The Queen of Southern Cuisine is at it again with this insanely scrumptious Paula Deen breakfast casserole. One bite will absolutely make your day!
If you’re the kind who likes different flavors and textures in one dish, this is the casserole for you.
It has a layer of bread at the bottom, followed by maple pork sausage and cheese in the middle. Finally, there’s an insanely rich savory egg custard on top.
Each element is mouthwatering on its own, but when you put them together, they create a party in your mouth.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this Paula Deen breakfast casserole:
- Ground Maple Pork Sausage – the maple adds a wonderfully sweet contrast to the savory and smoky sausage. However, other sausage variations will work too.
- White Bread – makes the casserole super hearty. Sandwich bread works beautifully here. You can also use hash browns or sourdough.
- Shredded Triple Cheddar Cheese – Cheddar goes great with this casserole, but you can experiment with other cheeses, too, like mozzarella, Swiss cheese, and Colby Jack.
- Eggs – form the top layer of the casserole.
- Whole Milk – whisked with eggs to make them richer and creamier.
- Dry Mustard, Seasoned Pepper, and Salt – to flavor the eggs.
How to Make Paula Deen Breakfast Casserole
This breakfast casserole is super simple to make. In fact, it’s so easy; you might be tempted to have it every day!
Here’s the rundown:
1. GREASE the pan with cooking spray. Brown the sausage and drain well to avoid excess grease.
2. PREP the bread. Remove crusts if preferred, but keep them if you like. Cut slices thick enough to hold up in the oven.
3. ASSEMBLE the casserole. Layer the bread in the dish, trimming to fit as needed. Top with sausage crumbles, then shredded cheese.
4. WHISK the eggs, milk, mustard, salt, and pepper. Whisk eggs separately first for a smoother mix. Pour the custard over the cheese.
5. CHILL for 8 hours, covered with plastic wrap, to let the bread absorb the custard. Prepare the night before for convenience.
6. BAKE uncovered at 350°F for 40 minutes, until set and golden.
Tips for Making the Perfect Breakfast Casserole
This casserole is ridiculously easy to make, but here are tips to make it even easier:
- Bake uncovered. Adding foil can make the dish soggy. So, if you want crispy edges, bake without a cover.
- It’s ready when it’s golden. You’ll know the casserole is done once the top layer is nice and golden. It should be all set in the middle, so give it a jiggle. If it’s still wobbly, it needs to bake for a few more minutes.
- Add vegetables! Spinach, asparagus, potatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers – take your pick. Just be sure to cook them first if they’re watery (like mushrooms). Otherwise, the excess liquid will make the dish runny.
- Serve with Fruit Salad – whether it’s with a creamy base or just a drizzle of honey, a medley of fruits will give a nice refreshing contrast to this hearty dish.
- Add Muffins, French Toast, and Biscuits to the side – this casserole already has bread at the bottom, but if you’re feeling extra hungry, these starchy delights will do the trick.
How to Store the Breakfast Casserole
Want to make this ahead? You totally can!
Prepare the ingredients and assemble the layers the night before, so you won’t feel the 8-hour wait. Pop it in the fridge, and it’ll be ready for baking the next morning!
Let it come up to room temperature for 30 minutes, or bake it straight from the fridge. Just add 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time.
You can refrigerate uncooked casserole for up to 2 days, provided it’s covered. This is especially important if you add potatoes to the mix.
As for leftovers, here’s how to handle them:
To Store: Cover the cooled casserole with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
To Freeze: Let the cooked casserole cool completely. Then, place it in an airtight container or Ziploc bag and freeze for up to a month.
To Reheat: Reheat straight from the freezer in a 350-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Or microwave chilled leftovers in 30-second intervals until hot.
More Easy Breakfast Recipes You’ll Love
Bob Evans Sausage Gravy
Eggs in a Basket
Bisquick Breakfast Casserole
Sweet Potato Frittata
Italian Sausage Breakfast Casserole
Paula Deen Breakfast Casserole (Easy Recipe)
8-10
servings30
minutes50
minutesThe Queen of Southern Cuisine is at it again with this insanely scrumptious Paula Deen breakfast casserole. One bite will absolutely make your day!
Ingredients
1 pound ground maple pork sausage
6 slices white bread
1 (8-ounce) package shredded triple cheddar cheese
8 large eggs
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon seasoned pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with baking spray or butter.
- In a large skillet, brown the sausage over medium heat until crumbly and no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Drain well.
- Cut the crusts off the bread, if desired, then arrange the slices in a single layer in the greased baking dish. Cut the pieces, if necessary, to fit the dish.
- Sprinkle the bread with sausage crumbles followed by shredded cheese.
- In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, mustard, pepper, and salt until well-combined. Pour the mixture over the cheese. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Let the casserole sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Remove the plastic wrap and bake the casserole for 40 minutes, or until golden. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- If using a loaf, slice the bread thickly so it doesn’t break apart after baking. If using pre-sliced bread, get something sturdy and thick.
9 Responses
Love your picks
Hello, love many of your recipes. This dish always gets me many compliments. the only drawback is that no matter how I grease the (muffin top pan or baking sheet) with PAM, butter or oil, it always sticks to the pan and I have to scrape it out. The reason I’m asking is because I want to bake them in quantity, in muffin pans but that is even worse. using liners doesn’t work because, as you said, they become soggy or the filling sticks to the liner. Any suggestions?
Hi John, it might actually be your pans? Some materials are more prone to sticking than others. Non-stick pans are designed to prevent food from sticking, but sometimes the coating essentially wears off. Stainless steel can be great when used correctly, but it might require more oil or butter to create a non-stick surface. If you’re using newer pans, you could always try baking with parchment paper.
John. For cupcake tins on Amazon, I got those washable silicone cupcake liners and you can get similar ones for other flat pans. With the cupcake liners, they just pop out. I turn them the wrong side out to wash in hot soapy water and rinse, and you can hand dry or air dry. I put them into a ziplock bag and they are clean for the next use. I truly love them for my large muffins etc!!
Great tip, Claudie!
I have these silicone liners from amazon and use them all the time 🙂
https://shorturl.at/J9mNs
Do I have to refrigerate it before cooking? Thank you
Hi Michelle.
Technically, no. But this is kind of like a savory bread pudding, so if it’s not given time in the fridge, you won’t get the same results after baking.
The main purpose of the overnight refrigeration is to allow the bread to fully absorb the custard mixture. This ensures every bite is moist and flavorful. The bread softens as it soaks, which is crucial for achieving the right texture in the final dish.
This resting period also gives the flavors from the sausages, cheese, and any herbs or spices included in the recipe more time to meld together with the custard and bread.
If the custard isn’t given enough time to soak into the bread, parts of the casserole could end up dry or unevenly cooked. The bread pieces on the top or around the edges might become too crisp or burn, while the middle could remain soggy or undercooked if the liquid hasn’t been adequately absorbed.
Proper absorption helps the whole casserole bind together, which makes it easier to serve and enjoy as a coherent dish rather than a crumbly or disjointed one. The eggs in the custard set during baking, creating a firm texture that holds all the ingredients in place.
So, skipping the overnight refrigeration step could result in a dish that’s less flavorful, with a less desirable texture, and potentially unevenly cooked. The extra time really helps ensure that your savory bread pudding casserole turns out perfectly moist, flavorful, and cohesive.
That said, if you don’t have 8 hours to spare, 1-2 hours will help a great deal. That’s a better option than skipping the soaking time altogether 🙂
I am making the Paula seen breakfast casserole the part about cutting bread in half do you cut lengh wide or in half
Hi Maria!
The bread actually doesn’t need to be sliced in half. I’ve amended the recipe to show this.
Instead, you can just layer the whole slices in the dish, and then cut any pieces needed to fit any corners or gaps 🙂