Savory Sausage French Toast Bake is the perfect make-ahead holiday breakfast combining rich flavors and a soft yet crisp texture in each bite.
When it comes to the holidays, or any morning when you need to feed a crowd, breakfast casseroles are the perfect Breakfast Recipe to try because they don’t require standing over a skillet. Check out our Breakfast Casseroles page for even more inspiration!
Sabrina’s Sausage Cheddar French Toast Casserole Recipe
Just like pancakes or waffles, French Toast is one of those classic breakfast recipes that’s impossible to get bored with. Especially because you can change up classic French Toast in so many ways. We love trying new takes on traditional recipes, but for some fun ways to experiment with French toast, try Easy French Toast Bake, Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast Bake, or this wonderful, savory French Toast Casserole.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork sausage
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 2 cups cheddar cheese , shredded
- 16 ounces French bread (16 ounces, sliced 1-inch thick)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with vegetable oil.
- Cook sausage in a large skillet on high heat, breaking it apart as you cook it, until it is browned, about 5-6 minutes.
- Remove sausage from pan, draining from the fat.
- In a large bowl mix together egg, milk, salt, pepper, cheese, and sausage.
- Dip the bread into the milk mixture then add the French bread to the baking dish in a single layer and carefully pour over the remaining egg mixture.
- Bake, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes until browned and the custard is set.
Nutrition
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Table of Contents
About this Recipe
When you think of French toast recipes, your mind probably goes to baked Texas toast with cinnamon-sugar, maple syrup, or other sweet toppings. However, this savory take on French toast is just as delicious and makes a nice change. The pork sausage and melty cheddar cheese pack the casserole with irresistible flavor. It’s the perfect go-to dish to serve for the holidays or at a brunch.
Chef’s Note: Dry Bread
The perfect loaf of bread to make a French Toast Casserole will be crisp on the outside and slightly stale. Using bread that’s a little bit stale will help the slices to soak up all the custard. Using slightly old bread is ideal, however if you have fresh bread you can still make a great casserole. Try leaving your bread out overnight, or toast it for 15 minutes at 250 degrees before soaking it in the custard.
Tips & Tricks
- To avoid sogginess, make sure you don’t use too much milk in the custard. If there’s too much dairy then the eggs in the mixture won’t bake properly. This will lead to soft and soggy bread. The right amount of milk will make the toast crispy around the edges and outside with a soft center.
- Make sure you mix the custard thoroughly. If you don’t carefully mix the eggs, then egg whites will show up on the surface of your baked French Toast and make the recipe too eggy.
How to Serve and Store
- Serve: Don’t leave Baked French Toast Casserole at room temperature for more than 2 hours, after baking.
- Store: Allow the French Toast Casserole to cool to room temperature before storing it. Cover the baking dish in tin foil or plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to a week.
- Freeze: Keep French Toast Casserole in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it defrost in the fridge before reheating it.
Can this be made ahead?
You can start the casserole a day ahead of your event with Overnight French Toast Casserole. Follow the recipe instructions, but don’t put the casserole in the oven. Cover carefully and refrigerate overnight. In the morning you’ll just have to preheat the oven and bake the casserole to enjoy Overnight French Toast Casserole.
Variations
- Meat: Feel free to experiment with the ingredients based on what you have in your kitchen. Try making this bake with bacon, ham, or turkey bacon.
- Cheese: Just like the meat, you can easily swap out the cheddar cheese for provolone, Swiss, mozzarella, or pepper jack cheese. Top with tablespoon-sized pieces of cream cheese. Parts of the cream cheese will melt into the bake while it’s in the oven, making for an extra creamy and rich French Toast.
- Heavy Cream: To make a creamier French Toast Casserole recipe, try using one part milk and one part heavy cream or half-and-half in the custard mixture.
- Bread: Exchange the French bread for brioche, sourdough, rolls, or Texas toast. You can also try a gluten-free bread. Just remember to use slightly old bread so it’s a little stale.
- Toppings: To add more savory to the bake, top with some extra cheese and bacon bits. For added sweetness, sprinkle some cinnamon, nutmeg, powdered sugar, vanilla syrup, or maple syrup. The great thing about maple syrup is that it will taste delicious on either the savory or sweet version of your French Toast Casserole.
- Dairy-free: To make a non-dairy version of this French Toast Casserole, you’ll have to replace the cheese and the milk. You should be able to find vegan cheese options at your grocery store, and replace the milk with almond or coconut milk.
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Do you recommend brioche?
Can I cut recipe in half? Serving 4
You can slide the serving size to the amount you would like to make, and it will automatically adjust the portions of each ingredient.
One of my all time favorite breakfast recipes! Both my husband and I are obsessed with this recipe!
I’m so glad to know it’s such a hit! Thanks for coming back to let me know, Jennifer.
I made this the other day and it was a big hit! Delicious!
Thanks for coming back to let me know, Allyson.
My family enjoyed this and have already asked when I would make it again.
Thanks for the 5 stars, Beth.