This bacon, cheddar, and egg casserole for a crowd is a definite crowd pleaser. Perfect on special occasions like Christmas, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Easter, baby and wedding showers, or when hosting guests!
Bacon! Need I say more? We love bacon and this easy breakfast casserole is loaded! This dish is the perfect addition to any brunch table or a casual dinner with a fresh green salad and some artisan French bread.
Need an easy breakfast for a group? This bacon and egg casserole for a crowd recipe yields 15 generous pieces. Need to serve more? No problem! Just use the 2x or 3x button in the recipe card to easily adjust the number of servings for larger gatherings.
Jump to:
- Basic ingredients
- Types of egg casseroles
- How to make an egg casserole for a crowd
- Equipment we used
- Favorite riffs and substitutions
- Make ahead tips
- Baking the egg casserole
- How to serve this casserole
- Saving Leftovers
- Other favorite breakfast recipes for large groups
- Some common FAQ's
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments & Reviews
Basic ingredients
- Bacon. Crispy bacon and lots of it is what make this dish one of our favorites!
- Eggs. Since we are loaded with bacon we plan 1 egg per serving.
- Cream. This helps achieve a creamier texture when baking eggs in the oven.
- Cheese. We used shredded cheddar cheese in this recipe but goat cheese, gruyere, or cream cheese are equally delicious.
See recipe below for full ingredient list and quantities.
Try one of our favorite breakfast breads with this dish.
Blueberry Coffee Cake.
Types of egg casseroles
What's the difference between an egg casserole, quiche, strata, and a frittata?
They are all VERY similar. They can all have additional ingredients like veggies, meats (cooked in advance), and cheese in them. Here are the main differences between each.
- Breakfast egg casseroles are assembled, put into a casserole dish, and then cooked completely in the oven. Veggies might be roasted or sautéd before adding to the egg mixture, but the eggs are cooked entirely in the oven.
- Quiche has a crust on the bottom (like a pie crust). The egg mixture, which can sometimes be more custard like, is poured into the crust and baked.
- Strata usually has a layer of bread on the bottom of the dish with the egg mixture poured over the top and then baked.
- Frittatas start cooking on the stove top when the eggs are poured into a hot skillet and then placed into the oven to finish cooking. Frittatas cook much faster than casseroles, quiches, or stratas.
How to make an egg casserole for a crowd
Breakfast casseroles are one of our favorite go-to dishes for larger groups or company. They are fast and easy to put together, versatile (add the ingredients you like), and delicious! There are really only 3 steps to making this egg casserole for a crowd.
- Mix the eggs with cream, salt, and pepper and whisk until well mixed.
- Stir in the add-ins; green onion, cheddar cheese, crispy bacon and stir to combine.
- Melt butter in a casserole dish, pour in the egg mixture, and bake.
Equipment we used
We recommend using a glass or ceramic pan for best results (we used a 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish.) Eggs can react with aluminum pans, causing them to turn green over time. An aluminum pan is okay if the eggs are going to be baked, cut, and served on a platter. However, if you plan to serve the eggs on a buffet where they will sit in the baking pan it's best to avoid using aluminum to avoid any discoloration. If you do use an aluminum pan and the eggs do turn green, they are still safe to eat, although they may not look as appealing.
If you plan on scaling up this breakfast casserole recipe, you have the option of using multiple pans or one larger pan. However, if you opt for a larger baking dish, ensure that it's not just deeper, as you want a maximum thickness of 2 inches for the uncooked egg mixture. Anything thicker might need more time to bake and could potentially cook unevenly in the center of the dish. Keep in mind that the baking time may vary based on the size of pan you use, so be sure to check it accordingly.
Favorite riffs and substitutions
This is a great base recipe and so easy to make your own!
- Use leftover bacon. We have also been known to make extra bacon just so we can make this the next day.
- Substitute onions, shallots, or leeks for the green onions.
- Add some vegetables like broccoli, zucchini, bell peppers, or spinach.
- Spice it up with some jalapeño peppers or hot sauce.
- For a vegetarian option use a meat substitute like Beyond Meat.
- Substitute sausage or ham for the bacon.
- We like cream the best but milk or half-and-half also work.
- Use goat cheese, shredded white cheddar cheese, cream cheese, or gruyere cheese instead of shredded cheddar cheese.
- Add some diced fresh tomatoes, arugula, or chopped parsley on top of the casserole right before serving.
Make ahead tips
This recipe is a great make-ahead breakfast casserole. There are a few ways to do this, select the option that works best for you.
- Fully bake the casserole. Let casserole cool completely, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 months. Reheat to serve. NOTE: If time is of the essence in the morning, this would be the fastest option.
- Mix the casserole the night before, cover and place in the refrigerator before baking. Remove baking dish from the fridge in the morning and let it come to room temperature while the oven heats up. Bake according to recipe instructions. Serve. If the casserole is still chilled, the baking time may need to increase slightly.
NOTE: Do not place a cold dish - especially glass or ceramic - into a hot oven, as the temperature difference can cause the dish to break. - Prep each step of the recipe but don't assemble the casserole until morning. Place each component; whisked eggs and cream, crispy bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, and sliced green onions, in individual airtight containers and store them in the fridge. In the morning turn the oven on to preheat, remove each individual component from the fridge, assemble the casserole and bake for the recommended time. This approach eliminates concerns about placing cold dishes in a hot oven and it ensures the cooking time stays consistent with what's specified in the recipe.
Reheating tips
- If frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge.
- When ready to reheat, remove from the fridge while you pre-heat your oven to 350°F.
- For the entire casserole, let it come to room temperature first. Cover the dish and place in a 350°F oven for 20-30 minutes or until warmed through.
- Do not place a cold dish - especially glass or ceramic - into a hot oven, as the temperature difference can cause the dish to break.
- If reheating individual pieces, it will not take as long as a whole casserole so check it after about 10 minutes and then every 5 minutes after.
- You can also reheat individual pieces in the microwave. Just be careful not to heat too long as the eggs can become tough and rubbery.
- For food safety, the USDA recommends the internal temperature of the eggs should reach 165°F when reheating them.
Baking the egg casserole
Covering the baking dish prevents the top of this breakfast casserole from getting over-browned. If you like the top nice and brown then leave uncovered. Less brown, leave covered longer.
PRO TIP: We don't like using single use items (like foil or plastic wrap) in the kitchen. Whenever possible we use a cookie sheet as a cover for baking dishes instead of foil. It doesn't have to fit tight, just cover the top.
How to serve this casserole
Cutting
This casserole yields 15 generous sized pieces. It can be cut into whatever size you like. We have cut it into the following sizes:
- 15 generous sized pieces (3" x 2.5" ish)
- 18 good sized pieces (2.25" x 2+" ish)
- 24 pieces (2" x 2" ish)
- 48 pieces for appetizer buffets (1" x 1" ish)
Side dishes
This is great for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and even dinner. Add some easy biscuits, coffee cake, muffins, scones, mixed green salad, or fresh fruit for a satisfying meal.
Saving Leftovers
The FDA recommends discarding any perishable food that has been out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
If you are within the FDA recommendations, this casserole is great for leftovers. Let cool and store in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave and serve.
Other favorite breakfast recipes for large groups
Some common FAQ's
Yes! You can freeze baked egg casseroles Store in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and follow the reheating instructions listed in the post above.
Yes. You can bake this in advance and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Mix the ingredients together, cover, and store, unbaked, in the fridge overnight. You can also prep this the day before and store components in individual containers, assemble, and bake in the morning. See post above for more details.
📖 Recipe
Bacon Cheddar Egg Casserole for a Crowd
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 15-18 pieces 1x
Description
This bacon, cheddar, and egg casserole for a crowd is definite crowd pleaser. Perfect on special occasions like Christmas, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Easter, baby and wedding showers, or when hosting guests! Gluten Free.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds bacon (about 12 ounces cooked)
- 15 eggs
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 6 ounces (1 ½ cups) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- ¼ cup diced green onions
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Cook bacon by your preferred method. We cut ours into pieces and bake in the oven at 425°F until crispy. It usually takes about 20 minutes.
- Once bacon is done, remove from the pan, drain and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Combine eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl and whisk until well combined.
- Add diced green onion and ⅔ of the cheese to the egg mixture and stir.
- Chop crispy bacon into smaller pieces (if baked as strips) and mix into the egg mixture.
- Add butter to a 13 x 9 casserole dish. Place in the preheated oven for 2-3 minutes until butter is melted. Carefully remove from oven and tip the baking dish to coat the dish with the melted butter.
- Pour egg, cheese, and bacon mixture into the casserole dish. Top with the remaining ⅓ shredded cheese.
- Carefully place the casserole dish into the preheated oven and cover the dish with a sheet pan or foil.
- Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes remove the cover and continue baking another 15-20 minutes until done. The casserole is done when the internal temperature reaches at lest 165F or a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Cut into squares (garnish with chopped parsley if desired) and serve.
Notes
Riffs and substitutions. Add more or less bacon based on preferences. Toss in some veggies like peppers, mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, asparagus. Add some tomatoes, arugula, or chopped parsley to the top before serving. Mix in some fresh or dried herbs to the egg mixture. Substitute goat cheese, white cheddar cheese, or gruyere cheese for the cheddar cheese.
Serving. Cut this into whatever size pieces you like; we get 15 generous sized pieces, 18 good sized pieces, or 24-2x2(ish) pieces. Serve with biscuits, muffins, scones, fresh fruit, or mixed green salad.
When is the casserole done? Use a thermometer to confirm the internal temperature is at least 165°F. You can also use a knife test to see if it is done. Insert a knife into the middle of the casserole and it should come out clean if it is done. NOTE: if there are a lot of mix-ins (cheese, veggies) the knife may not come out clean. You want to make sure it doesn't come out with any egg on it.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece
- Calories: 167
- Sugar: 0.5 g
- Sodium: 329.1 mg
- Fat: 13.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Protein: 9.5 g
- Cholesterol: 210.5 mg
Mike says
Had guests staying at our house for a while and wanted to do a nice breakfast with them, this definitely hit the spot. Everyone got as much as they wanted and I didn't have to spend too much time making something in the kitchen so a win-win!
Rhonda says
We also love how easy this is to make and serve. Glad it worked out for you and your guests!