Christmas morning has always been my favorite. It was the one day of the year, aside from Easter, that we were allowed to eat chocolate for breakfast. But the best part was the chocolate was only the appetizer to the big Christmas brunch yet to come! Although my excitement for a chocolate breakfast never waned, as an adult, the after-brunch wasn't quite as exciting because I was the one who had to get up and cook it. That is until I discovered overnight breakfast casseroles, like this Christmas Morning Casserole (aka Wife Saver Breakfast)!
This Christmas Morning Wife Saver recipe is a savory overnight breakfast casserole with layers of bread, ham, cheese, eggs, and cornflakes. It's easy to throw together Christmas Eve and pop in the oven the next day for a delicious Christmas morning breakfast, brunch, or any holiday morning! And the best part is... you don't have to remove the crusts from the bread!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Hearty. This casserole is a filling breakfast! You don't really need to serve anything else, but I love to serve it with a light Old Fashioned Fruit Salad!
- Easy. There's only a few minutes of prep and the magic all happens overnight! In the morning you just pop it in the oven and enjoy Christmas with your family!
- Portable. If you want to take it along to a breakfast potluck, it's ideal. You can bake it there or simply warm it up.
- Simple ingredients. You can find the ingredients for this recipe at any grocery store.
- Classic recipe. This recipe is a tried and true classic and has stood the test of time! It's a traditional recipe and family favorite that is well-loved!
Christmas brunch is even more special than your typical brunch because it's leisurely; there's nowhere to rush to (until dinner at least.) But being able to prep your Christmas morning meal the night before makes it feel even more leisurely, especially if you're an adult and the one responsible for getting it on the table! No wonder Grandma Jean made this recipe every year!
I'm all about breakfast and brunch recipes that you can prep the night before and toss in the oven in the morning. And that's why overnight breakfast casseroles are ideal for holiday mornings. My Baileys Irish Cream Overnight French Toast Casserole, my Carrot Cake Overnight French Toast Casserole, Lazy Pierogi Breakfast Casserole, and my Overnight Cinnamon Sticky Buns are also really great recipes that can be prepped the night before, do their magic overnight in the fridge, then get tossed in the oven.
🥘 Ingredient Notes
For this Wife Saver recipe, you'll need:
- White bread. I use white bread because whole wheat is too dense.
- Sliced deli ham. The ham serves as the protein and the deli ham has the perfect texture as it's thin.
- Cheddar cheese *I use sharp cheddar cheese and I grate it, instead of slicing
- Whole Milk. I buy whole milk just for this recipe! I usually drink 1 % but I tested it with both !% and 2% milk and the casserole gets too soggy.
- Green pepper. Green pepper gives it a fresh taste and texture.
- Hot mustard. Hot mustard spices it up!.
- Worcestershire sauce. Adds a rich, tangy, and umami-packed punch~!.
- Corn flakes. Corn flakes breakfast cereal is the topping that gives this dish its special crunch!
*See recipe card for amounts
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Ham - you could substitute Canadian bacon.
- Bread - you could substitute French bread, but white bread works best.
- Mustard - you could substitute dry mustard for hot mustard.
- Corn Flakes - you could substitute Special K cereal instead.
- Butter- you could use salted butter in a pinch.
This Christmas Morning Casserole brings back a lot of memories. Grandma Jean was my late mother-in-law and she loved to make this dish for Christmas Day brunch. In fact, it was the dish she always made.
She was a big fan of The Best of Bridge Cookbooks, as am I. This recipe was adapted from the Best of Bridge "Wife Saver" Casserole, as it was known back in the day. Not my favorite term for it, but that's what it was actually called.
🔪 How to Make Wife Saver
This Wife Saver breakfast is very easy to make! But the magic is in the overnight part. I love that you can simply turn on the oven and pop it in the next morning!
- Spray a 9X13 baking/casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Add 8 slices of bread (with crusts on) to the bottom of the dish, overlapping slightly so they all fit.
- Cover bread with half of the ham slices
- Then sprinkle on grated cheese.
- Then add the remainder of the ham slices.
- Cover with remaining slices of bread, overlapping as in the first layer. Press down to flatten a little, if it's too high.
- Whisk eggs, hot mustard, and milk, then add green pepper, green onion, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Pour the egg mixture over the casserole.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in the fridge overnight.
- In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove plastic wrap. Melt butter and pour over the casserole. Crush cornflakes (*I put them in a Ziplock bag and roll a rolling pin over them a couple of times) and sprinkle them on top of the casserole. Bake (uncovered) for 1 hour. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish: Sprinkle with chopped green onion and garnish with salsa or ketchup, if desired.
Top tips
Don't remove the bread crusts: I don't remove the bread crusts, as the original recipe calls for, because WHY? We're not 3-year-olds here and we can handle a little crust, right?! And so it doesn't lay perfectly flat in the pan- who cares? That's what overlapping is for. I'm all about making things easier. And bread crusts taste good!
Whisk the eggs: It's important to whisk the eggs with the other ingredients really well or the casserole won't bind and end up runny.
🌡️Storage
FRIDGE: This Christmas Morning Breakfast Casserole can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 2-3 days. However, this recipe does not freeze well, so I don't recommend freezing it.
TO REHEAT:
Oven: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F/175 degrees C. If you have the casserole in its original dish, tightly seal your casserole dish with aluminum foil (shiny side in) and put it in the oven for 20 - 30 minutes, until it's warmed through. If it's in a plastic container, remove it and put it into a casserole dish or lasagna pan and follow the same directions.
Microwave: Warm up slices separately on a microwave-safe plate and heat for 1-2 minutes, depending on the wattage of your microwave.
🥗What to serve with Wife Saver Casserole
Since this wife saver casserole is like a meal in itself, I like to serve it with fruit on the side and salsa or ketchup. I sprinkle chopped green onions on top as a garnish to give it a little color.
You can serve fruit or a Classic Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Dressing (shown below) on the side or a simple and fun kiwi garnish. Looking for a drink to serve with this casserole? Try my Cranberry Christmas Brunch Punch!
So, if you are looking for an easy and make-ahead casserole for your Christmas breakfast, with very little cleanup, for your upcoming holiday breakfast, then give this Christmas Morning Breakfast Casserole a try!
❔Recipe FAQ's
This Christmas Morning Casserole originated in the Best of Bridge Cookbook and it is a Canadian tradition. Although an antiquated term, it was named "wife saver" because it is supposed to save the homemaker/cook (usually 'the wife') time on Christmas morning because the casserole can be fully prepped in advance and simply put in the oven to bake on Christmas morning.
You can make this Christmas morning wife saver casserole up to 48 hours in advance, but if you leave it any longer than that, it will get too soggy.
I have found the best way to crush the cornflakes for this casserole is to put them in a Ziploc bag and roll a rolling pin over them a couple of times.
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📋 Christmas Morning Casserole Recipe (Wife Saver)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 slices white bread
- 16 slices sliced ham (sandwich meat) (approx 395 g package)
- 1.5 cups grated cheese
- 6 whole eggs
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 3 cups whole milk * it has to be whole milk or it gets too soggy
- ¼ large green pepper
- 1 teaspoon hot mustard * I use Keen's hot mustard
- ¼ cup green onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup corn flakes, crushed a little
Garnish
- additional chopped green onion
- salsa or ketchup, as desired
Get Recipe IngredientsInstructions
- Spray a 9X13 baking/casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Add 8 pieces of bread (with crusts on) to bottom of dish, overlapping slightly so they all fit.
- Cover bread with half of the ham slices.
- Then sprinkle on grated cheese.
- Then add remainder of ham slices.
- Cover with remaining slices of bread, overlapping as in the first layer. Press down to flatten a little, if it's too high.
- Beat eggs, hot mustard and milk, then add green pepper, green onion and Worcestershire sauce.
- Pour mixture over casserole.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in fridge overnight.
- In the morning: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)
- Remove plastic wrap. Melt butter and pour over casserole.
- Crush corn flakes (I put them in a Ziplock bag and roll a rolling pin over them a couple of times) and sprinkle on top of casserole.
- Bake (uncovered) for 1 hour. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Garnish
- Sprinkle with chopped green onion and garnish with salsa or ketchup, if desired.
River
I've been making this for ever. My mom made it growing up and I've taken over since her passing over 12 years ago. Always a hit. My family jokingly refers to it as lazy B@st**d breakfast since I took over but it's really not a lazy dish at all. The only bonus is that you can prep it the night before. That doesn't make it a wife saver or lazy. It's amazing though and everyone loves it.
Terri Gilson
Hi River,
That's so wonderful that you've carried on the tradition 🙂 And I agree with you- it's not lazy at all! You're right, everyone sees you simply pop it in the oven in the morning and don't see all the work you put in the day before! It's very deceiving....
Have a wonderful Christmas!
Terri
NANCY
great comfort food and perfect for leftovers!
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Nancy!
Kristen
I love the idea of a casseroles Christmas morning. Talk about making things a little easier! Thank for sharing.
Terri Gilson
Me too, Kristen! I'd rather be opening presents 🙂
Sharon
Fun! I love the idea of breakfast being leisurely for all, even the cook. 🙂 And I have never heard of Best of Bridge! Just reserved it at my library. Christmas reading! Thanks. 🙂
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Sharon! Yes, the Best of Bridge have a series of books and some really great recipes - enjoy!
Yvonne Langen
I LOVE a one-pan solution to breakfast and not having to do 100 dishes on Christmas morning when I want to be opening presents!
Terri Gilson
I agree, Yvonne!
Amy
I'm going to be honest, I've never heard of Christmas Morning Casserole before. But, this looks amazing especially if you need to feed a large crowd.
Definitely going to try this!
Terri Gilson
Hi Amy,
Yes, it's a pretty retro recipe so not surprised you haven't heard of it. ! I hope you enjoy it 🙂