What are you planning for Christmas breakfast? Hopefully not some ho-hum breakfast casserole!
My Overnight Croissant Breakfast Bake will take your Christmas celebration to a new level. Instead of using flat, ordinary pieces of bread try using croissants to create a bread pudding-type texture for your special holiday breakfast.
The beauty of this dish is, it can be made ahead and tucked away in your fridge for Christmas morning. All you have to do on the 25th is pull it out of the fridge and bake. I love to serve it with a simple berry coffee cake, fresh fruit, hot cocoa and juices.
It’s so good, my kids have been known to forget about opening presents until noon.
Serious.
Overnight Croissant Breakfast Bake
Ingredients
- 4-6 large croissants day old are best
- 1 lb Italian or spicy sausage you may use more if desired
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 1-2 cups fresh spinach
- 2 cups grated Cheddar Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Mozzarella, or a combo
- 12 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups half and half
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper ground pepper
Instructions
-
Grease a 9×13 or large casserole dish.
-
Tear the croissants into large chunks and lay in pan close together. The rolls should cover the bottom of the pan.
-
Brown the sausage in a Teflon frying pan, drain grease and place cooked sausage in a dish lined with paper towels to collect any extra grease. Press the paper towels around the sausage to squeeze out any remaining grease. Pour the meat on top of the croissants in dish, distribute evenly.
-
Using the pan the meat was cooked in, wipe out pan with a paper towel and place the pan back on the stove at medium high heat. Cook the chopped onion for about 5 minutes or until softened, add one tablespoon oil or butter if needed. Add spinach to pan and cook just until the spinach is wilted. Pour cooked onions and spinach over top of sausage. Top with grated cheese.
-
Beat the eggs and half and half together in a blender or bowl. Add the dry mustard, salt and pepper.
-
Pour this mixture over the rolls in the pan. Cover with foil that has been greased (on side facing eggs) and store overnight in refrigerator.
-
The next morning, remove casserole from fridge, preheat oven to 375 and place rack in middle of oven.
-
Bake covered for 30 minutes, then carefully remove foil and bake until top is slightly puffed and custard is set in center, about 30 minutes more.
-
Let cool for about 10 minutes, cut into 12 squares and serve immediately with chili sauce and or salsa.
Recipe Notes
-The meat may be cooked and kept in fridge for up to three days before assembling. Or you may cook meat and freeze ahead of time.
){kind=link}
Made this a few days after Christmas but used kale since I had no spinach. Amazing recipe! I even used it as inspiration to make mini muffin portions for an office breakfast. Thank you!
I have made this several times and each time it just gets better and better! I added some bacon in the last time and only did 1 cup of onion and my husband said it was the best one yet because, who doesn’t love bacon?
Exactly, Brenna! Bacon makes everything better and I love that idea of adding it to this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
xo
Si
Would crescent rolls be an ok substitute for croissants? Can’t wait to make this!
Can I use breakfast sausage instead?
Yes! I assume you mean link sausage? Any type of meat will work in this recipe. Hope this helps!
Made this for another successful holiday breakfast from A Bountiful Kitchen! Any recipe that I choose from this website has been a hit!! This Christmas we did the Overnight Breakfast Berry Bake With Caramel Syrup and Overnight Croissant Breakfast Bake. Sooooo delicious!! She truly has a gift of making easy recipes that are amazing and make average cooks like me look good every time!
Hi Kelly, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, and that Berry Bake is a perfect way to compliment the savory in this dish. Thank you for sharing and for reading ABK!
xo
Si