Overnight Breakfast Casserole with Bacon

This Overnight Breakfast Casserole with bacon, spinach, and onions makes cooking a special morning breakfast a breeze! This flavorful savory casserole is an ideal Christmas morning breakfast and perfect for serving to overnight guests!

This post is sponsored by Ohio Pork. As always, all opinions are my own.

slice of overnight breakfast casserole on a white plate

The Joy of An Overnight Breakfast

There are a few things I miss about my pre-parent life (quick errands and quiet come to mind), but perhaps the thing I miss most is sleeping in. Before having children, the Mr. and I would often sleep until 10 AM on a Saturday morning, then mosey over to the hottest brunch spot in town for a leisurely breakfast.

Now, we’re woken up at 7 AM by either cries of hunger or the surprisingly strong launch of a four year old body onto our bed. By ten, we’ve had breakfast, gotten ourselves and two tiny humans dressed, downed a coffee (or two), thrown in a load of laundry (or three), and are headed to the park with one baby shoe already missing.

*Sigh* Parent-me wishes I could tell Kidless-Me to go back and appreciate that brunch a little more!

Here’s the thing. The hack to avoiding the morning mahem of making breakfast is to make a recipe that is oven-ready the night before and have it waiting in your fridge in the morning. This “prep-ahead” method works on this Overnight Breakfast Casserole, my Crustless Quiche Lorraine, and my recipe for Breakfast Pull Apart Bread, plus many others linked farther down.

Give it a try yourself. I can’t promise that it will magically make your kids sleep until 9:30 AM, but it WILL allow you to have a warm, delicious, brunch-worthy breakfast at home in your pajamas…which is basically the next best thing.

cheesy breakfast casserole with bacon and spinach in a white casserole dish

Loaded Egg Strata

Technically this Overnight Breakfast Casserole is a breakfast egg strata, which is really just a fancy word for a breakfast casserole made with hunks of bread, an egg custard, and whatever veggies or meats tickle your fancy.

The casserole is assembled the night before you want to eat, which allows the bread to soak up all the yummy egg mixture. In the morning, just pop the strata in the oven and allow it to get all puffy and golden and crisp. The edges get a pleasant toasted crunch, which gives way to a soft, bread pudding-like interior.

I like to load mine up with bacon, onion, cheese, and spinach, for a simple casserole that makes for one killer breakfast.

slice of breakfast casserole with bacon on a white plate

Tips for Making the Best Bacon Breakfast Casserole

I’ve made many breakfast casseroles over the years (remember this Ham and Biscuit Breakfast Casserole, anyone?), but there are a few things that make this Loaded Bacon Breakfast Casserole extra special.

  • Start with good bread. I recommend buying an unsliced loaf of crusty sourdough, Italian, or French bread. Sourdough is my personal favorite.
    • Bread that is a few days old works best here. If you only have fresh bread, chop it up and let it sit uncovered to dry out for a fewย hours, OR toast it in the oven for 10 minutes.
  • Use your favorite bacon and sautรฉ the onions in the bacon grease. Oooo friends, this is where the good stuff happens. Bacon grease is the vehicle which takes plain ol’ onions from boring city to soft, silky, sweet onion town.
  • While we’re sauteeing things in bacon grease, let’s throw some spinach in there too. Because vegetables in bacon grease makes the BEST breakfast casserole ever.
  • Feel free to stir the spinach and onions directly into the egg custard rather than layering it. That said, layering the spinach and bacon on top made for an unexpectedly festive red and green topping I kind of love.
  • Finally, use two types of cheese for maximum flavor. I like a sharp cheddar and Swiss, but you could experiment with Colby, Pepper Jack, or Gruyere as well!
step by step photos for layering an overnight breakfast casserole

How to Make Overnight Breakfast Casserole

Let’s get down to business and make this easy breakfast casserole!

  1. Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan with butter or cooking spray.
  2. Saute bacon in a large skillet until crispy. Remove the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate and allow to cool.
  3. Add onion to the skillet and saute until soft and translucent then remove from the pan. Add spinach and saute until wilted.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, pepper, and chives.
  5. In the prepared pan, layer hunks of bread, onions, half the cheese, spinach, bacon, and the rest of the cheese.
  6. Pour the egg custard evenly over the mixture.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  7. Remove the casserole for the fridge in the morning, and let it sit at room temperature while the oven preheats. Pop it in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
Overnight Breakfast Casserole in a large white casserole dish

Can you make breakfast casserole ahead of time?

Yes! In fact, for this recipe you HAVE to make it ahead of time. After assembling, this casserole should be refrigerated for as little as 6 hours or up to 24 hours before baking.

To save more time, you can cook the bacon, spinach, and onions in advance and store them in the fridge for up to 2 days before adding them to the casserole.

Can you freeze overnight breakfast casserole?

YES! You can absolutely freeze overnight breakfast casseroles or stratas. I prefer to freeze them unbaked.

Once all of your ingredients are layered in the pan and the egg custard is poured over top, wrap the pan tightly in saran wrap followed by aluminum foil. It can be really helpful to write the baking instructions right on the foil, so you don’t have to find them later!

Freeze the breakfast casserole for up to 3 months. To bake, remove the casserole from the fridge and allow to thaw overnight. Remove the casserole from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature for 30 minutes, then bake as usual!

close up of breakfast casserole with bacon, cheese, and spinach

More Overnight Breakfast Casserole Recipes

Apple Overnight French Toast Casserole– This casserole has all the fall vibes and the BEST caramely sauce.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls– Lord knows I’m not waking up at 5 AM to make cinnamon rolls. Overnight rolls it is!

Amish Baked Oatmeal– I usually bake this easy baked oatmeal the night before, then just reheat in the morning.

Overnight Pancake Casserole– All the joy of a stack of fluffy pancakes, but made ahead of time so you can take it easy in the morning!

Overnight Croissant Breakfast Bake from The Chunky Chef

Overnight Breakfast Enchiladas from Diethood

Slice of bacon breakfast casserole lifted out of the pan

More Holiday Pork Recipes

Looking for more bacon and pork recipes for the holiday season? We love serving this Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin or Stuffed Pork Tenderloin as a main course. Bacon is the key to That Good Salad (a reader favorite) and my Honey Bacon Biscuits, and we love serving leftover holiday turkey with these Leftover Turkey and Bacon Egg Sandwiches.

Love pork? Let Ohio Pork know your thoughts in this quick survey. For more recipes and information about pork farming here in Ohio, visit OhioPork.org and follow them on Facebook and Instagram!

slice of breakfast casserole with bacon on a white plate

Overnight Breakfast Casserole with Bacon

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Additional Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 9 hours 5 minutes

Overnight Breakfast Casserole is an egg strata loaded with bacon, cheese, spinach, and caramelized onions. This hearty breakfast is perfect for Christmas morning!

Ingredients

  • 12 oz. bacon (about 10 slices)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 5 cups fresh spinach
  • 8 eggs
  • 2 cups half and half
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped chives
  • 8 cups bread cubes (I prefer day old sourdough or crusty French bread)
  • 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. In a large skillet, fry the bacon until crispy. Remove the cooked strips to a paper towel lined plate and allow to cool.
  2. Remove all but 1 Tablespoon of the bacon fat from the skillet. Add the onion and saute until soft and translucent, about 6-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and spinach and saute for another minute or so or until spinach is wilted.
  3. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, half and half, salt, pepper, and chives.
  4. In a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish, layer the bread cubes, half the cheeses, the spinach and onion mixture and then the bacon. Pour the egg custard evenly over the top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate overnight or for at least 6 hours.
  5. Remove the casserole from the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes while the oven is preheating to 350 degrees. Remove the saran wrap and bake for 35-40 minutes or until cheese is melted and edges are golden brown. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • To freeze the breakfast casserole, follow the instructions through step 5. After the dish is covered in saran wrap, wrap it again with aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the dish overnight in the refrigerator then bake as instructed above.
  • Half and half may be substituted with either milk or cream if desired.

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 578Total Fat: 36gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 276mgSodium: 1289mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gProtein: 35g

Please note nutritional information for my recipes is calculated by a third party service and provided as a courtesy to my readers. For the most accurate calculation, I always recommend running the numbers yourself with the specific products you use.

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8 Comments

  1. I served the Breakfast casserole for Christmas morning – I prepared it the morning before – It was amazing everyone of our guests enjoyed it and will absolutely make it again.

    1. Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know, and allowing us to be part of your holiday celebrations! It makes our day!

    1. I apologize for the delay. This is a good question. I haven’t tried subbing tater tots in this before, but I think it would probably work without any adjustments. You could also try my Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole- ๏ปฟ๏ปฟhttps://neighborfoodblog.com/cheesy-sausage-tater-tot-breakfast-casserole/

  2. I quickly realized that I omitted the half and half! So I think I did okay by just pouring it over the top and shaking the dish to incorporate it. This looks as if it’s going to be a hit otherwise! Thank you Courtney for your wonderful recipes! This one’s going to church home group this Sunday! <3

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