This everything bagel breakfast casserole combines bagels, everything bagel seasoning, bacon, eggs, and cream cheese to make the ultimate satisfying breakfast. You can prepare it the night before so it’s ready for a fresh & warm breakfast the next morning!
An egg breakfast casserole is the ultimate breakfast or brunch for entertaining because it feeds a crowd, is super satisfying, and you can prep it the night before. Last year we made this biscuit breakfast casserole with a side of fruit, bacon, and homemade cinnamon rolls, so this year let’s make something equally crowd-pleasing.
Let’s all make everything bagel breakfast casserole! This recipe is inspired by the breakfast bake in Chrissy Teigen’s cookbook Cravings: Hungry for More. Hers uses a slightly different ratio of ingredients, frozen spinach, and delicious Gruyรจre cheese.
This Everything Bagel Breakfast Casserole:
- Uses leftover everything bagels as the base
- Has extra everything bagel seasoning
- Combines bacon, eggs, & extra cheese
- Includes peppers & tomatoes for a fresh element
- And is topped with cream cheese before baking
And best part of all: This isn’t soft and runny like some egg casseroles or the inside of eggs benedictโit has texture!
Video Tutorial: How to make Everything Bagel Breakfast Casserole
Everything Bagel Breakfast Casserole Ingredients
- Everything Bagels: You can use homemade everything bagels, but store-bought is the easiest route. Cut 3 bagels into big bite-size pieces, then let them sit out overnight so they become a little stale. Day-old bagels have more texture and won’t become soggy and squishy in the egg mixture. If you’re in a time crunch, cut up fresh bagels and bake for 10 minutes so they firm up a bit.
- Everything Bagel Seasoning: You can purchase everything bagel seasoning from some stores, but it’s really easy to make it at home. Remember my everything bagel pull apart bread? We’re making the same stuff here. You need poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dried minced onion, dried garlic flakes, and coarse sea salt or flaky sea salt. If you don’t have these ingredients, don’t worryโthere’s enough seasoning on the bagels themselves.
- Salt, Pepper, & Ground Mustard: 3 key flavors to spice up this breakfast.
- Eggs: Eggs are the base of this egg casserole dish.
- Milk: Milk thins out the eggs. For best taste and texture, I recommend whole milk.
- Cheese: What cheese do you like best with these flavors? Use it here! I used a mix of smoked gouda and mozzarella. I love this combination of cheese in my BBQ chicken pizza, too. White cheddar cheese would be excellent too!
- Cream Cheese: What’s a bagel without cream cheese? Cut a brick of cream cheese into chunks and arrange it all over the top of the casserole right before baking. It adds the BEST flavor.
And Some Extras
- Cooked Bacon: Salty/savory bacon adds flavor to this dish. You can, of course, leave it meat-free or replace the bacon with cooked crumbled sausage. So it’s one less thing to do, you can cook and chop the bacon ahead of time.
- Tomatoes & Peppers: For a fresh element, add some peppers and tomatoes. Both work really well with the other ingredients in this dish. No need to pre-cook the peppers!
- Scallions: If desired, sprinkle the top of the baked casserole with chopped scallion.
Place the bagels, bacon, peppers, and tomatoes on the bottom:
Pour the egg, milk, and cheese mixture on top:
Top with everything bagel seasoning and cream cheese before baking:
Like I mention above, I love that this dish has texture. The bagels become a little crisp on top, while the bottom is a mixture of softer bagels and a scrambled egg texture. We also have those fresh vegetables, crisp bacon, creamy cream cheese topping, and crunchy seasoning. Before they even mentioned the flavor, my friends (trusty taste testers!) commented on the satisfying texture.
And, of course, the everything bagel flavor can’t be beat either.
After 1 taste, you’re going to immediately wonder where this breakfast has been all your life. It has everything (literally) and the leftovers taste equally amazing!
More Breakfast Recipes for a Crowd
- Homemade Monkey Bread
- Blueberry French Toast Casserole
- Quiche (a timeless favorite)
- Banana Muffins
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- Slow Cooker Cinnamon Rolls
- New York-style Crumb Cake
- Ham and Potato Casserole
- Easy Frittata Recipe (or a batch of Breakfast Egg Muffins!)
And if you are planning for a busy morning, see my complete list of make ahead breakfast ideas!
Print
Everything Bagel Breakfast Casserole
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
You can assemble this breakfast casserole the night before or quickly throw it together in the morning. Feel free to substitute the extras like bacon for sausage and use your favorite cheese!
Ingredients
- 3 day-old everything bagels*, cut into bite-size pieces (about 6 cups)
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 3/4 cup (113g) quartered cherry tomatoes (or chopped regular tomato)
- 6 slices cooked bacon, chopped
- 9 large eggs
- 1 and 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 and 1/2 cups shredded cheese*
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard*
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 ounces (170g) full-fat brickย cream cheese, cut into bite-size pieces
- optional for garnish: everything bagel seasoning and scallions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ยฐF (191ยฐC). Generously grease a 9ร13-inch baking pan or similar size (about 3-quart) casserole dish.
- Layer the bagel pieces, chopped pepper, tomatoes, and bacon into the dish. Whisk the eggs, milk, cheese, ground mustard, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl. Pour evenly over bagel mixture.
- Top evenly with pieces of cream cheese and sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning, if using.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes or until center is set and edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before topping with scallions (if using), slicing, and serving.
- Cover leftover casserole tightly and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Assemble the casserole through step 3, then cover tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Remove from the refrigerator, preheat the oven, then continue with step 4. You can also freeze the assembled uncooked casserole. Cover the casserole with plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, preheat the oven, then continue with step 4. You can also freeze the baked and cooled casserole.ย Cover the casserole with plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter or at room temperature and reheat to your liking.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9ร13-inch Baking Pan (or any similar 3-quart baking dish) | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk
- Bagels: So the bagels don’t become soggy, it’s best to use slightly stale bagels. Cut up the bagels the day before and let them sit out overnight. Or, if needed, use fresh bagels, cut them into the bite-size pieces needed for this recipe, and bake them on a baking sheet in a 350ยฐF (177ยฐC) oven for 10 minutes. They’ll be slightly crisp and ready to use in this recipe. No need to wait for them to cool before layering into the baking dish.
- Cheese: Use your favorite cheese here. I used a combination of freshly shredded mozzarella and smoked gouda. White cheddar, regular cheddar, or even pepper jack cheese. If using a strong cheese like feta cheese, I recommend combining it with another so the flavor isn’t overpowering.
- Ground Mustard: A common ingredient in cheesy egg dishes, this spice adds a sharp kick and depth of flavor. I don’t recommend skipping it.
- Everything Bagel Seasoning: Use everything bagel seasoning as garnish on top of the dish. You can purchase it at some grocery stores or make it at home. If you don’t have any, don’t worry about it. Or if you only have poppy seeds, garlic flakes, and/or sesame seeds, just sprinkle the dish with one or all of those. To make it yourself, combine 1 Tablespoonย poppy seeds, 1 Tablespoonย sesame seeds, 1ย and 1/2 teaspoonsย dried minced onion, 1ย and 1/2 teaspoonsย dried garlic flakes, and 1 teaspoonย coarse sea salt or flaky sea salt. You will have plenty leftover and it tastes great on pizza, potatoes, avocado toast, scrambled eggs, and focaccia.
- Cream Cheese: Cream cheese used for cooking and baking are sold in 8-ounce bricks. You need 6 ounces (170g) for this recipe. If you don’t feel like having 2 ounces leftover, just cut up the whole brick for this dish. You won’t regret a little extra cream cheese!
Recipe inspired by the bagel breakfast bake in Chrissy Teigen’s cookbook Cravings: Hungry for More
Reader Comments and Reviews
My family does not like cream cheese….can you believe it. However they do love everything bagels…any suggestions to add to the top besides cream cheese???
All of your recipes are amazing. Thank you for sharing
Hi Jeannie! Youโll lose a lot of flavor without the cream cheese here. You could leave it out, or try one of these other breakfast casseroles instead: breakfast strata, make-ahead breakfast casserole, biscuit breakfast casserole.
I made this for church brunch, and they almost licked the pan clean. Fabulous. Have made it sans bacon, then cooked a plate of sausage links ( conecuh,) so people could add to their serving if they chose. Fabulous!
Will croissants be a suitable substitution for the bagels?
Hi Wayne! The texture of the casserole will change quite a bit since croissants will soak up more liquid than bagels. We’re unsure of the exact results, but let us know if you give it a try! Croissant cubes could be great in our easy make-ahead breakfast casserole recipe as well ๐
Hi Sally,
This recipe was AMAZING and super yummy!
If I baked this the day before serving, what would be the best way to warm it up? Leave it in the pan I baked it in then warm it up in the oven? What temp? Or if I cut it up and put it in a Tupperware (for taking to the cabin) how would I warm it up for a crowd?
Iโm going to try this with gluten free bagels – Iโll let you know how it goes!
Hi Kelli, you can keep it in the pan you baked it in and then reheat at 350 degrees until warmed to your liking. Hope it’s a hit!
I break it up into pieces and heat mine up in the air fryer for 4 minutes at 360!
I made this this morning for Father’s Day, and all I can say is WOW! We loved it. So flavorful and filling. I will find many reasons to make this again. Thank you Sally for another great recipe!
Dear Sally,
I have used many of your delicious, super easy recipes and I just want to say Thank You! Seriously, Thank You for every word of your recipes, and making me realize that I can relax and not feel so uptight and worried that every dish I’m making will turn not out wonderful. They in fact do, and its many thanks to you!
Sincerely,
Shelley R.
Ontario, Canada
This casserole was AMAZING! Love love love! I used 4 homemade bagels and sharp cheddar, so good!
My family absolutely loved this for mother’s Day brunch. The only change I made was adding a handful of chopped spinach because I had some to use up, and using goat cheese instead of cream cheese. I mixed a few tablespoons of heavy cream into the cheese to get the consistency closer to cream cheese. I think the tang and the not-as-melty-ness gave it a little something extra. Will definitely make this again!
Hi Sally! Is there any reason I can’t use French bread or sourdough for this (like in your sweet French Toast bake recipes) to make a savoury French Toast Bake version? Thanks for all of your recipes and help!
Hi Sheryce, you could absolutely use French bread or sourdough in place of the bagels. Or you might enjoy this breakfast strata recipe, too!
This is the best recipe I ever done for cinammo rolls, thank you Sally
made this for family brunch and it got many compliments and requests for the recipe! I assembled it the night before and let it soak in the fridge overnight. I donโt like how bacon sometimes gets soggy in casseroles, so made it separately and I didnโt think it was lacking in flavor at all. I also added a little bit of thinly sliced red onion, but I donโt think it made a huge difference either way. Served with green onions and chopped fresh dill at the table for people to add as they wish.
I made this for new years brunch today and it was fantastic. You are right, even meatless this is really good! It was so easy to put together. Will make again.
Just made this recipe for the second time! Used a homemade brioche that had become stale instead of bagels, worked great! Served it with a side of sauteed spinach with garlic and red pepper flakes, really good combo.
How many whole bagels equals 6 cups?
Should be 3 bagels.
Hi Sally, do you have a suggestion for someone who canโt have eggs?
Hi Rachel, eggs are a key component of this casserole. We would search for an egg free recipe instead.
This was quite a hit when I had some friends over for lunch! Easy & delicious.
What would you recommend for sausage? Breakfast sausage links? Does it need to be cooked prior? Someone mentioned smoked salmon… would that need to be cooked prior? Thanks!
Hi Samantha, we recommend buying the kind of sausage that comes in a 16-ounce tube, like mild Italian sausage or similar. You can follow the cooking instructions from this breakfast casserole recipe. If you wanted to use smoked salmon, that does not need to be cooked. Enjoy!
Iโve made this recipe twice now, the first time with bacon and today with turkey sausage and Gruyรจre cheese. Itโs been a huge hit with my family both times, will definitely be making again!
Would using pumpkin spice bagels work and if so how would I adjust the recipe so as to not use peppers and tomatoes with the sweetness of pumpkin spice?
Hi Jami, if using pumpkin spice bagels, we’d recommend one of our sweet breakfast casseroles instead. It would be fantastic in place of the bread in this pumpkin French toast casserole or this baked cream cheese French toast casserole.
Hi! I’m interested in making this but I’m not a fan of cream cheese, anything I could use as a replacement?
Hi Spencer, you’ll lose a lot of flavor without the cream cheese here. You could leave it out, or try one of these other breakfast casseroles instead: breakfast strata, make-ahead breakfast casserole, biscuit breakfast casserole.
Does this freeze well?
Hi Nancy, Yes! You can freeze the baked and cooled casserole. See the recipe notes for make ahead instructions for more details!
I really wanted to learn more about this recipe but my experience on the site is dreadful. This page is so inundated with ads popping up everywhere the page isn’t loading properly. It makes me far less interested in exploring your content. I don’t know if user experience matters to you – if it does I hope you’ll reconsider how your site is set up. Thank you.
I wa wondering if youโd ever tried this with some smoked salmon I place of the bacon?
Hi Jenifer, we haven’t, but it sounds delicious! Let us know if you give it a try.
I made this twice now. Once with smoked salmon and once with smoked trout as my family are pescatarian. Then I served it with some slice onion pickled in apple cider vinegar as well as some capers. It was a huge hit. Especially the smoked trout which is a much more robust flavor than the smoked salmon
I think youโre the only one getting ads & having trouble on the site. Thatโs never happened to me or anyone I know that uses this site. Sallyโs page & content is perfect!
Dear Karen(Kim) did you know that you could print this recipe out and there are no pop-up on the printed recipe. Sally needs to be compensated for her time, this is how we get such delicious recipes for us to enjoy that are FREE!
I only have plain bagels, but I do have bagel everything seasoning, do you think it would work to use plain bagels and more of the seasoning? If so, how much more? Or should I just go buy new bagels? I already cut them up and have them sitting and then it dawned on me that I bought the wrong ones.
Hi Ann, you can definitely do that.
Just made two of these for brunch – used bacon, sun-dried tomatoes and sliced bella mushrooms (pre-sautรฉed to remove the water) for one, and the other minus the bacon – got lots of compliments! I have a 3-inch deep, 9×7 glass dish, which made for a much longer cooking time (maybe mushrooms also affected it). I cooked them maybe 50 mins or so with the glass cover, and then a good 30 mins + uncovered for it to really set. Just relied on my nose and eyes, though, and it all went fine! I appreciate this being a โmix it all togetherโ rather than real layers-strata approach. Less fiddly and tastes great!
Can I slightly toast fresh bagels to use in this recipe? Will that work? Tks
Hi Veronica, Yes! If youโre in a time crunch, cut up fresh bagels and bake for 10 minutes so they firm up a bit.