My Ham, Egg, and Cheese Casserole recipe comes together in under an hour with very little hands-on time needed. Best of all, you can use up the leftover bread and holiday ham! This is a kid and adult tested and approved easy breakfast recipe that is my go-to on the weekends, entertaining for brunch, or even for a holiday.
If you are looking for a quick weekend or even week day breakfast my recipe for Ham Egg and Cheese Casserole is the ticket! I created this recipe back in 2014, before I gave birth to my first child. In preparation for his arrival I cooked a ham in the slow cooker. We had a delicious Sunday dinner with our neighbor, had tasty lunches the next day and the rest of the leftover ham I froze to enjoy when the baby arrived. Boy, was that the best idea ever. I had about 3 packages of ham (about ½lb each) and then one package of diced ham.
A month later my cousin came to visit after my son had arrived, and I knew I wanted to make an easy breakfast casserole. On that Sunday morning, I made my husband and cousin this Ham Egg and Cheese Breakfast Casserole.
The night before I thawed one cup of the cubed ham that I had previously frozen. The next morning I used the leftover biscuits from the morning prior and diced them up, mixed in some eggs, shredded cheese, and of course the diced ham. In went the casserole into the oven and I went back to tending to my needy newborn.
This hearty breakfast comforted my favorite guys and filled my heart full of love. This Ham Egg and Cheese Breakfast Casserole made for a tasty reheated breakfast the days following. Perfect for a busy and tired new mom that still wanted to “make” my husband breakfast each morning.
Table of contents
Breakfast Casserole Ingredients
- Eggs – I love that this recipe doesn’t blow through a carton of eggs. In this case, you only need 6 eggs. If you don’t have whole eggs on hand and have a box of liquid eggs you can use that as well.
- Milk – I use whatever milk I have on hand… 2%, whole milk, even 1% works. If you don’t have milk on hand you can use half and half. Just know that your casserole will be much creamier.
- Bread – I have used both sliced bread and even leftover biscuits!
- Ham – Cooked leftover ham is ideal. If you don’t have leftover holiday ham, you can use prepackaged diced ham or even thick cut ham found in the deli.
- Dijon Mustard – Dijon mustard is my secret ingredient to this breakfast casserole. A little goes a long way and adds just the perfect tang to this dish.
- Salt & Pepper – A little goes a long way. My guest have never needed any additional seasoning so I feel the measurements I give are a good base. If you like less salt add less salt and if you like saltier food, well add it after it’s done cooking to avoid over salting and ruining the dish.
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl, beat eggs with whole milk, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Then add the cubed ham, bread, and cheese to the egg mixture. Mix well. Spray an oven-proof 9×9 glass casserole dish with cooking spray. Then pour the egg mixture into the casserole dish.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.
Remove from the oven, let rest for 5 minutes, then cut into squares, and serve immediately.
FAQs
Here are all the frequently asked questions readers have asked when making this recipe.
This really depends on how you cut the slices, and what you are serving with the breakfast casserole. I can feed four hungry adults with just one slice of breakfast casserole and a few pieces of toast and maybe some fruit. Or you can cut into 6-8 pieces and also serve an additional breakfast meat like bacon or sausage plus bread and fruit.
My breakfast casserole recipe is delicious on it’s own. However, if you want to make a few breakfast side dishes I suggest my southern style potatoes or even my fried breakfast potatoes, bacon, and of course a little fruit.
Your breakfast casserole can be runny for two reasons. One, you did not cook the egg mixture longer enough (which is typically the issue–remember each oven cooks slightly different). Or the meat you are using in the casserole has a lot of moisture resulting in the breakfast casserole to be runny.
If you have leftover breakfast casserole, make sure it cools to room temperature before placing in the refrigerator. A general rule of thumb for all food is that it should be put away before the 2 hour mark. Place the leftover slices in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
If you have leftovers and you want to reheat the casserole you have two options.
1. Bake – Wrap the breakfast casserole slices in aluminum foil and bake for 15-20 minutes until hot. By wrapping the casserole you will essentially steam the egg bake making less of a chance of drying out the casserole.
2. Microwave – You can always use the microwave–microwaving in 30 second increments until the internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tips & Tricks
Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks I’ve learned when making my ham and cheese strata.
- Less Bread – For a less thicker version of this casserole you can use less bread and reduce it down to only 3 slices.
- Bread Substitutes – I have also used leftover biscuits and chopped them up. Overall, you want to aim for 2 cups of bread. I have not tested this recipe with gluten free breads.
- Eggs – Want a thicker egg bake? Add 2-4 more eggs to the mix.
- Liquid Eggs – If you don’t have whole eggs on hand and only have the box of liquid eggs you can use 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons to equal the 6 whole eggs.
- Gluten Free – Make this recipe gluten free by either substituting with gluten free bread or omit the bread all together. If you are omitting the bread I would double the amount of eggs for a thick and fluffy breakfast casserole.
Quick Breakfast Recipe Ideas
If you love a quick breakfast like we do, I have a wide-variety of recipes that are made just as quick and seamlessly like my Ham Egg and Cheese Casserole.
- Tropical Parfaits with Coconut Lime Granola
- Pear-Cranberry Turnovers
- Strawberry Overnight Oats
- Mediterranean Hummus Toast
Still looking to use up more leftover ham? Try these other recipes…
If you make this breakfast casserole with ham, I would be honored and love for you to take the time to leave a star rating and comment! I spend hours developing and testing these recipes, and always love to hear feedback and user experience!
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Ham Egg and Cheese Casserole
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Oven
Ingredients
- 6 Large eggs
- 1 cup Whole milk
- 1 cup Shredded cheddar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 cup Cooked Ham cubed
- 6 slices White bread cubed
- Cooking Spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, beat eggs with whole milk, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Then add the cubed ham, bread, and cheese to the egg mixture. Mix well.
- Spray an oven-proof 9×9 glass casserole dish with cooking spray. Then pour the egg mixture into the casserole dish.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.
- Remove from the oven, let rest for 5 minutes, then cut into squares, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Less Bread – For a less thicker version of this casserole you can use less bread and reduce it down to only 3 slices.
- Bread Substitutes – I have also used leftover biscuits and chopped them up. Overall, you want to aim for 2 cups of bread. I have not tested this recipe with gluten free breads.
- Eggs – Want a thicker egg bake? Add 2-4 more eggs to the mix.
- Liquid Eggs – If you don’t have whole eggs on hand and only have the box of liquid eggs you can use 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons to equal the 6 whole eggs.
- Gluten Free – Make this recipe gluten free by either substituting with gluten free bread or omit the bread all together. If you are omitting the bread I would double the amount of eggs for a thick and fluffy breakfast casserole.
Nutrition
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Tracy C
Yes, I made some adjustments to taste and found I had to cover with foil after 30 minutes bc brown but under cooked inside. I used thin light rye bread, like I use for hanky pankys and diced those up instead of normal bread but added similar amount, added a dash of salt substitute to taste in addition to other seasonings. Tasted great just browned more quickly than I had hoped so I’ll adjust for next time if anyone has any suggestions! Potatoes in it sound awesome if anyone can suggest an easy add. I like to cut them fresh.
Katie
Thanks for sharing your experience and adjustments! Using thin light rye bread sounds like a delicious twist, and I can see how that might brown faster than a heartier bread. Covering with foil after 30 minutes was a great call! Just remember, every oven also can vary in temperature.
If you’re looking to add potatoes, I’d suggest using small diced Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes. Since they take longer to cook, you can either parboil them for a few minutes before mixing them in or dice them small (about ¼-inch cubes) so they soften as they bake. Another option is to shred fresh potatoes (like for hashbrowns) and mix them in raw—they should cook through nicely in the baking time.
Hope that helps, and I’d love to hear how your next batch turns out!
Angie
This recipe was great. the Dijon mustard provided way more flavor than I expected. The eggs were a bit more runny than I would have liked. nexttime I am going to either bake it longer or decrease the amount of milk.
thank you!
Katie
Hi Angie, thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. The eggs should not be runny–sounds like you needed to bake it longer. Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Margaret
I’ve been making breakfast casseroles for decades and this is by far my favorite recipe for such! Thanks!
Katie
Margaret, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment. I’m so happy my breakfast casserole is one of your favorites!
Megan Weise
Would this be doable in mufij tins?
Katie
Hi Megan, I don’t see why you couldn’t make these in muffin tins. I’ve never tried it but I’m sure it will work. If you end up making them in muffin tins please let me know how they turn out.
DT
What do I need to do differently if using a metal pan rather then glass ?
Katie
Hi DT, metal heats up faster than glass, so you may notice that the edges will brown faster. With that being said watch the time–as you may need to reduce the time by a few minutes if you notice the eggs are cooked through.
Misty
What about sour cream In the mix?
Katie
Hi Misty, you could whisk in some sour cream into the egg mix if you wanted another layer of creaminess! I’ve never tried it though, so if you do please report back!
Mary W
I made this for dinner tonight. Used a 9X13 pan and bumped up the ingredients just a little. I sautéed onions and peppers and added those along with plenty of ham and cheese. Used old hamburger buns for the bread. The finished product was delicious. No leftovers! Everyone loved it. The peppers and onions really bumped up the flavor.
Katie
Mary, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a 5 star review. So happy your family loved this recipe and love the additions you used! I love how flexible this recipe can be.
Carol
I prepped this the night before and refrigerated. Used King’s Hawaiian rolls instead of the bread. Added mushrooms and a little fresh thyme. It turned out beautifully. It does as the recipe states, need to be served immediately. I took it to work and by the time I got it there it had fallen. Still tasted amazing and was enjoyed by all. Thank you Katie!
Katie
Carol, thank you so much for leaving a review and sharing that you were successful at prepping the night before. I have never tried this method, and other readers have asked if this can be done. I can only imagine how delicious this was with King’s Hawaiian Rolls!
Marie
Can it be prepared overnight and baked in the morning?
Katie
Hi Marie, I have not tried preparing it overnight. You could have all the ingredients prepped the night before then throw them together in the morning to make it quicker.
Twilla
I g go allowed your recipe, but added 2 baked potatoes that were cut into cubes. The casserole was watery. Was it the potatoes?
Katie
Hi Twilla, My recipe does not include potatoes. Potatoes do retain water and would most likely be the reason why your casserole was watery.
Robyn Lewandowski
Yummy!
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction
Love recipes that are not only simple but also use up leftovers! This looks great!
Katie
Thanks Jessica!
Angie | Big Bear's Wife
Perfect idea to stock the freezer with the frozen ham! Thomas will LOVE this!
Christine at Cook the Story
All of the perfect breakfast necessities are here. Let’s get coffee!
Katie
Thanks! Ohhh coffee that sounds good!