Put four favorite breakfast ingredients – ham, eggs, cheese and bread – into one dish and you have the perfect morning wake-up call for a house full of guests.
Depending on what part of the country you’re from, you might think of this as savory bread pudding, breakfast strata, or breakfast casserole.
No matter what you call it, this hearty make-ahead breakfast has everything going for it!
This casserole is made by layering triangles of white bread in a dish with diced ham, sliced tomatoes, and grated cheese. Pour some eggs whisked with milk over top, then send it to the fridge overnight.
What happens as the casserole sits is like magic.
The bread absorbs all the liquid, like a sponge. When baked, the top forms a delicious eggy crust while the middle stays soft and chewy. It’s rich with tomatoes and melted cheese, and a little smoky from the ham.
Squares of this casserole slice neatly and lift from the pan cleanly. The individual layers look so impressive when served!
Depending on what part of the country you’re from, you might think of this as savory bread pudding, breakfast strata, or breakfast casserole.
No matter what you call it, this hearty make-ahead breakfast has everything going for it!
This casserole is made by layering triangles of white bread in a dish with diced ham, sliced tomatoes, and grated cheese. Pour some eggs whisked with milk over top, then send it to the fridge overnight.
What happens as the casserole sits is like magic.
The bread absorbs all the liquid, like a sponge. When baked, the top forms a delicious eggy crust while the middle stays soft and chewy. It’s rich with tomatoes and melted cheese, and a little smoky from the ham.
Squares of this casserole slice neatly and lift from the pan cleanly. The individual layers look so impressive when served!
Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole Recipe
Look for loaves of bread at the store marked "toasting." These are generally firmer than other loaves of white sandwich bread. (And if you can't find toasting bread, just buy sandwich bread that seems fairly firm and substantial.)
If the tomatoes at the store don't look ripe, it's fine to skip them for this recipe.
You can substitute another melting cheese in place of the cheddar, if you want, like Swiss cheese or Monterey jack.
If the tomatoes at the store don't look ripe, it's fine to skip them for this recipe.
You can substitute another melting cheese in place of the cheddar, if you want, like Swiss cheese or Monterey jack.
Ingredients
- Butter (for the dish)
- 1 loaf sliced white toasting bread
- 3/4 pound mild cheddar, grated
- 8 small tomatoes, or 16 cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 thick slice (3/4 pound) flavorful baked ham, cut into 1/4-inch dice (About 2 1/2 cups diced)
- 10 large eggs
- 3 cups whole milk
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Read More: Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole
