If there was a magical way to take away some of the stress of cooking for a busy brunch party, you’d want to find out how. Immediately.
We love hosting parties, and feeding the hungry tummies of family and friends with our favorite brunch recipes.
Cinnamon rolls, pancakes, potato hash…
But with a hefty menu like that, it can get a little hair-pulling-hectic at times to pull off an amazing party. And keep your sanity.
So if you’re desperate for a super easy brunch idea, this egg casserole is your magical, tasty solution for a worry-free dish.
Magicians don’t tell their secrets. Good thing we’re just a bunch of hungry, empathizing cooks!
The trick is to prep everything the night before, and assemble the ingredients in the baking dish. All you have to do the morning of your feast is bake it in the oven.
Loaded with veggies, meat, and cheese, this is a hearty egg bake that can feed that loud, lovable crowd you call family. And there might even be enough for second helpings.
Yeah – I’m calling you out, my brother, with your bottomless stomach!
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Easy Overnight Egg Bake
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
Description
Desperate for a super easy brunch idea? This make-ahead egg casserole is your tasty solution. Prep it the night before, bake in the morning.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup sliced green onions, about 4 green onions
- 2 medium bell peppers, chopped
- 1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms
- 1 1/2 cups chopped cooked meat (turkey, chicken, ham, sausage)
- 2 cups shredded cheese
- 1 dozen large eggs
- 1/8 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 3/4 cups whole milk
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the spring onions. Let cook briefly until fragrant. Add the bell pepper, broccoli, and mushrooms. Cook until everything has just slightly softened, but still firm, about 2 minutes. Salt and pepper lightly.
- Arrange vegetables in the bottom of the baking dish. Top with the chopped meat. Sprinkle the cheese over the meat.
- Break the eggs into a large bowl. Add the chopped parsley and milk, and whisk together until evenly blended. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Pour this mixture over everything in baking dish. Cover, and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
- When ready to serve, uncover the baking dish, and let it come to room temperature as you heat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the mixture is set and no longer jiggles, and the top is lightly browned.
- Let stand 10 minutes before serving. To serve, cut into squares.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 75 minutes
Cooking by the Numbers…
Step 1 – Gather and Prep
Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
Using a sharp knife and a sturdy cutting board, slice the green onions and broccoli. Chop the bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, meat, and parsley.
Measure the shredded cheese, butter, eggs, whole milk, and salt and pepper.
Step 2 – Lightly Cook the Veggies
Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions, cooking until fragrant. Mix in the remaining vegetables, sauteing them for just a couple minutes. They should be just a little soft, but still crunchy.
Step 3 – Assemble Filling
Arrange the cooked vegetables in the bottom of the prepared pan. Scatter the meat on top. Evenly scatter the cheese on top of the meat.
Step 4 – Make the Egg Mixture
Break the eggs into a large bowl. Add the chopped parsley and milk. Whisk together until evenly blended. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Step 5 – Rest Overnight
Pour this mixture over everything in the baking dish. Cover, and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
Step 6 – Bake and Serve
When ready to serve, uncover the baking dish, and let it come to room temperature as you heat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until mixture is set and no longer jiggles, and the top and edges are lightly browned.
Prep Early, Party Easily!
You don’t need to wave a magic wand to make an effortless brunch dish. You only need to prep early, so you can actually enjoy your feast!
This make-ahead recipe is useful for any scenario. If you just want to enjoy a lazy morning and a delicious breakfast with minimal cleanup, this would be ideal.
Or, if you have a busy brunch to host with your friends, a one-dish meal would be most welcome to reduce the stress of cooking.
No secrets, no tricks, no gimmicks. Just one easy recipe, and planning ahead!
Not really a fan of the fillings we used? Use equal portions of whatever you like instead. Try cubes of tofu, cooked chicken, or bacon. And your veggie and cheese options are endless! Add some roasted vegetables instead, or try our zucchini, broccoli, and tomato saute as the filling.
What combo of ingredients will you choose to make? What are some of your other favorite egg-focused recipes you love to use? Share your thoughts in the comments below, please! And give this recipe a rating while you are down there!
But first, take a look at some of our other savory breakfast bakes:
Don’t forget to Pin It!
Photos by Nikki Cervone, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published by Shanna Mallon on September 16th, 2008. Last updated: August 2, 2020 at 11:45 am.
*Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Nikki Cervone
Nikki Cervone is an ACS Certified Cheese Professional and cheesemonger living in Pittsburgh. Nikki holds an AAS in baking/pastry from Westmoreland County Community College, a BA in Communications from Duquesne University, and an MLA in Gastronomy from Boston University. When she's not nibbling on her favorite cheeses or testing a batch of cupcakes, Nikki enjoys a healthy dose of yoga, wine, hiking, singing in the shower, and chocolate. Lots of chocolate.
i lived in london for 4 years – and the rain and fog are not as bad as people claim them to be. i actually loved it there – and i am proud to say i didn’t own an umbrella for the vast majority of my sojourn over there 😉
Shanna, you know my love of London! The fist day I moved there, it seemed as though I was in a monsoon! However, soon after, most of the rainy days that followed were very light and manageable, but I did enjoy staying indoors and cooking up tasty meals. To be honest, I think the rain this weekend was worse! So thank you for giving me a new recipe to try! I’m sure there will be tons of snowy days in a few months – and I’ll be constantly checking your blog for updates!
Thanks for the comments, guys! Since you’ve both lived there, you know it better than I would–Amy, SO impressed you didn’t own an umbrella.
Carrie, I’m loving your blog, too! 🙂
I made this dish for our church group and it was a big hit! Thank you for this delicious recipe, I will definitely be making it again!
★★★★★
That rain last weekend was pretty crazy, but I love the excuse to cuddle up on the couch and stay inside. We had a friend in town, though, so it was bad timing to be so wet! I think I like it better when it’s cold and snowy… although the cold and snow here lasts longer than I like. I don’t know what climate would actually keep me happy 😉
This egg bake sounds tasty. I need to do brunch with friends soon… it would be so fun! I hope your internet is fixed by now!
I am so with you about loving staying home on the couch. There’s nothing cozier than a rainy day at home! As far as snow–is it just me, or were the last two winters unending? I haven’t quite recovered from all our snowstorms last year (or the driving in them). Thankfully we’ve still got fall to enjoy. 🙂
It may have been a rainy day, but maybe you can take comfort in the fact that you were wearing VERY cute shoes. 😉
Wow, that looks sooo tasty! I’m putting this one into the must make file for sure!
★★★★★
So easy and hubby loves it! Great way to use up almost any vegetable! Added fresh tarragon.
★★★★★
I used bacon instead of sausage and shorten the time 10 minutes. It turned out great!
★★★★★
Could you do this without letting it sit so long? Thank you
Absolutely! Refrigerating overnight allows the egg mixture to soak into the bread. Most strata-type recipes like this one recommend refrigerating for anywhere from 1 to 24 hours before baking, but you could put the casserole in the oven right away if you wish to. We recommend a minimum of 30 minutes. Note that the texture of the finished product may be slightly different and you may need to reduce the baking time slightly since the ingredients and dish may not be as cold when you place them in the oven.
Allison, you stated “Refrigerating overnight allows the egg mixture to soak into the bread”, but bread is not listed in your ingredients or instructions. Please clarify – how much bread? What kind of bread? Whole slices or cut up? Thank you!
I’m so sorry for the confusion, Janie – I was thinking of this recipe. You are correct that there is no bread in this overnight egg bake, and soaking overnight is not actually required. Some versions of a recipe like this one also include about 1/2 cup of flour mixed in, which can benefit from a little soaking. But in this case, the “overnight” is more of a suggestion, for make-ahead convenience. It isn’t required.
Sorry Kira- I was thinking of a different recipe, as noted below. Soaking overnight is not required to make this, though it can be prepped in advance.
Thank you very much for this excellent dish! I made it with thick cut bacon which I had baked. I’ve made several overnight egg casseroles but the flavors & texture of this is the best! My husband & father in law agreed!! I will make it for a brunch gathering.
★★★★★
Can you use a nut based milk in place of dairy milk?