Easy Ham Egg and Cheese Breakfast Casserole Recipe

This easy ham, egg, and cheese breakfast casserole recipe is a savory and satisfying dish that can be prepared for breakfast, brunch, or any meal of the day. This easy breakfast casserole is made by layering diced ham (great for leftover ham), cubed bread, egg mixture, and shredded cheese in a baking dish, then baking until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the eggs are set.

A Versitile Breakfast Bake

This is one of those easy breakfast recipes that's extremely versitle. It makes the perfect brunch dish for occasions such as bridal showers, baby showers, or for any of your special occasions. It's also a great family recipe for a lazy Sunday morning. 

This delicious ham and egg casserole recipe can be made ahead of time and refrigerated overnight then baked the next morning, or it can be baked the same day you make it. It's a great option for breakfast when you have overnight guests or on the weekdays when you encounter busy mornings.This cheesy breakfast casserole is also a great recipe for re-purposing your leftover holiday ham. 

I love a good hearty breakfast casserole. While this Ham, Egg, and Cheese Casserole is one of my new favorite recipes, I still hold a place in my heart for these oldies but goodies: 

Make Ahead Christmas Morning Breakfast Casserole is an overnight breakfast casserole that's perfect for Christmas brunch. It features sausage, crisp bacon, chopped onions, and red peppers and green pepper. Sweet and savory 

Cheddar Sausage Apple Breakfast Casserole is a flavorful mix of tart apples, zesty sausage, and melted cheddar cheese. It's perfect with a drizzle of maple syrup to finish. 

How to make Ham Egg and Cheese Casserole

Begin by picking up the ingredients at your local grocery store:

• fully cooked ham steak (or use leftover cubed ham)
• large eggs
• milk (substitte half heavy cream for a richer casserole)
• Dijon mustard (or any kind of mustard you like)
• salt
• black pepper 
• about 6 cups (about 9 slices) day-old (slightly stale) wheat or white bread
• cheddar cheese (mild or sharp)
• mozarella cheese (not fresh mozarella)
• chives for garnish, if desired

Since this is a fairly basic recipe for Ham and Egg Casserole, you might have all the ingredients on hand already! 

Begin preparation by deciding whether you will be refrigerating this ham and egg casserole recipe overnight and baking in the morning, or if you will be baking it once it's prepared.

To bake this casserole on the same day you prepare it: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 in. x 13 in. baking dish with cooking spray. 

If you are baking it the next day: Skip preheating oven. 

Prep the bread by cutting into 1-2 inch cubes. Dice ham. Shread the cheeses. 

Food Blogger Tip---> When you want a cheese to get super melty in the oven, like in a cheese casserole recipe like this one, use block cheese and shred it yourself. While pre-packaged shredded cheese is ok to use, it's coated in a cornstarch like substance to keep it from sticking together in the package. This substance can impede melting. 

Next, layer the cubed bread in the prepared casserole dish. 

Top the bread cubes with the cubed ham and then half of the cheeses. 

In a medium large bowl whisk the eggs slighly, breaking up the egg yolks. Whisk in the milk, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper. 

Pour egg mixture evenly over the bread ham cheese mixture. Press down with the back of a spoon to make sure everything is completely coated with the egg mixture. 

If baking now, cover with aluminum foil, let stand for 10 minutes, then bake, covered, in preheated oven as directed in recipe card below. 

If refrigerating overnight, cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove casserole dish from refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. If covered in plastic wrap, replace with aluminum foil and bake, covered, in preheated oven as directed in recipe card below. 

Once casserole is set (cooking according to the directions in recipe card at the bottom of this post), take out of oven, remove foil and sprinkle on the remaining cheese. Return to oven, uncovered,  for 5 -10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. (Casserole will be puffy right out of oven, but will settle down as it cools). 

When ready to serve, garnish with chopped chives (like I did!), chopped fresh parsley, or sliced green onions. Serve with hot sauce and fresh fruit on the side. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

Can I freeze this Ham Egg and Cheese Casserole?

Yes! You can freeze individual portions of this fully cooked  breakast casserole in  airtight freezer bags and then defrost and microwave for serving. 

How do I make this casserole low carb?

To make this ham and egg casserole low carb you can substitute the bread cubes with a 16 oz. container of small curd cottage cheese. Please note: you may need to adjust bake time. You could also leave the bread cubes out entirely, again, adjusting the bake time. If you omit the bread cubes and if you don't replace them with cottage cheese, you will get a much flatter, less held together casserole. But it will still be delicious! 

What kind of bread can I use in this brunch casserole? 

I like white bread or a soft wheat bread best. But you can use just about any kind of bread you like! The possiblities are endless! Just make sure the bread is firm and a little stale for best results. 

Can I use any type of cheese in this casserole recipe?

While I like the combination of cheddar and mozarella for the melting factor, any medium firm cheese that melts well will work in this recipe. Try Colby Jack cheese, Swiss cheese, or all cheddar cheese for a spin!

My family loved this easy ham egg and cheese casserole, and I bet yours will too!

ham egg and cheese casserole, Ham and egg casserole

breakfast, brunch

American

Yield: 8-10

Author: Renee Paj

Easy Ham Egg and Cheese Breakfast Casserole Recipe

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 40 MinInactive time: 9 MinTotal time: 1 H & 4 M

This easy ham, egg, and cheese breakfast casserole recipe is a savory and satisfying dish that can be prepared for breakfast, brunch, or any meal of the day. With just a few simple ingredients, it can make any meal special.

Ingredients

• 12 oz. fully cooked ham steak, diced (or 3 cups diced leftover cooked ham)
• 6 large eggs
• 2 cups milk ( whole milk or 2% milk)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (or 1 tsp. dry mustard)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 cups cubed day-old (slightly stale) white or wheat bread (1-2 inch cubes)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozarella cheese (part skim)
• 2 Tablespoons chopped chives for garnish, if desired

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 in. x 13 in. baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Layer the cubed bread in the prepared casserole dish.
3. Top the bread cubes with the cubed ham and then half of the cheeses.
4. In a medium large bowl whisk the eggs slighly, breaking up the egg yolks. Whisk in the milk, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper.
5. Pour egg mixture evenly over the bread ham cheese mixture. Press down with the back of a spoon to make sure everything is completely coated with the egg mixture.
6. Cover with aluminum foil, let stand for 10 minutes, then bake, covered, in preheated oven for about 30 - 40 minutes or until the casserole is set. (It will be puffy. As long as the middle isn't jiggly, it's done) Remove from oven and carefully remove foil. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses and return to oven for 5 - 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
7. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before cutting and serving. Garnish with chopped chives, if desired.

Notes

Make Ahead Instructions: This breakfast casserole can be made ahead of time and refrigerated overnight then baked in the morning. Follow steps 2 - 5 and cover tightly with aluminum foil and store overnight in refrigerator. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and remove casserole from refrigerator. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes then bake as directed above.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

693.2

Fat (grams)

21.58 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

8.77 g

Carbs (grams)

80.36 g

Fiber (grams)

10.72 g

Net carbs

69.65 g

Sugar (grams)

11.11 g

Protein (grams)

43.32 g

Sodium (milligrams)

1746.94 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

191.15 mg

Nutritional Information provided is an estimate.

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