Overnight Italian Breakfast Egg Bake (Strata) (2024)

The holiday egg bake, Mother’s Day brunch recipe or overnight egg casserole recipe you’ve been craving, but better. This Italian Breakfast Egg Bake is loaded with yummy ingredients like pancetta, ricotta and sourdough bread. An amped up version of the classic breakfast casserole with Italian sausage!

Breakfast at our house is pretty casual. But when we want something a little extra, there’s nothing like an egg casserole. It’s easy to put together the day before and waking up the next morning with breakfast made is a treat!

And this Overnight Italian Egg Bake recipe is extra in only the best way.

Here’s all the reasons to make it the next time you’re having a brunch.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

When I think of a good breakfast casserole, I think hearty because it needs to hold up to a good Bloody Mary or mimosa. This is how we do brunch in the Midwest, my friend!

This Italian breakfast bake, just like my Butternut Squash Crostata with Ricotta is the perfect Sunday brunch recipe thanks to some amazing sourdough bread, fontina cheese, pancetta (yes…Italian bacon!) and sausage.

This Italian breakfast casserole has it ALL.

And the biggest plus? You can make it ahead. See? ALLLLL.

Ingredients You’ll Need

If you are one of the smart ones to earn your PhD in sourdough bread making recently, get baking! Otherwise look for the most luscious, dense and flavorful sourdough bread you can find. I’m sharing my fav below!

• Sourdough bread (I love this one from Goldminer)
• Pancetta
• Crumbled Italian sausage
• Cheeses: ricotta, fontina and sharp white cheddar
• Dairy: eggs, milk and a little cream (this isn’t a shy egg casserole)

See recipe card for quantities.

So what is fontina cheese?

Fontina cheese is an Italian cheese not to be confused with fontinella (which is one of my all-time sharp cheese favs). Fontina is creamy and mild and is used in fondue.

Fontina cheese substitutes

Think of fondue cheeses when substituting for fontina. Cheeses like:

• Edam
• Gruyere
• Mozzarella
• Provolone
• even Parmesan!

How to Make an Overnight Egg Bake

Start with cutting your trimmed bread into slices and then each slice into 4 strips.

Saute the pancetta in a skillet over medium-high heat until slightly crispy and drain on a paper-towel lined plate. Don’t go too far here with the sauteeing as it’ll cook further in the oven.

Using the same pan, saute the Italian sausage until cooked about 8 minutes and drain on paper-towel lined plate again.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, half and half, milk and seasonings together in a bowl with a spout and in another bowl, combine the cheeses with the egg.

Substitutions

Some ideas if you need to substitute for certain ingredients:

• Sausage. Feel free to use Italian turkey sausage or your favorite plant-based alternative. [Note: I haven’t tested the recipe with either of these so results can’t be guaranteed.]
• Bread – Feel free to substitute the sourdough for another bread that is equally as firm.
• Cheese – I would substitute like cheeses with like cheeses meaning swap one kind of sharp cheese for another kind of sharp cheese etc. The only ingredient I wouldn’t swap for is the ricotta as it is critical to the texture of the dish.

Serving & Storage

Storage

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Make ahead

• Make the day before and refrigerate.
• The next morning remove from the fridge and bake.

Reheating

Reheat either in a 350˚ oven for 10-15 minutes or the microwave for a couple of minutes.

Freezing

To freeze, cover the casserole dish first in plastic wrap, then foil and then a freezer safe bag. Freeze up to 2 months.

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