Easter Breakfast Casserole Recipe - Ham and Brioche

This savory overnight Easter breakfast casserole recipe is made with rich brioche bread cubes, salty ham, deliciously seasoned eggs, and plenty of cheese making it perfect for brunch any time of year.

When you're looking to feed several people breakfast (or brunch), an easy breakfast casserole is always great meal to serve whether it's for Easter gatherings, Christmas brunch or just busy mornings.

The best part is that this breakfast casserole can be put together the night before so that all you have to do is take it out of the refrigerator and bake it in the oven the next morning.

Thanks to the richness of buttery brioche bread and custardy eggs, this ham and cheese casserole is perfect to serve for Christmas or Easter brunch or just because you want something special.

Plus, with using ham, you don't even have a large skillet to clean.

Brioche Breakfast Casserole Ingredients

• 16 ounces brioche - I used a pre-sliced loaf of brioche. You can find them at many grocery stores now including Aldi, The Fresh Market, and Publix - usually in the store bakery area.
  
  If you can't find or don't like brioche, you can use a baguette, sandwich bread, or whatever you enjoy. For this particular egg casserole recipe, the bread doesn't need to be stale but it's okay if it is.
• 2 cups cubed cooked ham - I don't recommend using a deli cut ham as it is thin and can dry out quickly. I used a ham steak I cubed up but leftover ham would also work well. If you don't like ham, you could use bacon or sausage instead as long as you precook it.
• 10 ounces cheese, shredded - This is equal to about 2 and a half cups of shredded cheese. I used colby jack but others like cheddar cheese and pepper jack would also work well.
• 12 large eggs
• 2 cups half and half - you can also use half milk and half heavy cream
• Dry mustard - This is a great spice to have in your pantry to add an extra kick of flavor to things like eggs and cheese sauces.
• Salt & pepper - I like using seasoned salt with eggs but you can use regular salt as well. You may want to adjust how much salt you use depending on the saltiness of the ham and cheese.
• Granulated onion and garlic - or onion powder and garlic powder
• Cayenne powder - This adds just a slight kick of spice to the dish but if you don't like spice at all, you can leave it out or add paprika instead.

And here are some more delicious options to change things up a bit.

• Optional garnishes - I liked to top with sliced green onions for color and extra flavor. A dollop of sour cream (or make it extra fancy with crème fraîche) is also a nice addition.
• Additional mix-in ideas - Green pepper or other bell pepper colors, partially cooked cubed potatoes or thawed hash browns

Recommended Equipment

• Cutting board
• Sharp knife
• Casserole dish - A 9 x 13 works great.
• Dry measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Whisk
• Large bowl
• Plastic wrap or aluminum foil
• Serving spatula

How To Make Overnight Breakfast Casserole

1. Grease your baking dish with cooking spray or butter.

2. Cut the bread into cubes and place half into the bottom of the baking dish in a single layer.

3. Place a cup of the ham on top of the bread and then half of the cheese on top of the ham. Repeat the layers.

4. Whisk the eggs together with the half and half, mustard, salt, granulated onion and garlic and peppers. Pour the mixture evenly over the casserole. Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least 30 minutes.

5. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the cover from the casserole and bake in the preheated oven for about 45 to 55 minutes or until the eggs are cooked through and the cheese is melted. Check after 30 minutes baking time to make sure it isn't getting too browned. If it is, cover with foil until done.

6. Let sit for a few minutes before serving.

Can You Freeze Breakfast Casserole?

I haven't yet tried freezing this particular easy breakfast bake but I do think it should freeze and reheat just fine.

I recommend freezing after the initial bake for up to 3 months. Freezing the unbaked casserole may end up too mushy.

Thaw in the refrigerator, and then heat covered in the oven at 350°F until warmed through. Remove the foil to let the casserole crisp up if needed.

If you don't freeze the leftovers (make sure to refrigerate them), reheat them the same way.

What To Serve With Breakfast Casserole

Drinks: Berry Spritzer

Side Dishes: Easy Oven Potatoes, fresh fruit

Dessert: Lemon Blueberry Trifle

More overnight brunch casseroles.

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