Pop this easy and delicious Christmas Morning Casserole into the fridge the night before, and then, when the kids are stirring, get it into the oven. Before long, you’ll have a hot, cheesy, hammy and delicious morning meal ready to go!
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This layered Christmas Morning Casserole is just about the best and easiest breakfast or brunch dish on the planet. It is cheesy, has a delish crunchy topping, is layered with ham or peameal bacon (for brunches in Ontario) and is loaded with flavor. The best part is that you prep this cheesey strata the night before, and it sets up overnight in the fridge. Then, bake it in the oven, and you’re good to go!
This dish goes by many names, including Christmas Morning Wife Saver, ham and cheese strata, and brunch casserole. No matter what you call it, it is terrific. Loaded with protein from the eggs, ham, and cheese, it’s a full meal on a plate. I love serving it with fruit salad, coffee for me, and fresh OJ for the kids.
It also makes enough for the whole family, and trust me, this is one dish you want to make sure you have enough of. I make it in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan, and that’s the perfect size.
What you’ll love about Christmas Morning Casserole
- Prep it the night before and bake when ready!
- It’s so easy to customize – swap out the meat or cheese to suit your tastes!
- The leftovers freeze like a dream.
What Is Christmas Morning Casserole?
This is a layered dish made with bread, an egg custard (milk and eggs), cheese, and peameal bacon or ham. Wondering what peameal bacon is? It’s a specialty in Ontario, Canada, but it is easily swapped out with back bacon or regular ham. You prep it the night before so that the custard has a chance to soak into the bread. Then, when you bake it, it is fluffy, soft, cheesy, and oh-so-crazy-good. It is inspired by the Best of Bridge cookbook series, and we’ve been eating this Christmas strata recipe every year for years.
Ingredients
- Sourdough bread – You’ll need a whole loaf of regular sandwich slices.
- Peameal bacon – Or back bacon or thinly sliced ham.
- Sharp cheddar cheese – Shredded.
- Eggs
- Milk – I use whole milk but whatever you have on hand is fine.
- Worcestershire sauce
- Pepper – I like white pepper in this recipe, so I don’t see black pepper flakes in the dish.
- Dry mustard powder
- Onion – Finely chopped.
- Green pepper – Finely diced.
- Chipotle powder
- Butter – I use salted butter.
- Special K cereal – Coarsely crushed.
How To Make The Best Christmas Morning Casserole
- Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
- Cut the crusts off the slices of bread (dry the crusts to make bread crumbs) and layer half of them into the bottom of the casserole dish. Fill in any gaps with pieces of bread.
- Lay the peameal bacon, back bacon or ham over the top of the bread slices, add the shredded cheese, and top with the remaining bread.
- Whisk the milk, Worcestershire Sauce, mustard powder, onion, green pepper, and chipotle powder in a bowl until combined.
- Pour the milk-egg mixture over the top of the bread evenly, letting it soak down to the bottom of the dish.
- Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for at least 6 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 375-F.
- Remove the plastic wrap from the casserole and top it with the crushed cereal. Drizzle with butter and cover with foil.
- Bake at 375-F for about an hour, then uncover it and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until puffy, bubbly, and set in the middle.
- Enjoy!
How Do You Know When Christmas Morning Casserole Is Cooked?
This casserole gets puffy when cooked, and you want to ensure it is cooked in the middle. The middle should also be puffy; when you insert a knife into the middle, it should come out mostly clean. If there’s still soggy egg in the middle, put it back into the oven.
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Don’t underestimate how much time this takes to cook. If you’re in a pinch, you can microwave it to finish cooking it.
- You can take a few minutes off the baking time by letting the casserole warm up on the counter for 30-60 minutes before cooking.
- Swap out the cheddar for Swiss cheese, Monterey Jack, gouda, or whatever you have on hand.
- Use sandwich slices or thin-sliced bread. Thick slices will make your loaf too puffy!
- Bake this casserole on a baking sheet to catch any spillover.
Recommended
Make It A Meal
Wondering what to serve with your Christmas Morning Casserole? I love serving it with fresh berries or fruit salad and fresh juice. It really is an all-in-one meal, but sometimes I’ll serve it along with bacon or sausage, fresh pastries, and whatever else tickles our fancy.
Step By Step Process
Christmas Morning Casserole
Equipment
- 1 9 x 13 inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 loaf sourdough bread crusts removed
- 12 ounces ham or peameal bacon or back bacon
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 6 eggs
- 3 cups milk
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper or black pepper
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 1/2 cup onion finely chopped
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper finely chopped
- 2 cups Special K cereal crushed into coarse crumbs
- 1/2 cup butter melted
Instructions
- Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
- Cut the crusts off the slices of bread (dry the crusts to make bread crumbs) and layer half of them into the bottom of the casserole dish. Fill in any gaps with pieces of bread.
- Lay the peameal bacon, back bacon or ham over the top of the bread slices, add the shredded cheese, and top with the remaining bread.
- Whisk the milk, Worcestershire Sauce, mustard powder, onion, green pepper, and chipotle powder in a bowl until combined.
- Pour the milk-egg mixture over the top of the bread evenly, letting it soak down to the bottom of the dish.
- Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for at least 6 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 375-F.
- Remove the plastic wrap from the casserole and top it with the crushed cereal. Drizzle with butter and cover with foil.
- Bake at 375-F for about an hour, then uncover it and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until puffy, bubbly, and set in the middle.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Don’t underestimate how much time this takes to cook. If you’re in a pinch, you can microwave it to finish cooking it.
- You can take a few minutes off the baking time by letting the casserole warm up on the counter for 30-60 minutes before cooking.
- Swap out the cheddar for Swiss cheese, Monterey Jack, gouda, or whatever you have on hand.
- Use sandwich slices or thin-sliced bread. Thick slices will make your loaf too puffy!
- Bake this casserole on a baking sheet to catch any spillover.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
