Square of sausage, egg and cheddar breakfast casserole on a plate with fresh rosemary and sage

AmericanBreakfast

Make-Ahead Christmas Breakfast Casserole with Winter Herb Olive Oil

An overnight sausage, egg and cheddar breakfast casserole you put together the night before and bake while the coffee brews. Winter Herb Extra Virgin Olive Oil is our seasonal Signature Estate olive oil, co-milled with fresh rosemary, sage, thyme and garlic, the same herbs that season a good breakfast sausage. Tossing the bread in it gives every bite that warm, herby flavor and crisp, golden edges on top, and a last drizzle before serving brings the herbs forward. Seven ingredients, one dish, and Christmas morning takes care of itself.

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Servings

10

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

1 hours 5 minutes

Calories

405

Author

Kristina DeRolf

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Ingredients

4 tablespoons Winter Herb Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
1 pound bulk pork breakfast sausage
1 medium yellow onion, diced
10 ounces day-old French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 8 cups)
6 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded (about 1 ½ cups), divided
8 large eggs
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Brush a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon Winter Herb Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage and onion, breaking the sausage into small pieces, until browned and the onion is soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Spoon off all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat. Let cool for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with 2 tablespoons Winter Herb Extra Virgin Olive Oil until evenly coated. Add the sausage mixture and 1 cup of the cheddar and toss again. Spread it all in the baking dish.
In the same bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper until smooth. Pour evenly over the bread, then press down gently with a spatula so every cube gets soaked. Scatter the remaining ½ cup cheddar over the top.
Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight, 8 to 24 hours. (Short on time? Chill at least 1 hour.)
In the morning, heat the oven to 350°F and let the dish sit on the counter while the oven heats, about 20 minutes. Bake, still covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 25 to 30 minutes more, until puffed and golden and a knife slipped into the center comes out clean (160°F on an instant-read thermometer).
Rest 10 minutes. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon Winter Herb Extra Virgin Olive Oil, cut into squares and serve.

Article: Make-Ahead Christmas Breakfast Casserole

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Christmas breakfast casserole with a bottle of Winter Herb Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Nov 6, 2026Holiday

Make-Ahead Christmas Breakfast Casserole

Name: Make-Ahead Christmas Breakfast Casserole with Winter Herb Olive Oil
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons Winter Herb Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided; 1 pound bulk pork breakfast sausage; 1 medium yellow onion, diced; 10 ounces day-old French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 8 cups); 6 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded (about 1 ½ cups), divided; 8 large eggs; 2 cups whole milk; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; ½ teaspoon black pepper

Christmas morning should be about coffee in pajamas, not standing at the stove. This sausage, egg and cheddar casserole goes together the night before, sits in the fridge while everyone sleeps, and bakes while the presents get opened. One dish, seven ingredients, and breakfast is handled.

The bread gets tossed in Winter Herb Extra Virgin Olive Oil before it goes in the dish. Our seasonal Signature Estate oil is co-milled with rosemary, sage, thyme and garlic, the same herbs that season a good breakfast sausage, so every bite tastes warm and herby and the top bakes up crisp and golden.

Why Overnight Matters
Letting the casserole rest overnight gives the bread time to soak up the eggs and milk, so it bakes up soft and custardy in the middle instead of dry. If you only have an hour, it still works; it just will not be quite as tender.

Setting the Table
Put the bottle of Winter Herb right next to the casserole so everyone can add a drizzle to their square. Add a bowl of fruit and a pot of coffee, and that is the whole menu.

Shop the bottle: Winter Herb Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Written by Kristina DeRolf

Kristina DeRolf, CRNA

Founder of The Outward Olive and a practicing nurse anesthetist since 2012. Kristina selects every olive oil and balsamic we carry and writes about olive oil, wellness, and gathering well.

More about Kristina