Soft pieces of bagels soaked in a creamy egg custard, mixed with thick-cut bacon, cheddar cheese, and a few spices, this Bagel Egg Bake is a total winner for breakfast, brunch, or even dinner. Great for making in advance too!
And any extra bagels you’ve got left in the bag can be used to make these Bagel Egg Boats!
Easy Bagel Egg Bake
When it comes to busy mornings, you just can’t beat egg bakes or casseroles. A few of my personal favorites include my hash brown egg casserole and crescent roll egg bake. Today’s recipe is a riff off of those recipes, with bagels used in place of hash browns or crescent rolls.
The fluffy bagel pieces really absorb the egg custard, while the bacon and cheese add such great flavor. It’s a hearty, filling dish that comes together in just a few minutes and can be baked right after assembly or placed in the fridge overnight for a super easy meal the next day.
Why You’ll Love This Egg Bake With Bagels
- Customizable. You can customize this egg bake to your preferences by using your preferred flavor of bagels and swapping or adding other ingredients.
- Easy. All you need to do is cook the bacon and onion, whisk the eggs, pour it over the bagels, and bake. Breakfast will be on the table in an hour with just a few minutes of work.
- Make-ahead friendly. This bagel egg bake doubles as an overnight casserole, so you can do all of the prep work ahead of time and just pop it in the oven the next day. More make-ahead instructions are included below.
What You’ll Need
This bagel egg bake is made with your choice of bagels, bacon, and cheese.
(Scroll down to the recipe card below for details and measurements.)
- Bacon – I like to use thick-cut bacon.
- Onion – Adds great flavor.
- Bagels – My preference is to use onion or everything bagels for more flavor, but plain bagels are perfectly fine too.
- Shredded cheddar – Freshly shredded will give you the best flavor, but pre-packaged works fine if you’re trying to save time.
- Eggs – The base of the custard.
- Milk – I used whole milk. 2% can also be used but avoid skim milk.
- Herbs – Parsley & scallions.
- Dijon mustard – Adds a bit of tanginess to the egg bake.
- Spices – Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes flavor the casserole.
- Parmesan – For serving.
Recipe Variations
There are plenty of ways to customize this egg bake with bagels. Here are a few ideas:
- Replace the bacon. The bacon can be swapped for cooked breakfast sausage or diced ham. You can also omit the meat and include some chopped up bell peppers and/ore mushrooms for a vegetarian egg bake.
- Use different cheese. The cheddar cheese can be swapped for a different cheese like Swiss or pepper jack for more heat.
- Skip the mustard. The mustard can be omitted, although I recommend it for added flavor.
How To Make Bagel Egg Bake
Here’s an overview of how to make this bagel egg casserole.
(Scroll down to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions and don’t miss the video below.)
- Cook the bacon & onion. Cook the bacon until crispy then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Cook the onion in the bacon grease until softened and then transfer to the plate with the bacon.
- Assemble in the pan. Split each bagel in half then slice into small wedges. Arrange in the casserole dish and top with the cooked bacon, onion, and cheese.
- Add the egg. Whisk together the eggs, milk, parsley, scallions, mustard, and seasonings. Pour over the bagel pieces.
- Bake. Bake uncovered at 400F for 30 minutes or until the casserole is golden, the eggs have fully set, and a tester comes out clean..
- Enjoy. Sprinkle with parmesan and additional crispy bacon then cut into squares and enjoy.
Can I Make This In Advance?
Yes! This bagel egg bake works perfectly as a make-ahead casserole and actually preferred so the bagel pieces can absorb the flavorful custard. Assemble as directed, up until the point of baking. Once the eggs are added, cover the casserole dish and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, uncover and bake as directed.
Video: Overnight Bagel Egg Bake
Serving Suggestions
This egg bake with bagels makes a wonderful breakfast or brunch. It can even double as breakfast for dinner. When serving it for brunch, I like to pair it with roasted asparagus or cucumber tomato salad to round out the meal. Or for a sweet option, blueberry coffee cake or apple streusel muffins are great.
Proper Storage
- Fridge. Leftover bagel egg bake should be covered tightly and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer. Bake as directed in a freezer-safe pan and cool completely. Wrap well in plastic wrap and again in foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat. Reheat the egg bake in the oven (if reheating the whole pan) or in the microwave (for individual servings).
More Breakfast Casseroles To Try
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Bagel Egg Bake
Ingredients
- 10 ounces thick-cut bacon , diced
- 1 small onion , diced
- 3 bagels (plain, onion, or everything)
- 1 & 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- 12 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- 2 scallions , diced
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 to 1/4 red pepper flakes
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese , for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Coat a 9×13 casserole dish with nonstick spray.
- Add bacon to a nonstick skillet and cook until crispy. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain.
- Add onion to the bacon grease and sauté until softened. Using the same slotted spoon, transfer onion to the plate next to the bacon.
- Split each bagel in half and then slice into 1 & 1/2 inch wedge pieces. Arrange in the casserole dish. Sprinkle most of the cooked bacon (reserving some for garnish), the onion, and cheddar cheese over the top.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, then add in the milk, parsley, scallions, Dijon mustard, and all the seasonings. Whisk until smooth and combined. Pour evenly over the bagel pieces.
- (At this point, you can cover and place in the refrigerator overnight and bake in the morning, if desired. I actually recommend letting it sit in the fridge for at least a couple hours which allows time for the bagels to absorb the flavorful custard. But you can certainly bake it right away, if needed.)
- Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until the casserole is golden, the eggs have fully set, and a tester comes out clean. (An instant read thermometer should read 160F.)
- Sprinkle with a bit of fresh Parmesan, the reserved crispy bacon, and a few more diced scallions for color. Cut into squares ad enjoy!
Made this for myself this morning for a special treat. Had some more for lunch, and very much looking forward to taking leftovers to work with me for the next couple of days!
So amazingly delicious, can’t believe I managed to find everything bagels in the supermarket here in Gympie QLD, I’m sold!