Hearty Breakfast Sausage Bake (Print version)

Savory sausage, eggs, cheese, and bread baked into a comforting dish for mornings or gatherings.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1 pound breakfast sausage, casings removed

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

02 - 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (optional)
03 - 1/2 red bell pepper, diced (optional)

→ Dairy & Eggs

04 - 8 large eggs
05 - 2 cups whole milk
06 - 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
07 - 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

→ Bread

08 - 6 cups day-old bread cubes (approximately 9 oz), 1-inch pieces

→ Seasonings

09 - 1 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
11 - 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard powder
12 - 1/4 teaspoon paprika

→ For greasing

13 - Butter or nonstick spray

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it apart, for 5 to 7 minutes. Add onion and bell pepper if desired, sauté until softened for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain off excess fat.
03 - Distribute bread cubes evenly in the prepared dish. Top with the cooked sausage and vegetables.
04 - Whisk eggs, milk, salt, black pepper, mustard powder, and paprika together in a large bowl until smooth.
05 - Fold 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese and all mozzarella into the egg mixture.
06 - Pour the egg and cheese mixture evenly over bread and sausage in the dish, pressing bread gently to soak up liquid.
07 - Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese over the top.
08 - Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
09 - Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes until the top is golden and the center is set.
10 - Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It does all the heavy lifting while you're still drinking coffee—just pop it in the oven and forget about it.
  • The bread soaks up all that custardy egg mixture, creating pockets of pure comfort in every bite.
  • You can assemble it the night before, which means zero morning stress and maximum sleep.
02 -
  • Don't skip the resting time—it's the difference between a neat slice and scrambled casserole on a plate.
  • If baking straight from the fridge the next morning, add 10 extra minutes to the covered baking time; cold ingredients need more time to cook through evenly.
03 -
  • Use day-old bread without fail—fresh bread turns to mush and the texture suffers; plan ahead or buy bread the day before.
  • The mustard powder is invisible but essential; it adds umami depth that rounds out all the flavors and keeps the dish from tasting one-dimensional.
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