Egg and Bacon Casserole with no bread is a simple breakfast bake: eggs whisked with whole milk, salt and pepper, stirred together with crumbled bacon and shredded cheddar, and baked in a 9×13-inch dish until set and lightly golden. There’s no bread, no potatoes and no crust, just eggs, bacon and cheese. It takes about 15 minutes of prep and 35 minutes in the oven, plus a short rest, and cuts into 8 squares.
How to make it: Cook the bacon until crisp and crumble it. Whisk 8 eggs with the milk, salt and pepper, stir in the bacon and cheddar, and pour it into a greased 9×13-inch dish. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, until the eggs are set and the center reads 165°F, then let it rest before cutting.
Why You’ll Love It
- No bread or potatoes: just eggs, bacon and cheese.
- Six ingredients: eggs, milk, bacon, cheddar, salt and pepper.
- Cuts into clean squares: easy to serve at brunch or pack for later.
- Good for meal prep: slice it, refrigerate it and reheat a square in the morning.
How to Make an Egg Casserole Without Bread
Most breakfast casseroles sit on a layer of bread, biscuits, hash browns or tater tots. This one skips all of that. The eggs and milk bake into a tender, sliceable base on their own, and the bacon and cheddar are stirred right into it. The only thing to prepare ahead is the bacon: cook it crisp, drain it and crumble it before it goes into the eggs.
Ingredient Notes
Eggs: 8 large eggs.
Whole milk: 1 cup.
Bacon: 6 slices, cooked crisp, drained and crumbled.
Cheddar cheese: 1 cup, shredded. Extra sharp cheddar has the most flavor; Colby Jack, Swiss, pepper jack or mozzarella also work.
Salt and pepper: 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper.
Nonstick cooking spray: for the baking dish.
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Nonstick cooking spray, for the baking dish
How to Make Egg and Bacon Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F and coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Cook the bacon. Cook the 6 slices of bacon in a skillet until crisp. Drain on paper towels, let cool, then crumble.
3. Whisk the eggs. In a large bowl, whisk the 8 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until well combined.
4. Add the bacon and cheese. Stir in the crumbled bacon and 1 cup shredded cheddar.
5. Fill the dish. Pour the egg mixture into the prepared dish and spread it evenly.
6. Bake. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the eggs are set, the top is lightly golden brown and the center reads 165°F on a food thermometer.
7. Rest and cut. Let the casserole sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then cut into squares and serve.
How to Tell When It’s Done
Look for three signs:
- The eggs are set. The middle shouldn’t jiggle, and it should spring back when you touch it lightly.
- The top is lightly golden. A little color on top is what you want.
- The center reads 165°F. Egg dishes need at least 160°F and casseroles 165°F, so the center of the dish should hit 165°F on a food thermometer.
Then give it 5 to 10 minutes on the counter. The squares cut more cleanly once it has rested.
Variations
- Richer: use heavy cream in place of the milk and dot the top with cubes of cream cheese.
- With vegetables: cook diced onion, red and green bell peppers and a little garlic in the bacon pan, let them cool and stir them into the eggs. Broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms or spinach work too.
- Sausage: use crumbled cooked breakfast sausage in place of the bacon.
- Turkey bacon: it works, but with less fat you may need a tablespoon of olive oil in the pan for any vegetables.
- Want a base? For a version on biscuits, try our bacon, egg and cheese biscuit casserole. For a potato base, make the bacon egg and hash brown casserole.
Make Ahead & Storage
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow covered containers. They keep 3 to 4 days, not all week.
Meal prep: Cut the casserole into individual squares before storing so you can grab one at a time.
Freezer: Freeze squares for 3 to 4 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator, never on the counter, or reheat straight from frozen, allowing about one and a half times as long.
Reheating: Reheat covered in the oven or microwave until it reaches 165°F. Don’t reheat leftovers in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Serve it with sliced avocado, roasted tomatoes or fresh fruit. On a brunch buffet, don’t leave it out for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it’s above 90°F); put out a few squares at a time and keep the rest in the refrigerator. For a bigger brunch spread, add easy sausage breakfast muffins or a homestyle bacon and cheese quiche. More breakfast casseroles: sausage, egg and cream cheese hash brown casserole and breakfast casserole with tater tots and sausage.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make an egg casserole without bread?
Whisk eggs with milk, salt and pepper, stir in cooked crumbled bacon and cheddar, and bake in a greased 9×13-inch dish at 350°F until set and 165°F in the center.
How do I know when the egg casserole is done?
The eggs are set, the top is lightly golden and the center reads 165°F on a food thermometer.
How long does it keep?
Covered in the refrigerator, 3 to 4 days. Freeze squares for 3 to 4 months.
Can I add vegetables?
Yes. Cook onion, peppers, broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms or spinach first, let them cool, and stir them into the eggs.
Final Notes
Bake it on Sunday and you have breakfast squares ready for the next few mornings. If you try it with sausage or vegetables, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Egg and Bacon Casserole
Want This Recipe Later?
We'll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Ingredients
- 8 eggs large
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper ground
- 6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- nonstick cooking spray for the baking dish
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F and coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cook the 6 slices of bacon in a skillet until crisp. Drain on paper towels, let cool, then crumble.
- In a large bowl, whisk the 8 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until well combined.
- Stir in the crumbled bacon and 1 cup shredded cheddar.
- Pour the egg mixture into the prepared dish and spread it evenly.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the eggs are set, the top is lightly golden brown and the center reads 165°F on a food thermometer.
- Let the casserole sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then cut into squares and serve.
