Easy Ham Egg and Cheese Breakfast Casserole Recipe (2024)

This easy ham, egg, and cheese breakfast casserole recipe is a savory and satisfying dish that can be prepared for breakfast, brunch, or any meal of the day. This easy breakfast casserole is made by layering diced ham (great for leftover ham), cubed bread, egg mixture, and shredded cheese in a baking dish, then baking until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the eggs are set.

Easy Ham Egg and Cheese Breakfast Casserole Recipe (1)


A Versitile Breakfast Bake

This is one of those easy breakfast recipes that's extremely versitle. It makes the perfect brunch dish for occasions such as bridal showers, baby showers, or for any of your special occasions. It's also a great family recipe for a lazy Sunday morning.

This delicious ham and egg casserole recipe can be made ahead of time and refrigerated overnight then baked the next morning, or it can be baked the same day you make it. It's a great option for breakfast when you have overnight guests or on the weekdays when you encounter busy mornings.This cheesy breakfast casserole is also a great recipe for re-purposing your leftover holiday ham.

Easy Ham Egg and Cheese Breakfast Casserole Recipe (2)

I love a good hearty breakfast casserole. While this Ham, Egg, and Cheese Casserole is one of my new favorite recipes, I still hold a place in my heart for these oldies but goodies:

Make Ahead Christmas Morning Breakfast Casserole is an overnight breakfast casserole that's perfect for Christmas brunch. It features sausage, crisp bacon, chopped onions, and red peppers and green pepper. Sweet and savory

Cheddar Sausage Apple Breakfast Casserole is a flavorful mix of tart apples, zesty sausage, and melted cheddar cheese. It's perfect with a drizzle of maple syrup to finish.

How to make Ham Egg and Cheese Casserole

Begin by picking up the ingredients at your local grocery store:

  • fully cooked ham steak (or use leftover cubed ham)
  • large eggs
  • milk (substitte half heavy cream for a richer casserole)
  • Dijon mustard (or any kind of mustard you like)
  • salt
  • black pepper
  • about 6 cups (about 9 slices) day-old (slightly stale) wheat or white bread
  • cheddar cheese (mild or sharp)
  • mozarella cheese (not fresh mozarella)
  • chives for garnish, if desired

Since this is a fairly basic recipe for Ham and Egg Casserole, you might have all the ingredients on hand already!

Easy Ham Egg and Cheese Breakfast Casserole Recipe (3)


Begin preparation by deciding whether you will be refrigerating this ham and egg casserole recipe overnight and baking in the morning, or if you will be baking it once it's prepared.

To bake this casserole on the same day you prepare it: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 in. x 13 in. baking dish with cooking spray.

If you are baking it the next day: Skip preheating oven.

Prep the bread by cutting into 1-2 inch cubes. Dice ham. Shread the cheeses.

Easy Ham Egg and Cheese Breakfast Casserole Recipe (4)

Food Blogger Tip---> When you want a cheese to get super melty in the oven, like in a cheese casserole recipe like this one, use block cheese and shred it yourself. While pre-packaged shredded cheese is ok to use, it's coated in a cornstarch like substance to keep it from sticking together in the package. This substance can impede melting.

Next, layer the cubed bread in the prepared casserole dish.

Easy Ham Egg and Cheese Breakfast Casserole Recipe (5)

Top the bread cubes with the cubed ham and then half of the cheeses.

Easy Ham Egg and Cheese Breakfast Casserole Recipe (6)

In a medium large bowl whisk the eggs slighly, breaking up the egg yolks. Whisk in the milk, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper.

Easy Ham Egg and Cheese Breakfast Casserole Recipe (7)

Pour egg mixture evenly over the bread ham cheese mixture. Press down with the back of a spoon to make sure everything is completely coated with the egg mixture.

If baking now, cover with aluminum foil, let stand for 10 minutes, then bake, covered, in preheated oven as directed in recipe card below.

If refrigerating overnight, cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove casserole dish from refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. If covered in plastic wrap, replace with aluminum foil and bake, covered, in preheated oven as directed in recipe card below.

Easy Ham Egg and Cheese Breakfast Casserole Recipe (8)

Once casserole is set (cooking according to the directions in recipe card at the bottom of this post), take out of oven, remove foil and sprinkle on the remaining cheese. Return to oven, uncovered, for 5 -10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. (Casserole will be puffy right out of oven, but will settle down as it cools).

Easy Ham Egg and Cheese Breakfast Casserole Recipe (9)

When ready to serve, garnish with chopped chives (like I did!), chopped fresh parsley, or sliced green onions. Serve with hot sauce and fresh fruit on the side. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Easy Ham Egg and Cheese Breakfast Casserole Recipe (10)


Can I freeze this Ham Egg and Cheese Casserole?

Yes! You can freeze individual portions of this fully cooked breakast casserole in airtight freezer bags and then defrost and microwave for serving.

How do I make this casserole low carb?

To make this ham and egg casserole low carb you can substitute the bread cubes with a 16 oz. container of small curd cottage cheese. Please note: you may need to adjust bake time. You could also leave the bread cubes out entirely, again, adjusting the bake time. If you omit the bread cubes and if you don't replace them with cottage cheese, you will get a much flatter, less held together casserole. But it will still be delicious!

What kind of bread can I use in this brunch casserole?

I like white bread or a soft wheat bread best. But you can use just about any kind of bread you like! The possiblities are endless! Just make sure the bread is firm and a little stale for best results.

Can I use any type of cheese in this casserole recipe?

While I like the combination of cheddar and mozarella for the melting factor, any medium firm cheese that melts well will work in this recipe. Try Colby Jack cheese, Swiss cheese, or all cheddar cheese for a spin!

My family loved this easy ham egg and cheese casserole, and I bet yours will too!

ham egg and cheese casserole, Ham and egg casserole

breakfast, brunch

American

Yield: 8-10

Author: Renee Paj

Easy Ham Egg and Cheese Breakfast Casserole Recipe (11)

Easy Ham Egg and Cheese Breakfast Casserole Recipe

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 40 MinInactive time: 9 MinTotal time: 1 H & 4 M

This easy ham, egg, and cheese breakfast casserole recipe is a savory and satisfying dish that can be prepared for breakfast, brunch, or any meal of the day. With just a few simple ingredients, it can make any meal special.

Ingredients

  • 12 oz. fully cooked ham steak, diced (or 3 cups diced leftover cooked ham)
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 cups milk ( whole milk or 2% milk)
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (or 1 tsp. dry mustard)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 6 cups cubed day-old (slightly stale) white or wheat bread (1-2 inch cubes)
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup shredded mozarella cheese (part skim)
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped chives for garnish, if desired

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 in. x 13 in. baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Layer the cubed bread in the prepared casserole dish.
  3. Top the bread cubes with the cubed ham and then half of the cheeses.
  4. In a medium large bowl whisk the eggs slighly, breaking up the egg yolks. Whisk in the milk, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper.
  5. Pour egg mixture evenly over the bread ham cheese mixture. Press down with the back of a spoon to make sure everything is completely coated with the egg mixture.
  6. Cover with aluminum foil, let stand for 10 minutes, then bake, covered, in preheated oven for about 30 - 40 minutes or until the casserole is set. (It will be puffy. As long as the middle isn't jiggly, it's done) Remove from oven and carefully remove foil. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses and return to oven for 5 - 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
  7. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before cutting and serving. Garnish with chopped chives, if desired.

Notes

Make Ahead Instructions: This breakfast casserole can be made ahead of time and refrigerated overnight then baked in the morning. Follow steps 2 - 5 and cover tightly with aluminum foil and store overnight in refrigerator. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and remove casserole from refrigerator. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes then bake as directed above.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

693.2

Fat (grams)

21.58 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

8.77 g

Carbs (grams)

80.36 g

Fiber (grams)

10.72 g

Net carbs

69.65 g

Sugar (grams)

11.11 g

Protein (grams)

43.32 g

Sodium (milligrams)

1746.94 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

191.15 mg

Nutritional Information provided is an estimate.

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Easy Ham Egg and Cheese Breakfast Casserole Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my breakfast casserole runny in the middle? ›

Why Is My Breakfast Casserole Runny? The key to a breakfast casserole that is moist and delicious but not runny is to make sure you have the proper ratio of bread, eggs, and milk.

What is a breakfast casserole made of? ›

To make a breakfast casserole you beat some eggs, add milk and cheese, add cubed bread, add "mix-ins" like mushrooms, veggies, sausage, and herbs, put it in a casserole dish, and bake.

How do you know when breakfast casserole is done? ›

To check if your egg casserole is done, you can insert a knife into it, and if it comes out clean and the casserole has set in the middle, then you can pull it out of the oven. As a quick tip, if it happens to be browning quickly, you can cover it with a piece of foil for the last minute of baking.

How do you keep breakfast casserole from falling? ›

For a puffy egg casserole, you can prevent falling by cooking at a lower temperature, as with this recipe.

Should you cook a casserole covered or uncovered? ›

Generally, casseroles with grains, rice or pasta that will cook during the baking process are usually covered, for at least part of the time. Casseroles made of cooked ingredients are usually baked uncovered. If you like a crisper, browner top, be sure the casserole is uncovered for at least part of the bake time.

How do you make a casserole less runny? ›

Simply whisk equal parts butter and flour together. Then, roll the thick paste into little teaspoon-sized balls. Add one ball to your casserole at a time, waiting about a minute before adding another one, until you get the right thickness.

What are 5 components of a casserole? ›

Not every single casserole has all of them, but as a rule of thumb, here's what to look for: a starch, a binding agent or sauce, and a protein or vegetable. Many casseroles also have both vegetables and proteins, as well as a crunchy element to give some textural contrast, and cheese.

Why do you have to refrigerate breakfast casserole overnight? ›

The casserole is covered and refrigerated overnight to allow the liquid ingredients to be absorbed into the bread. This is a perishable mixture and should be cooked the morning or day after assembly.

What is the main ingredient in a casserole? ›

In the United States, a casserole or hot dish is typically a baked food with three main components: pieces of meat (such as chicken or ground meat) or fish (such as tuna) or other protein (such as beans or tofu), various chopped or canned vegetables (such as green beans or peas), and a starchy binder (such as flour, ...

Can you eat an egg casserole that was left out overnight? ›

Cooked eggs and egg dishes may be refrigerated for serving later but should be thoroughly reheated to 165° F before serving. Never leave cooked eggs or egg dishes out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours or for more than 1 hour when temperatures are above 90° F.

Why is my egg casserole rubbery? ›

Why is my egg casserole rubbery? Your egg casserole might be rubbery if you didn't cook the vegetables before. Moisture can lead to rubbery egg bakes. Make sure to thoroughly cook your vegetables and meat before adding to an egg bake!

How long do I bake eggs at 350 degrees? ›

Bake eggs at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes or until the yolk reaches your desired doneness. If your eggs don't come right out, run a knife around the edges to help them loosen.

What goes well with breakfast casserole? ›

What to Serve With Breakfast Casserole
  • Easy Cinnamon Rolls.
  • Slow Cooker Cinnamon Rolls.
  • Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls or Pumpkin Crumb Cake.
  • Banana Muffins or Blueberry Muffins.
  • Baked Oatmeal.
  • Sour Cream Coffee Cake.
  • Banana Bread or Zucchini Bread.
  • Apple Cider French Toast.
Jul 18, 2022

How long should a casserole be cooked for? ›

The time a casserole takes to cook will vary from 2-2½ hours for chuck, blade and thick flank, up to 4 hours for shin, leg and neck. Pork cuts for braising and casseroling normally take 1½ hours, and lamb much the same.

How many days can you eat breakfast casserole? ›

After baking, leftover egg casserole can be stored in the fridge and enjoyed within 3-4 days. Leftovers are delicious reheated in the microwave.

How to get the middle of a casserole to cook? ›

If it is still too wet (as well as not cooked enough), turn down the heat. If it is dry enough but not cooked enough, cover and turn down the heat. If it is almost done and dry enough, just turn the heat off completely and check on it every 5 minutes. From someone who has been cooking for 47 years.

Does egg thicken casserole? ›

Thicken with Eggs

First you need to drizzle a small amount of the hot liquid onto the egg, whisking vigorously as you pour. Then stir the egg back into the pan and heat gently until it starts to thicken. This is a similar method to the one we use in our Carbonara recipe!

How do you moisten a dry breakfast casserole? ›

Covering the dish will trap the steam in and keep it moist while it heats. How do you moisten a dry casserole? Add a little water or milk to the top of the it before reheating.

Why is my hash brown casserole watery? ›

Do you thaw frozen hash browns before cooking? Yes, you need to thaw hash brown potatoes before you cook them. First off, they won't combine well with the other casserole ingredients. And secondly, they will make the casserole watery.

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