Ham and cheese bread pudding is a yummy, savory breakfast casserole you can make ahead. This breakfast bake is perfect for Christmas morning or any other time when you want an easy morning meal you can just throw in the oven.
You know I’m all about easy.
That doesn’t change just because it’s a holiday.
In fact, the holidays up my need for easy meals.
Especially the need for an easy Christmas morning breakfast.
With all the hubbub of present opening and celebrating that morning, the last thing I want is to be in the kitchen for a long time.
I’d rather just throw something into the oven and not have to worry about it until it’s time to eat.
Bonus on the holidays if whatever I’m making feels special despite being easy.
And this ham and cheese bread pudding fits the bill.
It’s so easy but still tastes fantastic with pieces of ham in every bite.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Bread– I highly recommend sourdough, but you could also use a good Italian loaf if that’s more your taste.
- Ham– Dice it up.
- Cheddar cheese– Shredded. You could also substitute another kind of cheese. Swiss or gruyere would be yummy in this.
- Eggs– Beaten
- Milk– Use whole milk or even substitute half and half or cream. Avoid skim milk.
- Spices– Ground mustard, salt, and pepper.
How to Make
The beauty of this ham and cheese breakfast casserole is that it’s super easy to throw together the night before so the day of all you have to do is pop it in the oven and enjoy!
To make it, cut the loaf of bread into roughly 1″ sized pieces and spread the bread cubes out evenly over the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish you’ve sprayed with nonstick spray.
Then, spread the cubed ham out over the bread, allowing some of the ham to fall to the bottom of the dish.
Sprinkle the cheese over top.
Set the whole casserole dish aside while you whisk the eggs, milk and spices together in a mixing bowl.
Once it’s combined, pour the mixture evenly over the ham, cheese, and bread.
Cover the dish tightly with cling wrap and refrigerate it for a minimum of 4 hours but up to overnight.
When you are ready to bake it, uncover it and bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes or until the casserole is lightly toasted on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Serve and enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
You can store leftovers of this casserole in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat in a warm oven until warmed through. Leftovers will stay good for about 4 days.
Tips and Tricks
- Use bakery bread instead of pre sliced bread.
- If you use heavy cream or half and half, the bread pudding will be richer and more decadent than if you use milk.
- For added flavor, you could add a diced onion to the casserole.
Other Make Ahead Breakfast Casseroles
This ham and cheese bread pudding is a winner anytime you need a hearty morning meal without spending a ton of time in the kitchen. Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other make ahead breakfast casseroles? Try these:
If you’ve tried these EASY AIR FRYER STUFFED PEPPERS, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Ham & Cheese Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 8 oz loaf sourdough bread
- 8 oz diced ham
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 large eggs beaten
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tsp ground mustard
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with non stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Using a serrated bread knife, cut the loaf into roughly 1" chunks. Spread the bread cubes evenly out in the bottom of the prepared dish.
- Spread the ham evenly out over the bread. Spread the cubes gently to allow some of the ham pieces to fall to the bottom of the dish, but not all.
- Sprinkle the cheese evenly out over top.
- To a medium sized mixing bowl add the eggs, milk, mustard, and salt & pepper. Whisk the ingredients together until the mixture's smooth. Pour the egg mixture evenly out over the casserole.
- Cover the casserole dish tightly with cling wrap, and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours but up to overnight.
- Bake the uncovered casserole at 350° for 45-50 minutes- until puffed and lightly toasted on top & a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Slice, serve & enjoy!
Nutrition
I have made this many times and we always enjoy it! It’s is great for using up homemade sourdough that’s on the dry side or even using up a loaf that didn’t turn out as well as I had hoped. Thank you so much for sharing!