Bake for about 20-30 minutes, then remove the foil and see how it looks. If the casserole is hot in the middle and bubbly on the edges, you can serve it immediately. Otherwise, continue baking uncovered for another 10-20 minutes. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t dry out.
Can you freeze a breakfast egg casserole?
If you know ahead of time that you are baking your egg casserole with the intent to freeze it, my advice would be to under bake it. (Make sure you use a disposable aluminum pan so that you are not holding one of your glass casserole dishes hostage in the freezer for months.) Take it out of the oven a few minutes early, when it is mostly set in the middle, but before it has had a chance to brown on top. Wrap well with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to make it, bake at 350 (straight from frozen) for about 40-45 minutes covered with foil, then remove the foil and bake for another 10-20 minutes, until the top is browned and the edges are bubbly. The times on this will vary, and could take a bit longer. It depends on how cold your freezer is!
If you’re simply freezing leftovers, seal them tightly with plastic wrap or a ziplock bag. Freeze in the portion size you’ll want to re-heat. It re-warms well in the microwave or oven.
You guys will love these other breakfast casserole recipes!
- Overnight Biscuits and Gravy Casserole: << I LOVE this one! I could eat the whole thing.
- Overnight Bacon and Asparagus Breakfast Casserole << Asparagus? YES. Bring that buttery, crunchy veggie into the mix!
- Bacon Gouda and Spinach Frittata << Totally healthy, not to mention easy! Dinner or Breakfast!
- Eggs Benedict Casserole (Overnight) << One bite and you’ll question why you ever WOULDN’T douse your breakfast in hollandaise sauce.
- Gluten-free Berry French Toast Casserole from All For the Memories
- Baked Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Kale from Eating Well
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Overnight Bacon, Egg and Cheese Casserole
Ingredients
- 16 ounces cheese, shredded (I used half cheddar and half pepper jack)*
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled**
- 12 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, use half the amount if using table salt
- 3/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Spray a 9×13 inch casserole dish with nonstick spray or grease with butter.
- Place the shredded cheese in the dish and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of flour. Toss together with your fingers to distribute evenly.
- Sprinkle bacon evenly over the cheese.
- Beat the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, seasoned salt, dry mustard, onion, garlic, and paprika.
- Pour over the bacon and cheese.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight. OR, you can bake this right away! No need to cover.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes, or until the center is set and the top has browned.
- Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
I need limit the leftovers this week so I’ll cut the recipe in half and bake it during present-opening. (There will be only three of us.) Do you think that would drastically change the baking time? Thanks! Recipe looks great!
Hey Cathy! No, just about the same baking time! Maybe start checking a few minutes early but it will be about the same.
Do you think it would work to add chopped bread to the mixture?
I’m sure you could Emily! I’m not sure how it would affect the baking time, you will have to experiment.
Made this for breakfast for our very early Christmas breakfast this weekend. Our kids and grandchildren all loved it. Didn’t have seasoned salt so I used Emeril’s Original Essence. Made it in the morning, yummy!!!!!!!
Hooray for early Christmas breakfast! I will have to get my hands on some of that original essence, it sounds good :) Thanks for the review!!
Fabulous recipe! I made it without the seasoned salt and used only the kosher salt. It was such a hit, I’ve been asked to make it again!
So happy to hear that Sheri! Thank you for the review!
Do you mix it al together to mix the cheese in after pouring the egg mixture over it? Or just let the cheese sit in the bottom?
Hey Amy! The cheese sits on the bottom. Enjoy!
A-mazing! Didn’t feel like going to the store so what I had on hand forced me into modifications. I replaced the onion powder with chopped green onions. Used half of the bacon recommended. A brief squirt of dijon to replace the powdered mustard. A tad of garlic paste. And, VOILA! One of the best baked egg dishes ever. I think this one can stand up to whatever you may want to put in it. Perfect baseline recipe. (And yes, I followed the suggestions in the comments and eliminated the salt.)
Hey BJ, I’m so glad you liked the recipe! You’re right, it is a great starting point to make any kind of casserole you want. Thanks for the comment!
Easy, nothing fancy, DELISH! Read the comments before making it, and used only half the salt. It was perfect – will definitely make this again. And again and again :)
Nothing fancy, those are words to live by in the kitchen, right? Sometimes all you want is cheese and eggs and bacon :) Thanks Erin!!
I think this was wonderful. However, I love salty foods. I used 3/4 tsp kosher salt and it almost could have been completely left out and just salted as needed after because of the bacon being so salty. But again- I think it was wonderful! Will definitely make it again :) also I added green onions to it and it was fabulous. I also made it the morning of baking it and it turned out just fine. I just stirred it all together before baking.
I’m glad you liked it Katie! Great feedback. I never realized how different people feel about the level of salt in their eggs- I think it’s very individual! I’m glad you didn’t feel like the level of salt ruined it. You’re right, bacon is super salty. And good tip that you can bake it right away! I haven’t tried that but I will edit the recipe to let people know they can bake right away. Thanks Katie!!
This dish turned out so salty it was inedible. So disappointing because all those ingredients were wasted.
I’m sorry you didn’t like it Erin! There is a note on the recipe to add less if you don’t like a lot of salt.
I accidentally found this when I was searching how to bake bacon. I hate cooking, so I rarely do. But, after seeing this easy recipe I had to try it. Since I was cooking my bacon in the oven all I had to do was mix the eggs and such then dump it in the pan. I followed the recipe exactly because I’m embarrassingly horrible at cooking anything and it turned out AMAZING! I was stunned at the simplicity of it & seriously blown away by how delicious it was. Even though I’m not a good cook & I’m totally lost in the kitchen I do have common sense. So, when I notice a spice might be a bit much for me my common sense steps in and I’ll adjust it accordingly. I thought the rest of the world did that too, but I guess not. I personally think the salt measurement was right on. I wouldn’t have changed a thing. Thank you for sharing such a scrumptious recipe that even I could follow.
I’m so glad the recipe was a success Jen! Maybe you’re not such a horrible cook after all! (actually, that’s the secret most “good cooks” don’t share–really it’s just learning how to follow a recipe ;) I’m so glad you liked it and thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
was very good, will definitely make again. i liked how it is low carb
Hey Eileen, glad you liked it! I love low carb breakfasts too. Thanks for the comment!
You Rock !!
As soon as I say 1# of cheese – and then the same for bacon – I knew this was my recipe !!!
Haha! Yes, bring on alll the cheese and bacon :) Great minds think alike.
I love this recipe I had one like this from the back of a package of Oscar Mayer bacon. I put ham sausage and bacon in it. My hubby likes lots of meat. We are trying to eat healthier and this is a great morning starter. I put it together the night before and put it in the oven in the morning! It is definitely a hit at our house.
That’s a great idea making it ahead of time Beth! Makes the morning so much easier. I’m so glad you like it, thank you so much for coming back to comment!
Could you possibly add onions to this recipe?
Sure, that would be good!
Any substitution suggestions for dry mustard??
Hey Mackenzie! Just leave it out!
First, this is a great recipe and thank you for creating it! However, I thought this recipe had too much salt and so did three of my sisters and my mom (I love salt, and one sister loves salt even more than I do and she thought it was perfect!). I had even cut the Kosher salt down from 1-1/4 tsp to 3/4 tsp and it was still too salty. I used 4 cups (16 oz) shredded cheddar cheese and a full pound of bacon like the recipe said, so am thinking that next time I make it (and I will make it!), I will leave out both the kosher salt and seasoned salt completely. Anyone who wants to salt it after that can. Maybe it all depends on the brand of bacon and cheese used. I so wanted to use pepper jack cheese, but my mom can’t have spices.
Other than the salt, I won’t change a thing next time I make it. Hooray for a great breakfast casserole that doesn’t call for bread or potatoes! I want those on the side, lol!
Hey Vickie! Great feedback, thanks for your thoughtful comment! I added a note in the recipe that this might be a bit much salt for some people. 1 and 3/4 teaspoon total salt (kosher + seasoned) for 12 eggs sounds perfect to me! But I think I’m a bit of a salt fiend. ;) I’m glad you are willing to try it out again!