🍪 Make-ahead Christmas breakfast bake: sausage, egg and cheese
Prep: 25 min · Cook: 45 min · Makes: 6-8
Christmas morning is not the moment to be standing at the hob frying eggs for eight. This breakfast bake does all its work the night before: you layer bread, sausages and cheese in a dish, pour over an eggy custard, and leave it in the fridge.
Next morning it goes straight into the oven, and by the time the stockings have been emptied and the wrapping paper has been gathered up, breakfast is ready.
Why it works
Day-old bread soaks up the egg overnight and bakes up like a savoury bread pudding: soft in the middle, crisp and cheesy on top. It is filling enough to keep everyone going until the big lunch, without anyone missing the stocking opening.
Tips
- Stale is good. Fresh bread goes soggy. If yours is fresh, dry the chunks in a low oven for 10 minutes first.
- Season well. Eggs and bread need a good pinch of salt.
- Check the middle. Ovens vary: give it 5 more minutes if the centre still wobbles.
Variations
- Smoked salmon and chive: no sausages or mustard; fold in 150 g smoked salmon and chopped chives, and serve with lemon.
- Ham and leek: use leftover ham from Christmas Eve with a softened leek.
- Sweet version: brioche, a little sugar and cinnamon in the egg, and berries on top, for a Christmas French toast bake.
Ingredients
- 6 pork or vegetarian sausages (about 400 g)
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 300 g day-old crusty bread, torn into chunks
- 150 g mature Cheddar, grated
- 4 spring onions, sliced
- 150 g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 8 medium eggs
- 450 ml whole milk
- 1 tsp English mustard
- salt and black pepper
- butter, for greasing
Method
- On Christmas Eve: heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the sausages for 12-15 minutes, turning, until browned and cooked through. Let them cool a little, then slice into chunks.
- Butter a baking dish of about 20 x 30 cm. Scatter in half the bread, then half the sausages, spring onions and cheese. Repeat with the rest, keeping a handful of cheese back.
- Whisk the eggs, milk and mustard with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Pour it evenly over the bread and press down gently so everything is soaked.
- Dot the tomatoes on top and scatter over the last of the cheese. Cover with cling film or foil and refrigerate overnight (up to 24 hours).
- On Christmas morning: take the dish out of the fridge while the oven heats to 180°C (160°C fan, gas mark 4). Remove the cover.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until puffed, golden and set in the middle. A knife pushed into the centre should come out without any runny egg.
- Leave to stand for 5 minutes, then cut into squares and serve.
Questions
Can I make it vegetarian?
Yes. Use vegetarian sausages, or swap them for 250 g of sautéed mushrooms and a handful of spinach.
Can I freeze it?
It is best made fresh, but leftovers freeze well in portions for up to a month. Reheat in the oven until piping hot.
What should I serve with it?
A bowl of fruit, some yoghurt and a pot of tea or coffee is plenty. It is quite filling, with a big lunch still to come.