Rise and Shine for This Bacon, Tomato, and Cheddar Breakfast Bake

Do you ever wake up on the weekend and wish you could have a tasty meal to start the day, but without putting in a ton of work?

Vertical image of sunny-side-up eggs and toasted bread on a plate and in a baking dish on top of a towel next to a metal fork and a glass of orange juice, with text on the top and bottom of the image.

As much as I love a runny egg on top of an eggs Benedict with homemade hollandaise, I don’t always have the energy to make an intricate breakfast after surviving a long work week.

There’s something about a weekend morning spent gathered at the dining table with your family.

The early morning light pouring in through the window, the smell of freshly cooked bacon, mugs of coffee, and glasses of fresh orange juice… These are the idyllic memories I have with my husband on the rare Saturday or Sunday morning when we have no plans.

Vertical image of a casserole dish with cooked eggs over a bread and tomato mixture, with a chopped herb garnish on a towel.

Life certainly has a tendency to get hectic. I don’t know about you, but the only thing that can really make me sit down and slow down is food.

It can be any kind of homemade meal, to be honest. However, the promise of a tasty breakfast is something that can really convince me to take a moment to chill out.

I am not much of a breakfast person in the morning on a weekday. Normally, it’s a small cup of yogurt or a bowl of fruit that I shovel into my mouth as I start the day at my desk.

That may sound a little sad, but I really don’t have time to make breakfast in the morning (I’m a late riser, always) and I don’t particularly have the appetite on a busy day.

Vertical image of part of an egg and bread breakfast casserole on a plate next to a towel, a glass of orange juice, another plate, and a baking dish.

While I have my strategy for prepping breakfast on busy weekdays, the weekends are a different story entirely. That’s the one time when I feel like I can slow down and take a deep breath. Everything is a little slower, so a lazy morning meal is a priority.

I can’t think of anything easier to prepare for a weekend morning meal or brunch than a breakfast bake recipe.

It has everything you could ever want to start your day with. There’s toasted golden cubes of sourdough bread, crispy savory bacon, vegetables, and perfectly cooked eggs.

Vertical top-down image of parts of an egg breakfast bake on two plates and in a casserole dish on a towel next to metal forks and orange juice.

I know that a lot of morning bake recipes out there start with an egg base, like our chile relleno breakfast casserole. but this one is different because it has a bread base. Don’t get me wrong, you still get the egg element in here. But the bread serves a starring role.

Despite filling the base of the pan with just bread and veggies, the casserole is incredibly moist, thanks to the savory chicken stock and all that cheese.

It’s ooey-gooey, and filled with so many flavors and textures. Instead of mixing in the eggs, they’re baked right on top. Each slice that you serve comes with a bit of that tasty bread casserole, plus a whole egg that’s ready to enjoy, without having to dirty a single skillet.

Vertical image of a fork inserted into part of a breakfast casserole on a plate in front of another plate and a glass of orange juice.

This breakfast bake is the ideal dish for entertaining because you can prepare this casserole the night before if you want to. Then all you have to do is bake, crack a few eggs, and finish it off in the oven.

It is super savory and easily feeds a crowd, plus it’s incredibly easy to make. Pull out this recipe, and every weekend morning when you serve it is sure to be that much more special.

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Horizontal image of a breakfast casserole with sunny-side-up eggs.

Bacon, Tomato, and Cheddar Breakfast Bake


  • Author: Meghan Yager
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x

Description

Our easy-to-make bacon, tomato, and cheddar breakfast bake is a loaded, all-in-one breakfast recipe that will brighten up any morning.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound sourdough (or a good quality gluten-free bread), cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 8 ounces bacon (or smoked turkey bacon)
  • 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced (about 1 1/4 cups)
  • 2 cups freshly diced, seeded tomatoes (or one 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained and patted dry)
  • 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese (about 16 ounces)
  • 4 green onions, green parts only, chopped
  • 1 3/4 cups homemade or low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt 
  • 6 large eggs

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and adjust rack to middle position. 
  2. In a large bowl, lightly toss the sourdough and butter. Spread out on a large baking sheet in an even layer.
  3. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until bread is golden, stirring halfway through. 
  4. Cook bacon over medium-high heat in a large skillet until crisp.
  5. Transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and pour out all of the fat from the pan except for 2 tablespoons. Roughly chop bacon and set aside. 
  6. Add the yellow onion to the skillet and cook over medium heat until caramelized, about 10 minutes.
  7. Add the tomatoes and cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Pour the vegetable mixture into a large bowl along with the bread, bacon, cheese, green onion, and stock.
  8. Stir until incorporated and season well with sea salt. Spread the mixture in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and cover with foil. 
  9. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the top is crispy.
  10. Remove the baking dish from the oven. Using a ladle, press 6 evenly-spaced indentations into the bread mixture. Crack an egg into each indentation.
  11. Return the dish to the oven and bake for about 15 minutes until eggs are set, but yolks are still runny. Serve immediately.
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Category: Casserole
  • Method: Stovetop/Baking
  • Cuisine: Breakfast

Keywords: breakfast, bacon, tomato, cheddar, sourdough bread, casserole

Cooking By the Numbers…

Step 1 – Prep and Measure Ingredients

Cut 1 pound of sourdough bread into 1-inch cubes.

Melt 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter.

Thinly slice a large yellow onion. And don’t worry about those tears!

Horizontal image of bowls of prepped and measured uncooked bacon, cubes of bread, shredded cheese, chicken stock, whole tomatoes, herbs, and seasonings on a dark wooden table.

Dice enough tomatoes until you have 2 cups total. You can also use a 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes. Make sure to drain the tomatoes well in a colander and pat them dry if you are using canned.

Chop the green parts only of four green onions.

Measure out all of the remaining ingredients as listed on the ingredients list.

Preheat your oven to 350˚F. Position a rack in the middle of the oven.

Step 2 – Toast Bread

Add the bread cubes and melted butter to a large bowl. Toss to coat the bread.

Horizontal image of cubes of breads on a baking sheet.

Spread the bread cubes on a large rimmed baking sheet in an even layer.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring halfway through, until golden brown.

Step 3 – Cook Bacon and Vegetables

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, add the bacon and cook until it’s crispy, about 4 to 5 minutes. If you don’t want to make a mess cooking bacon on the stovetop, you can cook it in the oven.

Horizontal image of a wooden table with chopped cooked bacon.

Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Discard the excess bacon fat from the pan, and reserve about 2 tablespoons of fat in the skillet.

Roughly chop the bacon and set it aside.

Add the onion to the skillet with the bacon fat and saute it over medium heat until caramelized, stirring occasionally. This will take about 10 minutes.

Horizontal image of a pan of stewed tomatoes and caramelized onions.

Stir in the tomatoes and cook until almost all of liquid has evaporated, for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the pan from the heat.

Step 4 – Assemble

Add the vegetable mixture, toasted bread cubes, bacon, shredded cheese, green onion, chicken stock, and salt to a large bowl. Stir until everything is incorporated.

Horizontal image of an uncooked bread, cheese, and tomato casserole in a metal casserole dish.

Spread the mixture in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and cover it with foil.

At this point, rather than proceeding right away to the following steps, you can also place the dish in the refrigerator and then bake it in the morning.

Want to add more greens in your breakfast? Here’s an idea: use the wilted kale and leek mixture from our kale and eggs recipe and incorporate it in this step!

Step 5 – Bake

Horizontal image of a baked bread, cheese, and tomato casserole.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes until the top is crispy and golden.

Step 6 – Add Eggs and Bake Again

Remove the baking dish from the oven. Use the back of a ladle to press 6 indentations into the bread mixture. Try to space these evenly since each one will contain an egg, and make each one deep enough to accommodate a large egg.

Horizontal image of four uncooked eggs on top of a casserole in a metal rectangular pan.

Next, you’re going to crack one egg into each indentation. To avoid getting eggshell in the casserole, I like to crack each egg into a small cup or bowl before adding it to the pan.

Horizontal image of a breakfast casserole with sunny-side-up eggs.

Bake for 15 minutes, until the eggs are set but the yolks are still runny. Remove from the oven. Slice and serve immediately.

How Do I Make This Breakfast Bake Ahead of Time?

To make this breakfast bake ahead of time, you can simply make the recipe through Step 4 in the Cooking By Numbers section above.

Horizontal top-down image of a plate and a baking dish with an egg and bread casserole next to a towel and orange juice and a metal fork.

Once the dish is assembled in the pan, you can simply cover it with foil and place it in the refrigerator overnight. It will last overnight in the refrigerator with no problem. That way, all you have to do is bake it in the morning.

Want even more breakfast delights to wake up to in the morning this weekend? Try these tasty recipes next:

What’s your favorite thing about a weekend breakfast or brunch? Tell us in the comments below, and be sure to rate the recipe after you try it as well.

Photos by Meghan Yager, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published by Carrie Vitt  on October 19, 2011. Last updated July 24, 2020.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

About Meghan Yager

Meghan Yager is a food addict turned food and travel writer with a love for creating uncomplicated, gourmet recipes and devouring anything the world serves up. As the author of the food and travel blog Cake 'n Knife, Meghan focuses on unique foodie experiences from around the world to right at home in your own kitchen.

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