Food & Cooking Recipes Breakfast & Brunch Recipes Make-Ahead Breakfast Bake 4.0 (286) Prepare this flavorful bake the night before, then enjoy a relaxed morning meal. Close Credit: Brie Goldman Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 55 mins Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Servings: 12 Jump to recipe This tender, cheesy make-ahead breakfast casserole is ideal for holiday mornings. It can be prepped the night before and simply popped in the oven an hour before you're ready to eat. The combination of Canadian bacon, onion, baby spinach, and Gruyère cheese adds plenty of flavor and heft without any heaviness, and a touch of nutmeg and garlic contributes welcome depth. For the base of the bake, you’ll need cubed Italian bread, eggs, and milk, which will soak up the other ingredients and turn luscious and pillowy in the oven. This recipe is easily customizable, so you can switch up the meat, cheese, and vegetables depending on what you have on hand. 19 Make-Ahead Breakfasts for a Delicious Start to Busy Mornings Main Ingredients (and Swaps) for Our Make-Ahead Breakfast Bake Canadian bacon: Tender, mild Canadian bacon adds just the right salty, porky flavor to this breakfast bake. Cooking it with the onion and garlic helps it crisp up just a bit without drying out. Swaps: In place of Canadian bacon, use regular chopped bacon or ham, or even browned breakfast sausage. Baby spinach: A generous pound of baby spinach lends nutrients and brightness, contrasting deliciously with the custardy egg and melty Gruyère cheese. Swaps: In a pinch swap the fresh spinach for a 10-ounce package of frozen spinach—defrosted and squeezed very dry. Gruyère: Mild, nutty-tasting Gruyère cheese is our pick for this delicious bake. For the best texture and flavor, we recommend buying a block of it and grating it at home. Swaps: In place of Gruyère, use cheddar, fontina, Swiss, or Colby jack cheese. Bread: You'll need about 8 cups of cubed Italian bread from a single loaf for this recipe. Leaving the crusts on adds some nice texture and makes for easy prep. This recipe is a great way to use up day-old bread, as it will soak up the egg-milk mixture beautifully, but you can certainly use fresh as well. Swaps: You can sub in a crusty French or sourdough loaf. Onion and garlic: To give the bake a savory kick, we sauté some onion and garlic along with the Canadian bacon. We recommend using yellow onion for its subtle bite and mellow sweetness. Swaps: Use white or red onion if that's all you have on hand. Eggs: You'll need nine large eggs for this recipe. To minimize the chance of shells making it into your bake, crack them on a flat surface rather than on the side of your mixing bowl. Milk: Whole milk will give you the richest flavor and most luscious texture. Swaps: Use reduced fat if you'd prefer. We don't recommend fat-free milk for this recipe as it can make the bake drier and less tender. This recipe provides plenty of ways to get kids involved in the kitchen. Let them tear the bread into pieces instead of slicing it into cubes. Or let them whisk the eggs and milk together and assemble the casserole. How to Make Our Breakfast Bake Ahead The best part about this recipe is that it can be prepared the night before, covered and refrigerated until the next morning. When you're ready to cook, simply uncover the dish and pop it in the oven. What to do while it's baking? We'd suggest making a cup of coffee, putting your feet up, and enjoying the perks of a prepping ahead. Directions Credit: Brie Goldman Prepare baking dish; cook bacon, onion, and garlic: Butter a 3-quart baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter. In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high. Add bacon, onion, and garlic and cook until onion is softened, about 2 minutes. Credit: Brie Goldman Add spinach and continue to cook: Gradually add spinach to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Credit: Brie Goldman Whisk eggs, milk, and nutmeg, then season: In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Credit: Brie Goldman Layer ingredients in baking dish; Scatter half the bread in dish and top with half the spinach mixture and half the cheese. Top with remaining bread, spinach mixture, and cheese. Credit: Brie Goldman Credit: Brie Goldman Top with egg mixture; cover and chill: Pour egg mixture into dish and gently press bread to submerge. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours (or up to overnight). Heat oven; uncover and bake: Preheat oven to 400°F. Uncover dish and bake until bread is golden brown and custard is just set, 45 to 50 minutes (cover with foil if browning too quickly). Let cool 5 minutes before serving. Credit: Brie Goldman How to Store Any leftover breakfast bake can be refrigerated in an airtight container for three to four days. Reheat portions in the microwave, air-fryer, or a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven until hot throughout. We don't recommend freezing leftovers as the bake can become soggy upon reheating. What to Serve With This Breakfast Bake Since it already contains plenty of protein and vegetables, this bake is perfectly suited to being served on its own. It would als delicious accompanied by a bright, tangy fruit salad or an assortment of winter citrus. You can also never go wrong with cinnamon rolls, coffee cake, or a batch of homemade muffins. 5 More Breakfast Bakes to Try: Pear-and-Raspberry Baked French Toast Jewish-Deli Strata Panettone French Toast Casserole Broccoli-Cheddar Hash-Brown Casserole Baked Oatmeal for a Crowd With Berries and Seeds Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.