The Ultimate Everything Bagel Casserole Recipe

Let’s talk about lazy weekend mornings. You know the ones. You wake up craving a loaded, savory bakery bagel with a thick layer of cream cheese, but the thought of putting on real pants and standing in line at the local deli is just not happening. Enter the Everything Bagel Casserole. This dish has completely transformed my Sunday brunch game, and I am so excited to share it with you.

It takes all the iconic, mouth-watering flavors of your favorite breakfast order and bakes them into one bubbly, golden, comforting dish. No waiting in line, no individual assembly required. Whether you’re hosting a holiday brunch, feeding a house full of hungry teenagers, or just want to meal-prep decadent breakfasts for the week, this everything bagel casserole is an absolute lifesaver. Grab your coffee, get cozy, and let me show you how to make your new favorite morning meal.

What Is an Everything Bagel Casserole?

What exactly is an Everything Bagel Casserole? If you’ve ever had a savory bread pudding or a classic breakfast strata, you’re already on the right track. But instead of using plain sandwich bread or French bread, we’re using chewy, flavorful everything bagels as the base.

We chop those beautiful, seasoning-crusted bagels into bite-sized cubes and soak them in a rich, velvety custard made of eggs and milk. But we don’t stop there! We fold in chunks of real cream cheese, crispy bacon or savory breakfast sausage, and a generous handful of shredded cheddar cheese. As it bakes, the bagels absorb all that savory custard. The top pieces get incredibly crispy and toasted, while the inside becomes soft, tender, and intensely flavorful. Every single bite gives you that signature garlic, onion, and poppy seed flavor, paired with pockets of melty cream cheese. It’s basically the ultimate breakfast sandwich, deconstructed and baked in a pan.

How to Make Everything Bagel Casserole

Quick Overview

Before we dive into the step-by-step instructions, let’s take a quick look at what you can expect. Making this everything bagel casserole is beautifully simple and requires absolutely no fancy culinary skills.

You’ll start by chopping your bagels and cubing your cream cheese. Then, you’ll whisk together your eggs, milk, and seasonings to create the custard base. After that, it’s just a matter of layering the bread, meats, and cheeses in your baking dish, and pouring the liquid gold right over the top. You’ll let it rest so the flavors marry, and then bake it until it’s puffed, golden brown, and bubbling at the edges. It’s a straightforward, foolproof process.

Ingredients

Here is what you’ll need to grab from the kitchen or the grocery store to bring this brunch dream to life:

• Everything Bagels: About 4 to 5 large bagels, cut into 1-inch cubes. Day-old or slightly stale bagels work best!
• Large Eggs: 8 large eggs to create our rich custard base.
• Milk: 2 cups of whole milk. You can also use half-and-half if you want an extra decadent texture.
• Cream Cheese: One 8-ounce block, cut into small cubes. Do not use the spreadable tub kind; you want the block for those perfect melty pockets.
• Bacon or Sausage: 1 cup of cooked, crumbled bacon or cooked breakfast sausage.
• Cheddar Cheese: 1.5 cups of freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
• Everything Bagel Seasoning: 1 to 2 tablespoons for an extra punch of flavor on top.
• Seasonings: 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, and a dash of garlic powder.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Preheat & Prep Pan

If you’re baking this right away, go ahead and preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grab a 9×13 inch baking dish and spray it generously with non-stick cooking spray or grease it with a little butter. You don’t want those delicious cheesy bits sticking to the sides!

Step 2: Cube the Bagels and Cream Cheese

Using a serrated knife, chop your everything bagels into bite-sized cubes, roughly 1-inch in size. Next, take your block of cream cheese and cut it into small cubes. Pro tip: pop the cream cheese in the freezer for about 15 minutes before cutting. It makes slicing it infinitely easier and keeps it from sticking to your knife.

Step 3: Whisk the Custard

In a large mixing bowl, crack all 8 eggs. Pour in the milk, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Grab a whisk and beat the mixture vigorously until the eggs and milk are completely combined and slightly frothy.

Step 4: Assemble the Casserole

Spread half of your cubed bagels evenly across the bottom of your prepared baking dish. Scatter half of your cream cheese cubes, half of your cooked bacon or sausage, and half of the shredded cheddar over the bagels. Repeat with the remaining bagels, cream cheese, and meat. Pour your egg mixture evenly over the entire dish, pressing down gently on the bagels with a spatula to ensure they are all submerged. Top with the remaining cheddar cheese and a generous sprinkle of extra everything bagel seasoning.

Step 5: Chill and Soak

This is the secret to a perfect strata! Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and place it in the refrigerator. Let it sit for at least 1 hour, or ideally overnight. This resting period allows the dense bagels to soak up the custard, ensuring a soft, pudding-like interior.

Step 6: Bake to Golden Perfection

When you’re ready to bake, leave the foil on and bake for 30 minutes. Then, carefully remove the foil and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the center is set (not jiggly) and the top is a beautiful, bubbly golden brown. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing—this helps the casserole set up for clean slices.

What to Serve It With

Because this everything bagel casserole is so rich, savory, and satisfying, I love to pair it with things that bring a pop of freshness and acidity to the table. You can’t go wrong with a massive, colorful fruit salad loaded with berries, melon, and grapes.

If you’re hosting a brunch, a simple side salad of peppery arugula tossed with a light lemon vinaigrette cuts through the richness of the cheese and sausage perfectly. And of course, no weekend brunch is complete without beverages! Serve this alongside a steaming pot of good coffee, fresh orange juice, or a round of spicy Bloody Marys and mimosas.

Top Tips for Perfecting Your Everything Bagel Casserole

I’ve made this recipe dozens of times, and I’ve picked up a few tricks along the way to make sure it comes out flawless every single time:

• Stale is best: I can’t stress this enough! Fresh bagels are too soft and will turn into mush when soaked in the eggs. If your bagels are too fresh, cube them and lay them out on a baking sheet on the counter for a few hours to dry out.
• Grate your own cheese: Pre-shredded bagged cheese is coated in anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly. Take an extra two minutes to shred a block of sharp cheddar yourself. The melt factor is totally worth it.
• Press it down: When you pour the egg mixture over the bagels, really use your hands or a spatula to press the bread down into the liquid. You want every piece to get a chance to absorb that goodness.
• Don’t skip the rest: Letting the casserole sit for at least 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven is crucial. If you cut into it immediately, it might seem runny. It needs that resting time to finish setting up.

Storing and Reheating Tips

If you happen to have leftovers (which is rare in my house!), you’re in luck because this casserole reheats beautifully. Allow any leftovers to cool completely to room temperature. Transfer the slices to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.

When you’re ready for round two, you have a few options. If you’re in a rush, a quick 60 seconds in the microwave will do the trick, though the bagels will lose their crispy tops. For the best leftover experience, pop a slice into your air fryer at 350°F for about 4-5 minutes, or heat it in the oven until warmed through. The air fryer perfectly revitalizes that crunchy bagel crust!

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

There you have it, friends—my absolute favorite way to do brunch without the stress! This Everything Bagel Casserole is one of those magical recipes that looks and tastes like you spent hours slaving away in the kitchen, when in reality, you did all the work in your pajamas the night before.

The combination of the chewy bagels, the savory custard, the sharp cheddar, and those dreamy pockets of warm cream cheese is just out of this world. I truly hope this recipe brings as much joy (and full bellies) to your weekend mornings as it has to mine. If you give it a try, please let me know how it turned out! I always love hearing about the little tweaks and additions you make to suit your family’s tastes. Happy baking, and enjoy your beautiful brunch!

Everything Bagel Casserole

This everything bagel breakfast casserole combines bagels, everything bagel seasoning, bacon, eggs, and cream cheese to make the ultimate satisfying breakfast.

Prep : 10 Total : 25 minutes

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Ingredients

  

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Main Ingredients

• 3 day-old everything bagels cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 bell pepper chopped
• 0.75 cup cherry tomatoes quartered
• 6 slices cooked bacon chopped
• 9 large eggs
• 1.5 cups whole milk
• 1.5 cups shredded cheese
• 0.5 teaspoon ground mustard
• 0.25 teaspoon salt
• 0.125 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 ounces full-fat brick cream cheese cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 tablespoon everything bagel seasoning
• 2 scallions chopped

Instructions

 

Preparation Steps

• Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C). Generously grease a 9x13-inch baking pan or similar size casserole dish.
• Layer the bagel pieces, chopped pepper, tomatoes, and bacon into the prepared baking dish.
• Whisk the eggs, milk, shredded cheese, ground mustard, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl. Pour evenly over the bagel mixture.
• Top evenly with pieces of cream cheese and sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning.
• Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the center is set and the edges are golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before topping with scallions, slicing, and serving.

Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven until warmed through.