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 Gruyère 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 benedict—it 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 worry—there’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 brick cream cheese, cut into bite-size pieces
- optional for garnish: everything bagel seasoning and scallions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C). Generously grease a 9×13-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. 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): 9×13-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 350°F (177°C) 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 Tablespoon poppy seeds, 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons dried minced onion, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons dried garlic flakes, and 1 teaspoon 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
Wonderful! Easy! Delicious! Husband said this is the best that he’s had in a bit.
This recipe sounds wonderful but can I cut it in half? Just 2 people here.
Hi Elizabeth! You can halve this recipe for a 9×9 inch pan.
Looks so yummy- will try next week.
Videos are great and thanks for adding the “switch” to keep screen on recipe- so helpful!!
Would chicken sausage work in place of bacon?
Absolutely.
This looks delicious! Several members of my family sadly do not like tomatoes. Any suggestions for substitutions?
Hi Nancy, feel free to swap with another favorite vegetable instead. Hope it’s a hit!
I made this today for a women’s breakfast and everyone loved it!! I used ham instead of bacon, and our store only had onion bagels (so I was very liberal with adding the “Everything” seasoni on top!).
This is the best casserole! I have made it for my family and several group breakfasts and get nothing but rave reviews.
I’d really like to make this, and love leftovers, but am concerned about it becoming soggy, due to the tomatoes. Do you drain them first? Thanks so much!
Hi Terry, we use fresh cherry tomatoes here. You could also use a chopped fresh regular tomato. If you’d like to use canned tomatoes, you will want to drain them and possibly even blot them dry before adding. Hope you enjoy!
How do you reheat this without making it dried up? Delish made last night. Worries about reheat
Hi Crissy, this is a great make ahead recipe and reheats wonderfully (we usually reheat individual pieces in the microwave). Make sure to cover tightly when storing, and there shouldn’t be any issues with it drying out. So glad you loved it!
We reheat in the air fryer. I wrap my peice with greased tin foil then hit reheat 15 mins. Tastes delish!! Oh and if you don’t already know just add a table spoon of water to the tray so it doesn’t dry out when you reheat in the air fryer.
This dish stole the show at brunch today!! Wow! I used 3.75 bagels, added an additional egg and a bit more milk to get the bagel bits decently soaked. Smoked gouda would have been my first choice, but I was on a budget so a mix of sharp white cheddar and pepper jack sufficed. Next time I’ll add the full 8 ounces of cream cheese. Don’t skip the extra everything seasoning to top it off. SO DELISH!! I love how reliable all of Sally’s recipes are 🙂
Delicious as written! I added fresh basil after baking! The cream cheese dollops were the bomb. Adding the whole 8 ounces next time. Thank you for sharing this delish recipe!
I make a breakfast casserole every Sunday so my boys have a quick and filling breakfast before going off to work. This is one of their favorites! I love that there is plenty of protein, plus a few veggies. Thanks for so many great recipes that I know I can count on to turn out
Big hit with my family!
Wow, this is a keeper! I will definitely be making this again. I didn’t change a thing. Made for company this weekend and everyone loved it.
Delicious recipe!! I added more milk to mine, and it turned out great. I had it for a brunch with about 10 people and it was a favorite! I will definitely make this again.
I made this recipe for the second time today, and y’all, it’s SO good, and also incredibly forgiving of alteration! The first time around I only had 2 bagels so I cut the recipe to 2/3, and I used an ungreased glass pie pan instead of casserole dish, baked for about 35mins. I didn’t have tomatoes, peppers, or ground mustard, and threw in some chopped up broccoli instead. 2% milk, pepperjack and mozzarella cheese. Didn’t have everything bagel seasoning, but I saved what fell off when I cut up the bagels (which I forgot to toast by the way), and sprinkled that on top. Also forgot the cream cheese. Still a huge hit! Second time I had bought tomatoes, ground mustard, and bagel seasoning, and let my bagels sit out, but again skipped the bell peppers and cream cheese. Still amazing! The Pie pan thing makes it super easy to slice and serve, like a quiche. Thank you Sally, this is gonna be a huge win at Easter!!
I made this today and baked it immediately. I toasted my bagels first. I used 4 bagels instead of 3. Used half and half, not milk. Used Gruyere/Swiss cheese blend
I loved it. I did not have any tomatoes and that little fresh pop would have been nice.
Made this for Christmas brunch used reduced fat cheese and dded spinach. Served with a side of pineapple. It was a hit!
Is it okay to simply leave out the dry mustard? I’m severely allergic and I usually just leave it out of all recipes but I’m concerned about this one if it will affect the consistency. I have no idea what to substitute for mustard (dry or wet).
Hi Joanna, we usually don’t recommend leaving out the dry mustard, but with an allergy, definitely leave it out!
This sounds fabulous. Would it be possible to make the day before, refrigerate and bake the following day?
Hi Laurie, yes! We actually recommend making this casserole ahead of time. See make ahead instructions in the recipe Notes for more.
Hi there, just curious if there is nutrition info and calories etc. available for this dish? It looks amazing 🙂 Thanks!
Hi Andrea, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Made this today, without the bacon, and it’s delicious! Have you ever tried using sun-dried tomatoes in this or your other breakfast casseroles, either in addition to or instead of the fresh tomatoes? Thinking that would add an extra burst of flavor.
Your website is such a treasure trove of great recipes!
Sounds delicious! Let us know if you give the sun dried tomatoes a try, Kathleen.
Since I didn’t use bacon (dietary restriction of new son-in-law and others), although it was very good I thought it could use a little more umami.
So next time I added 1/4 cup of jarred sun-dried tomatoes, drained, patted dry and diced. Turned out well. When I make it again, I will use even a bit more sun-dried tomatoes. (I used the amount of fresh tomatoes called for in the recipe.)
Love your site! Now looking for another breakfast casserole to make at Christmas – lots of yummy-sounding recipes here.
Do you think you could make with gluten free bagels?
Hi Roberta, We havnen’t tested it but don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Let us know if you give it a try!
Hi Roberta, did you make this with gluten free bagels? I’m going to try myself and curious how yours may have came out! Thank you!
We keep kosher. Do you think I can use lox (smoked salmon) instead of bacon or just eliminate it all together? Thanks
Hi Rachel! We would just leave it out. Hope it’s a hit!
I want to make this for a lake trip next weekend, which means making it ahead of time and then taking it on a 4 hr drive. I see the Make Ahead options. Any tips on which one would be best with the travel? We will have an oven at the lake house for reheating. I find myself wondering WWSD…
Hi Ashley, freezing the baked casserole, then thawing before/during your drive and reheating at the lake house when you arrive would likely be the best way to do it! Traveling with the unbaked casserole may be a bit messy. Let us know how it goes!
A hit…Just made this for my husband….as he is in the restaurant business & will work Father’s Day! Fun alternative to your French toast casseroles or quiches. Thank you so much
I went on a “Sally’s” spree and made 3 of your breakfast casseroles for our floor at work this morning – this Everything Bagel one, the Berries and Cream French Toast one, and the Baked Cream Cheese French Toast one. The aromas brought the first floor upstairs, so thank heaven they are large casseroles!! LOL!! They were ALL complimented, but the best compliment is an empty pan and this Everything Bagel emptied in no time flat. People are STILL raving about it and asking me for the recipe, so I am sending email links to people right and left to bring them here.
Absolute truth – the Division Engineer is out today. He just texted me and asked me to please set a piece aside for him to try when he gets back because all of his team has been texting him telling him how wonderful it is!! LOL!!! This is a HUGE hit, and would make an excellent winter dinner casserole as well. I added some fresh chives and some breakfast sausage chopped up with the bacon, but it would hold up to a variety of other additions – onions, diced potatoes, etc. This one has won us all over.
Wow, what fantastic feedback, Shushine! Thank you for making and sharing our recipes — we’re so glad they were such a hit!
AMAZING! I used bacon bits from Costco (about 1/2 c… okay, maybe more like 3/4 c 😉 and shredded pepper jack cheese. Also followed the recommendation to toast the bagels before adding to the casserole dish – I cut each bagel into 20 chunks and baked @ 350 for 7ish minutes (10 is too long). I only baked my casserole for 35 minutes (but I think that is because the bagels were hot from toasting and sped up the cooking process!). Thank you for a great recipe!
Is there an alternative to cream cheese for this recipe?
Hi LT, You can simply leave it out if desired.
Just made this, but forgot the milk!! Ugh. Am I able to add that in once done baking and stir and cook a few min longer?
Hi Matt, the milk can’t be added after the mixture has cooked. Let us know how it turns out without the milk!