Trust me, It's not too early to start thinking about the upcoming holidays. Having a great recipe in your back pocket for an easy breakfast casserole that will satisfy your family on the big morning is a must!  But you don't have to wait until Christmas morning to enjoy this wonderful dish.  This easy Make Ahead Christmas Morning Breakfast Casserole is a fabulous dish to serve at any brunch or breakfast occasion and it could not be any easier to make!

Holidays are all about traditions.  My family has a Christmas morning tradition that we started years ago, when my three kids were little.  Our Christmas mornings go like this: My parents arrive at our house before the kids wake up.

The grown ups all enjoy a hot cup of coffee because nothing starts in this house in the morning without coffee! We light a fire in the fireplace and turn on our favorite Christmas music to set the mood.

The kids come downstairs, and of course, are delighted by the goodies in front of the tree left by Santa. After watching the kids open their gifts, we all gather in the dining room and enjoy a wonderful Christmas morning breakfast, which always includes Make Ahead Christmas Morning Breakfast Casserole.

It's NEVER too early to start planning out your holidays.  Planning helps reduce stress, allowing you to enjoy the moments!

This casserole my very favorite thing to serve on Christmas morning. Add it to your menu for "less-stress" holiday cheer! Of course, you don't have to wait until the holidays to enjoy this scrumptious breakfast casserole! Any day will do, since it's all prepped the day before and baked off right before you serve it, it's perfect for any breakfast or brunch occasion!

Make Ahead Christmas Morning Breakfast Casserole

By Renee Paj

An easy breakfast casserole that can be prepared the day ahead and baked right before serving. Perfect for Holiday mornings or anytime!

Ingredients

• 1- 1 pound loaf of good quality sourdough bread (best if day old) cut into 1" - 2" cubes
• 1 pound bulk turkey breakfast sausage, browned
• 4 slices of crispy cooked bacon, crumbled
• 1 TBS minced dried onion (optional)
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cups shredded cheddar jack cheese blend, divided
• 8 large eggs
• 3 cups 2% milk
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
• 1 TBS Dijon mustard

Instructions

1. Spray 9" x 13" glass baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange bread cubes in pan so that they are about 3/4 of the way up the sides of the dish.
2. Sprinkle the bread with about 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Sprinkle with the cooked sausage, bacon, dried onion, and red and green bell pepper.
3. In an 8-cup glass batter bowl with spout, add the eggs, milk, salt, pepper and Dijon mustard and whisk until fully blended.
4. Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes evenly, making sure to coat every piece of bread. Press bread down slightly into the egg mixture. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours.
5. When ready to bake, remove casserole from refrigerator. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F When oven comes to temperature, bake casserole with foil on for 30 - 40 minutes or until it is set. Remove foil, sprinkle top with remaining cheese and bake another 5 - 10 minutes with foil off, or until cheese is melted. Allow to sit, loosely covered with foil, for about 10 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 12 servings

Prep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 40 mins.
Total time: 55 mins.

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