Cornbread Breakfast Casserole turns leftover cornbread into a hearty egg bake: cubes of cornbread and browned breakfast sausage soaked in a milk-and-egg custard, topped with cheddar and baked until the top turns golden and the cheese melts. It is a little sweet and a little savory, it makes 12 servings from one 9×13-inch dish, and it suits a weekend brunch as well as a busy weekday morning.
How to make it: Layer 4 cups of cubed cornbread and browned, drained sausage in a greased 9×13-inch dish, pour on 6 eggs beaten with 2 cups of milk, scatter the cheddar over the top and bake at 375°F for 30 to 35 minutes, until the egg in the middle is set.
Why You’ll Love It
- A second life for leftover cornbread: the last few pieces of a pan become a full breakfast.
- Feeds a crowd: one dish makes 12 servings.
- Make-ahead friendly: put it together the night before and bake it in the morning.
- Reheats well: leftover squares warm up fast in the microwave for weekday breakfasts.
Ingredient Notes
Cornbread: Four cups, cut into cubes about 1 inch across or broken into large crumbles. What kind to use, and what to do when you have none left over, is covered further down.
Breakfast sausage: Sixteen ounces of bulk sausage. Cook it through in the skillet before the casserole goes together, because raw meat will not cook all the way through in the bake.
Eggs and milk: Six large eggs beaten with 2 cups of milk, salt and pepper. This is the custard that soaks into the cornbread.
Cheddar: One cup, grated. Coarsely grated extra-sharp cheddar works well, and Monterey Jack or a Mexican cheese blend can take its place.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces bulk breakfast sausage
- 2 cups milk
- 6 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups cornbread, cubed (leftover, sweet or savory)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
How to Make Cornbread Breakfast Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Brown the sausage. Brown the sausage in a skillet until it is cooked through and reaches 160°F on a food thermometer. Drain off any excess grease and set it aside.
3. Beat the eggs. In a medium bowl, beat the milk, eggs, salt and pepper together.
4. Layer the cornbread and sausage. Spread the cubed cornbread in an even layer in the dish and sprinkle the sausage over it.
5. Add the eggs and cheese. Pour the egg mixture over the cornbread and sausage and top with the cheddar.
6. Bake. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the center is just set and a food thermometer in the center reads 165°F. Eggs are safe at 160°F; a casserole needs 165°F.
7. Rest and cut. Let the casserole cool for 10 minutes, then cut it into squares and serve.
Leftover Cornbread or a Box of Corn Muffin Mix?
Leftover cornbread is the easy route, and the amount does not have to be exact. Anywhere from 3 to 5 cups of cubes works in the 9×13-inch dish, so use what the pan left you.
Fresh or stale. Soft, fresh cornbread needs no long soak and can go straight into the oven. If yours is dry or stale, give it more time: cover the assembled dish and let it soak in the refrigerator for about an hour before baking. If the cubes float when the egg mixture goes in, press them gently down into it.
No leftovers? Bake a pan first. A fresh 8×8-inch pan of cornbread gives about 4 to 5 cups of cubes, which covers the recipe.
Or skip the cornbread and use a box of mix. A box of corn muffin mix can go straight into the custard as a batter. Whisk one 8.5-ounce box with 2 cups of half-and-half until smooth, then whisk in 6 large eggs and salt. Stir in 4 ounces of bacon, cooked crisp and finely chopped, 1/2 cup of coarsely grated extra-sharp cheddar, 1/2 cup of chopped pickled jalapeños (drained and patted dry) and 2 tablespoons of chopped chives. Scrape it into a well-greased 13×9-inch dish and bake it on the middle rack at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until slightly puffed and set in the middle, using the same thermometer check as step 6. Let it cool 10 to 15 minutes before cutting.
| Leftover cornbread | Box of corn muffin mix | |
|---|---|---|
| Base | 4 cups cubed cornbread | One 8.5-ounce box, whisked in |
| Liquid | 2 cups milk, 6 large eggs | 2 cups half-and-half, 6 large eggs |
| Meat | 16 ounces breakfast sausage | 4 ounces bacon |
| Oven | 375°F, 30 to 35 minutes | 350°F, 25 to 30 minutes |
| Rest | 10 minutes | 10 to 15 minutes |
Tips for Success
Can I make a smaller pan?
Yes. Halve every ingredient and bake it in an 8-inch square pan. The bake time barely changes, but start checking about 5 minutes early.
How much should the middle jiggle?
Very little. When it is ready, the top is golden and the egg is set; a slight wobble when you gently shake the dish is fine once it passes the thermometer check in step 6. Then give it the full rest before you cut.
Variations
- Bacon or ham: use crumbled bacon or cubes of ham in place of the sausage.
- Meatless: leave the meat out; the eggs keep it hearty on their own.
- Add vegetables: cook them first, then layer them in with the cornbread. Diced onions, sweet peppers, zucchini or squash, kale or spinach, asparagus, mushrooms or extra corn all work, as do your favorite omelet fillings.
- Goat cheese and red pepper: scatter a diced roasted red pepper and sliced green onions over the cornbread and dollop herbed goat cheese on top instead of the cheddar.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days. To freeze, wrap individual squares and freeze them for 3 to 4 months, then thaw them in the refrigerator. Reheat squares covered in the microwave until they reach 165°F. Skip the slow cooker for reheating.
What to Serve With It
Set out salsa and chopped chives for spooning over the squares, and a little maple syrup for anyone who likes a sweet finish. For a bigger brunch spread, add overnight crème brûlée French toast and a batch of easy sausage breakfast muffins for grab-and-go plates. If you like egg bakes on a bread base, try the bacon, egg and cheese biscuit casserole. For potato-based breakfast casseroles, there is the sausage, egg and cream cheese hash brown casserole, the breakfast casserole with tater tots and sausage and the bacon, egg and hash brown casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I assemble cornbread breakfast casserole the night before?
Yes. Put it together in the dish, cover it and refrigerate it overnight, then bake it in the morning until the egg is set. Keep it in the refrigerator the whole time; an assembled egg casserole should never sit on the counter overnight.
What are some common mistakes to avoid when making breakfast casseroles?
Three to watch: putting vegetables in raw instead of sautéing or cooking them first, adding pickled jalapeños without draining them and patting them dry, and cutting the casserole straight out of the oven instead of letting it cool first.
Is cornbread breakfast casserole sweet?
A little. It is a little bit sweet and a little bit savory, and both sweet, cakey cornbread and savory cornbread work in it.
Can I use regular bread along with the cornbread?
Yes. A combination of bread cubes and cornbread cubes works, which helps when there is not quite enough cornbread left in the pan.
Final Notes
Leftover squares reheat well, so one pan can cover several breakfasts. If you have a question or make this, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Cornbread Breakfast Casserole
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Ingredients
- 16 ounces bulk breakfast sausage
- 2 cups milk
- 6 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups cornbread cubed; leftover, sweet or savory
- 1 cup cheddar cheese grated
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Brown the sausage in a skillet until it is cooked through and reaches 160°F on a food thermometer. Drain off any excess grease and set it aside.
- In a medium bowl, beat the milk, eggs, salt and pepper together.
- Spread the cubed cornbread in an even layer in the dish and sprinkle the sausage over it.
- Pour the egg mixture over the cornbread and sausage and top with the cheddar.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the center is just set and a food thermometer in the center reads 165°F. Eggs are safe at 160°F; a casserole needs 165°F.
- Let the casserole cool for 10 minutes, then cut it into squares and serve.
