Easy Overnight Breakfast Casserole With Bacon Egg & Cheese

Looking for an easy make ahead breakfast idea? This overnight breakfast casserole with bacon uses just six ingredients and is super versatile. A delicious way to use up leftover odds and ends in your fridge!

This recipe was created in partnership with the National Pork Board. Thanks for supporting me and the brands I love!

Breakfast Casserole with Bacon

Well, hello! How ARE you all? We're all well and fine here. The extended break was not intentional, but honestly, my heart just hasn't been in sharing new recipes lately.

Just so you know, that carrot cake I promised you all is photographed and the post is halfway written. But every time I sit down to finish it up, I start wondering if another carrot cake recipe is really what the world needs right now...

So maybe a different approach is in order for the time being -- which is why I'm so happy to partner with the National Pork Board right now on a simple and easy recipe (my very favorite kind!) that uses just SIX ingredients, all of which I'm betting you already have on hand in your fridge and/or pantry and/or freezer right now.

And if not? You're still going to want to take a peek, because this overnight breakfast casserole with bacon is supremely versatile and customizable. In fact, you may never make it the same way twice. Or maybe you will if you find a combination that your family really loves. Either way, it's ideal for using up those odds and ends lurking in your refrigerator.

Let's take a look as the basic recipe first, and then I'll give you some simple suggestions and swaps to make it your own. Oh, and by the way, it doesn't HAVE to be an overnight casserole... You can definitely make it the same day. But it sure is nice to wake up with breakfast ready to pop into the oven!

Basic Bacon and Egg Breakfast Casserole Ingredients

This simple overnight bacon casserole recipe was developed by the folks at the National Pork Board. As I mentioned, it calls for just 6 ingredients: eggs, sliced cooked bacon, cubed whole wheat bread, milk, shredded cheddar cheese, and dry mustard.

Really the only ingredient that can't be swapped here is the eggs. But the rest are easily substitutable! Um, is that even a word? IDK, we're just gonna go with it and get on to the suggestions...

Sliced cooked bacon -- any cooked pork product would do here! Particularly crumbled sausage or diced ham, since they're also salty like bacon. This is a great way to stretch leftovers from dinner into another meal!

Cubed whole wheat bread -- use whatever bread you have on hand. Pretty much anything goes: white, sourdough, even hamburger or hotdog buns will work! I used honey wheat bread for the casserole pictured.

Milk -- mild-flavored nut milks are an excellent option. Or if you have frozen milk in your freezer, this is a great time to thaw some and use it, since it's usually not great for drinking once thawed.

Shredded cheddar cheese -- any shredded cheese that you need to use up goes here. You can even mix those last little bits from several different bags. I'm looking forward to making another batch to use up some shredded gruyere that's in my deli drawer right now!

Dry mustard -- add a squirt of Dijon mustard instead! Or even a small squeeze of yellow mustard will work, but I'd use it more sparingly.

Breakfast Casserole with Bread and Bacon and More

Beyond swapping ingredients, there are a number of things you can ADD to this easy casserole with bacon to use up leftover bits in your fridge. Now is the time to get creative!

A few ideas to help clean out your refrigerator:

• Add baby spinach or chopped kale that's starting to wilt. Just sauté them in a little of the bacon grease and stir into the egg mixture.
• Leftover veggies, like zucchini, bell peppers, and onions of all kinds can be added. Again, give them a quick sauté to release some of the water, and just stir them in.
• Fresh herbs can be chopped and stirred into the casserole mix before baking or sprinkled over the top as a garnish after.
• And finally, use up that last bit of salsa, pico de gallo, or guacamole to top each serving. I wouldn't be sad to have mine with some diced avocado on top, either!

See what I mean? This bacon egg and cheese breakfast casserole is uber versatile.

How To Make Breakfast Casserole with Bacon

Recipes don't get much easier than this one! It's perfect for getting younger kids involved with cooking, and older kids should be able to prepare it all on their own.

Basically you whisk together the eggs, milk, cheese, and dry mustard in a large bowl. Then fold in the bread cubes, along with the bacon, ham, or sausage (or even all three!). Finally, spoon the mixture into a buttered baking dish.

At this point, you have a choice... As I said earlier, this recipe was written to be a make ahead breakfast casserole with bacon. If you want to go this route, simply cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate overnight. It will be ready to bake in the morning.

OR you can absolutely go ahead and bake it immediately. I just let it set while the oven is preheating to allow the bread to absorb the egg mixture.

Easy Breakfast for Dinner Recipe

I don't know about you, but I'm finding myself doing A LOT more cooking than normal lately -- and that's saying something with five kids! But it was rare for them to all be home on a weeknight before, so I'm all for anything I can do to cut back on my time in the kitchen.

This easy breakfast casserole with bacon is one of those go-to recipes that actually works well for any meal. Breakfast for dinner? Yeah, I'm totally down with that (and my kids LOVE it). AND I can prep it when I'm making breakfast or lunch? Heck yeah!!!

Amidst all of the craziness and uncertainty of our current situation, I hope this family-friendly delicious and easy recipe inspires you to make the most of your fridge/pantry/freezer situation!