Christmas morning - or any morning - is a wonderful time to enjoy a hearty Amish Breakfast Casserole. The smell of fresh eggs and home-sourced meat wafts into the air from a baking dish in a wood-burning oven. Few things greet the day in a comforting way in an Amish home than a hearty casserole like this.
Trendy casseroles come and go (remember when French toast casserole was all the rage a few years ago), but few things beat a basic breakfast casserole recipe like this one with cheese, eggs, bread, and other optional fixin's.
We used fresh ham in our version of this casserole, but you can use a any meat you want or a blend (a bacon mixture makes anything better!)
🙋 FAQ
Yes, good question. This casserole bakes at 325 and if you put raw meat into it, it won't cook thoroughly. Brown ground beef or sausage before adding or use pre-cooked ham steak, or pre-cooked bacon.
As the photos illustrate, this Amish breakfast casserole is an easy dish to make. This is one of my favorite Amish recipes just because it is so traditional. The proportions and ingredient order somehow combine to create a delicious, comforting casserole. This easy stir and bake recipe comes to us from an Amish woman in the Berne, Indiana community. Amish breakfast casserole recipes are a dime a dozen in Amish settlements, they all are fairly similar. I mean, some add garlic powder or flour to the eggs, or sour cream or cream cheese to their recipes. Each family seems to have their own "secret family recipe" variations.
Most Amish will crumble a loaf of their best homemade bread for this special casserole.
True to tradition this Amish casserole recipe has very little in the way of spices but it still works. I think the flavor is very comforting. If you don't have dry mustard, you can use a tablespoon of prepared mustard for flavor.
Most Amish homes have their own hens that lay plenty of eggs, so this recipe is a great way to use them. And you don't have to have this for breakfast, it makes an equally ideal supper main dish. Pair it with hash browns and you have an amazing meal. If you are watching your calories, you might stick with the veggie version and cut back on the cheese. Most Amish, though, aren't watching their calories. So they'll use real butter, not margarine, in this recipe.
Most Amish families are large, you are talking 7, 8, or 9 children or more, so a breakfast casserole is a great way to use up a bunch of eggs (which are often plentiful) and feed a huge group of people. For Amish families that have access to freezers, these casseroles can be made ahead of time and frozen.
Fresh peppers and tomatoes are a great addition to this dish.
Another thing about this Amish hearty breakfast casserole is that it is very versatile. You can make a veggie version or load it up with your favorite meats, like ham, bacon, ground beef, ground turkey, or sausage. If you are using bacon, cook bacon first before you add it to the casserole. Same for any of the other meats. You could even use some Amish chicken, although, to me, chicken and eggs aren't the best combinations for some reason. Or you can load it up with vegetables and meat like this ham version pictured, with fresh ham, homegrown onions, peppers, and tomatoes added. Some people add a cup of cottage cheese to the egg mixture for more texture, but I didn't do that, I think the bread is great texture on its own.
I debated whether to make this in deep casserole dish or a glass baking dish and ultimately chose the 9X13-inch baking dish. I just think it cuts into squares easier in the traditional glass pan. Use cooking spray on the pan for easier clean up.
I used Yoder's mild cheddar cheese, but you can use sharp cheddar cheese, swiss cheese, mozzarella, I mean there really are no rules other than your family's preferences.
This hearty Amish breakfast casserole recipe comes from Elizabeth Coblentz's The Original Amish Cook Cookbook published back in 1993. This, to me, is the gold standard of Christmas morning Amish breakfast casseroles, it is just this amazing blend of flavors. So good, and it cuts very well into squares and you can fill yourself up to your heart's delight.
I cut it neatly into squares which makes for easy serving.
Then I sprinkled mine with a bit of dill for some nice color and flavor. You can do the same. Season with salt and pepper and serve. Some Amish cooks like complement the savory casserole by serving something sweet like waffles and syrup on the side, but I think I'd be too full!
🥘Amish Hearty Breakfast Casserole Ingredients
- 8 slices of bread, cubed
- 6 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- ½ teaspoon dried mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 pound grated sharp cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup butter or margarine
- Optional-1 pound of sausage, fried and drained, or 1 pound of cubed ham, bacon, or your choice of veggies
📋 Casserole Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Put cubed bread in the bottom of a greased casserole dish or 9x13" baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, beat eggs and add milk, salt and dried mustard.
- Sprinkle sausage and cheese over the bread.
- Slice butter over the cheese, and pour the egg mixture over all.
- Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until golden brown.
🎅 More Amish Christmas Morning Favorites
Definitely a time for reflection, family, and a hearty meal, here are some of our favorites!
This is an amazing one!
Amazing waffles, put into a casserole, it is heaven!
Pile this on your plate!
Amazing breakfast!
🖨️Full Recipe
Amish Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 slices bread
- 2 cups milk
- ½ teaspoon dried mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 pound grated shredded Cheddar cheese
- ¼ pound butter
- 1 pound sausage fried and drained
- eggs 6 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Put cubed bread in the bottom of a greased casserole dish or 9x13" baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, beat eggs and add milk, salt and dried mustard.
- Sprinkle sausage and cheese over the bread.
- Slice butter over the cheese, and pour the egg mixture over all
- Bakefor 45 minutes to 1 hour, until golden brown
Merry Christmas to you and your family, Kevin. I know it will be real special this year.
Marilyn
I have been making this for over 45 years. It is best to let it set overnight so the bread has time to soak up the egg mixture before baking.
Definitely good advice, Dee, thanks!
It is great to serve when you have company staying overnight ... my daughter makes this New Years day for anyone that wasn't able to make it home through the night.
THanks for stopping by, Doni, yes, that is a great casserole for overnight guests!
I love this recipe. I found it a couple months ago and I've made it 8 times. My family really loves it and it is so easy to make. It has come out right everytime. Thank you so much for sharing.
Glad you like it, Cheryl, it is a good, classic recipe!
I made this once before, and really enjoyed it (as personal preference, I did go with ham instead of sausage, and added some onions.) This is delicious, and so simple!! I'll be taking it to an Easter breakfast at my church and am confident it will go ever well! Also planning on making it for houseguests the end of the month. Thanks for a great recipe!
Glad you liked it, Marissa, ham sounds like a good addition!