Everything Bagel Casserole
This everything bagel casserole is the fluffy, high-protein, make-ahead breakfast your weekday mornings have been waiting for. Cubed plain bagels soak up an egg-and-gruyere custard overnight (or bake right away), then get loaded with chicken sausage, spinach, cherry tomatoes, and pockets of melty cream cheese. A heavy sprinkle of everything bagel seasoning across the top bakes into golden, crunchy perfection. Feeds 8, freezes well, and reheats beautifully for the whole week.
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Servings: 8 servings
INGREDIENTS
- 12 oz uncooked breakfast sausage
- 1 Tablespoon butter or olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion thinly sliced
- 5 oz baby spinach roughly chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 4 plain bagels 2-3 days old, cut into chunks (around 4-5 cups), I use Dave's Killer Bread
- 10 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup gruyere cheese shredded, plus more for topping
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 4 oz full-fat brick cream cheese cut into small cubes
- 2 Tablespoons everything bagel seasoning
INSTRUCTIONS
- Grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray or olive oil.
- Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until golden brown, making sure it’s cooked through, around 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.12 oz uncooked breakfast sausage
- Add the butter to the same skillet and melt over medium heat. Cook the onion until soft and translucent, around 2-3 minutes. Then add the spinach and cook to wilt, around- 2-3 minutes. Transfer the onion and spinach mixture to the prepared baking dish. Cut the sausage into pieces and add it in with the tomatoes, scallions, and bagels. Toss gently to mix it all if needed, leaving some of the tomatoes on the top.1 Tablespoon butter, 1 small yellow onion, 5 oz baby spinach, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 2 green onions, 4 plain bagels
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, parmesan cheese, gruyere cheese, salt, and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the bagel and vegetable mixture, pressing it down so the bagels soak up the liquid. Then nestle the cream cheese chunks around the baking dish. Sprinkle on the everything bagel seasoning.10 large eggs, 2 cups whole milk, 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup gruyere cheese, Kosher salt and black pepper, 4 oz full-fat brick cream cheese, 2 Tablespoons everything bagel seasoning
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight, to allow the bagels to absorb the egg mixture.
- When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F. Remove the breakfast casserole from the fridge and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the center is set and the edges are golden brown. Tent with aluminum foil if the top becomes too brown before the center is cooked.
Notes
Bagels. Plain bagels only because flavored varieties clash with the everything seasoning. Cube the night before to let them stale slightly.
Protein Swaps. Chicken or turkey breakfast sausage keeps this leaner. Pork sausage, bacon, or diced ham all work as swaps.
Cheese. Gruyere + parmesan gives the best savory depth. Swap gruyere for sharp cheddar or swiss if needed.
Make-ahead. Assemble through step 3, cover tightly with plastic wrap or foil, and refrigerate 4–24 hours. Pull from fridge 20 minutes before baking.
Freezer (unbaked). Cover with plastic + foil and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking (add 10 minutes to the bake time).
Freezer (baked leftovers). Wrap individual slices in parchment + zip bag, freeze up to 2 months. Reheat at 350°F for 15 min or microwave 90 sec.
Doneness. Center should jiggle slightly but not slosh when shaken. Edges deeply golden. Rest 10 min before slicing.
Homemade Everything Bagel Seasoning. Combine 1 tablespoon each of white sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, dried minced garlic, dried minced onion, and poppy seeds with 1 teaspoon of flaky sea salt or kosher salt. Mix everything together in a small bowl or jar,
Quicker Option (No Refrigerating). I also tested this without refrigerating the casserole to save time. It had slightly less of a custard texture and more of an egg bake texture because the bagels don't have as much time to absorb the liquid. I prefer the custard texture (similar to a french toast casserole), but this way it still delicious, so you can do it this way if you're short on time!
Nutrition
Serving: 8servings | Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 235mg | Sodium: 986mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2517IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 292mg | Iron: 3mg
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