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by Diane
Buy our air fryer e-cookbooks today What to do with the leftovers? Make this delicious leftover cornbread breakfast bake. It’s the perfect make-ahead breakfast casserole with leftover cornbread. Nothing goes to waste with this cornbread breakfast casserole recipe and it has such great flavor with the combination of savory and the slightly sweet cornbread.
Why we love this Leftover Cornbread Breakfast Bake recipe
We’re fans of not letting awesome side dishes go to waste and cornbread is definitely one of those. The combination of sweet cornbread, savory sausage and eggs is fantastic for breakfast. Each bite has so much flavor and it’s a hearty morning dish to share. It’s so simple to make, there’s no reason to not have a yummy morning breakfast casserole for the whole family.
Video: Recipe for Leftover Cornbread Breakfast Bake
Tips: How to Make Cornbread Breakfast Bake with Leftover Cornbread
- Cut the cornbread into small 1″ bite sized pieces or break into bite sized chunks.
- Meat Lovers: Our recipe uses sausage but you can add cooked bacon or ham. Or you can use all three different meats for a meat lovers breakfast casserole.
- For a healthier vegetarian version you can add some chopped spinach, asparagus or chopped kale.
- Make sure to use a 9″x13″ baking dish. This will help spread out the ingredients and not make the casserole too thick or high. If you’re using a smaller baking dish then the casserole will be higher, which means a longer cooking time.
- All recipe details are in the recipe box below.
Can You Make Ahead This Breakfast Casserole?
Yes you can make most of the steps ahead of time, but assemble everything before baking. The cornbread will soak up all the milk and eggs when made ahead of time and will be mushy when baked.
- You can saute the meat, veggies and spices ahead of time. Allow to cool and chill.
- Mix the eggs and milk ahead of time and chill.
- When you’re ready to bake, layer all the ingredients and pour the egg mixture on top as instructed in the cornbread breakfast casserole recipe below.
- OR just cook the casserole, let it cool and chill it for the next day. It’s great when it’s re-heated and it will save you time in the morning. If you’re re-heating it, bring it out of the fridge and allow to come to room temperature for about 1 hour. Then re-heat in a pre-heated oven at 350°F for about 15 minutes.
Substitutions & Additions for Thanksgiving Leftovers Breakfast Bake
- Bacon or ham can easily be substituted for the sausage. Or make it cajun style and use spiced up shrimp.
- Leave out the meat for a vegetarian option (not vegan though).
- Speaking of veggies, add to the bell peppers with other vegetables or just substitute in what you like. Asparagus, mushrooms, kale, spinach, collard greens all make great additions. Fresh corn is also always nice!
- Add other spices or herbs to your taste. Make it cajun style with some paprika, cayenne, and onion powder in addition to the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Or make it herb-licious by using dried or fresh thyme, basil, oregano, rosemary, etc. These are just a small sample of the ways you can make it to your taste.
What to Serve with Breakfast Bake?
- Crispy Air Fryer Bacon
- Easy greek yogurt rolls
- Very Berry Breakfast Buttermilk Cake
- Simple air fryer bagels
Leftover Cornbread Breakfast Bake
Yield: 6 -8 Servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 45 minutes mins
Total Time: 1 hour hr
This bake is also great when it's re-heated and it will save you time in the morning. If you want to make this ahead of time, we recommend to cook the casserole a day or two before, let it cool and chill it. When ready to serve, bring it to room temperature about 1 hour before re-heating. Then re-heat in a pre-heated oven at 350°F for about 15 minutes.
You can always substitute different meats and veggies to your preference. Try bacon or ham instead of the sausage. Or leave them out for to make it vegetarian. Or try adding/subbing other veggies like asparagus, mushrooms, spinach, kale or collard greens.
4.70 from 33 votes
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Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons (42 g) butter , divided & at room temperature
- 1/2 medium onion , chopped
- 8 oz. (227 g) uncooked bulk sausage
- 1/2 cup (75 g) chopped bell pepper (optional)
- 2 cups (480 ml) milk
- 5 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt , or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) garlic powder
- about 3 cups leftover cornbread (cut into 1” cubes or large crumbles)
- 3 green onions , chopped
- 1 cup (113 g) grated cheddar cheese , or cheese of choice
Equipment
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9”x13” baking dish with 1 Tablespoon of butter.
In a skillet, melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for about 1 minute or until softened. Add the sausage (breaking up large chunks of sausage) and brown the sausage. When the sausage is nearly cooked through, add the optional bell peppers and cook for about 1 minute or until softened. Remove from heat.
In a bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
In the prepared baking dish, layer the cubed or crumbled cornbread. Next, layer the sausage mix and green onions. Then layer the cheese on top.
Pour milk/egg mixture over the cornbread. If cornbread floats, gently press cornbread down into the egg mixture.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until golden and egg is set. Serve warm.
Video
Nutrition Information per Serving
Calories: 744kcal, Carbohydrates: 71g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 39g, Saturated Fat: 18g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 14g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 274mg, Sodium: 1399mg, Potassium: 491mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 24g, Vitamin A: 1368IU, Vitamin C: 18mg, Calcium: 420mg, Iron: 4mg
Course: Breakfast, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 744
Easy Recipes using Holiday or Thanksgiving Leftovers
- Thanksgiving leftovers pull apart sliders
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- All our recipes with leftovers here
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posted in: 300+ Easy Meals, Breakfast | Brunch, Casseroles, Eggs, Holiday, Holiday-Christmas, Holiday-Easter, Holiday-Thanksgiving, Kids Menu 34 comments
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Lucia — Reply
omg we had so much cornbread leftover but I’m so glad I saw this recipe ahead of time. thanks a lot for such a clever way to use our leftover cornbread. -
Cathy Racich — Reply
OMG!! This is amazing!! We do not eat sweet cornbread, and can’t imagine this with sweet cornbread!! It is so delish with just good leftover non sweet cornbread!! Absolutely will make this again! Would be great for Christmas morning, brunch on New Years- anytime !!-
Diane — Reply
So glad you loved it!
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Gina Lyon — Reply
We really enjoyed this for breakfast! It would be good for any meal but we like breakfast for supper occasionally.-
Diane — Reply
Thanks Gina! It’s great for anytime of day!
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Sally — Reply
I made this for our Easter brunch and it was a hit! I used Famous Dave’s jalapeño cornbread mix and it added a nice kick. Looking forward to making this again! -
Lauren — Reply
I love this recipe. I made a cornbread from scratch and I didn’t like the cornbread from this recipe. I found this recipe and was able to salvage the cornbread. Very yummy.-
Diane — Reply
Lauren, so glad you didn’t waste any cornbread! And we’re happy that you enjoyed the recipe.
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ValW — Reply
I’m also salvaging a pan of homemade cornbread, Lauren. I used turkey dinner sausage, sweet orange and red mini peppers, as well as 1/2 gouda and 1/2 sharp cheddar cheese in this recipe. Hope it’s a hit tonight for dinner!
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Den Bob — Reply
We had a large pan of Mission BBQ sweet cornbread leftover from our daughter’s grad party. I found this recipe while searching for possibilities
to use surplus cornbread other than feeding to the birds.Made the recipe just as stated in a 9X11 glass baking dish and it came out
perfectly after 30 minuets. it was a little moist in the center due, I think,
to my putting a bit too much cornbread on the bottom. I returned it to the
oven for about 8 more minutes at 350 and it did not seem over baked.Excellent recipe with room for delicious creativity. A keeper.
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Diane — Reply
Hi Den, thanks for all the details and so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
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Anna — Reply
Loved this recipe! I substituted some leftover ham for the sausage and it worked out great. Thanks!-
Diane — Reply
Thanks Anna! Love sausage!
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Renee — Reply
Delicious! I’m so glad to have found this recipe. -
Kim Eid — Reply
Making this with bacon. How much bacon would you suggest?
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Diane — Reply
Hi Kim, can you ever have too much bacon? 🙂 If we made it, we would probably add about 8 strips of cooked bacon that’s chopped into bite sized pieces.
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Roxie A Lewis — Reply
Oh my sounds delish! I saw 2 Hatch green chili cornbread containers on sale for $2 each in the bakery. Wanting to make a different breakfast bake with your recipe. Guest coming in 3 weeks. Can this be prepared then frozen for guests and then baked off or should I bake it then freeze it?
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Diane — Reply
Hi Roxie! You should par bake it about half way through. Then allow to cool completely then freeze.
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Jane P. — Reply
Since finding this recipe a few months ago to find a use for leftover cornbread we have made it probably 10 or 15 times. It’s just that good ! After using it initially for leftover cornbread we switched to just using bread with it as we don’t always have cornbread on hand. I find that you need a hearty bread like a sourdough or good baguette for it to hold up well so it becomes more of a strata but it is really just as good ! The only thing I have done is add more of the sausage, veggies & esp. the green onions. I have been tempted to make it using ham and bacon but we love the flavor of the sausage combined with the veggies so much that we just stuck with it. I do find that I like a very good savory sage sausage or a spicy sausage in our
Thanks for the recipe ; -
Donna — Reply
This recipe really is as good as all the reviewers say it is! Can’t believe it’s that easy to make too. A keeper for sure. Thanks guys! -
Julie — Reply
Love this recipe! Super easy when feeding company breakfast. We use fresh bacon bits instead of sausage sometimes for quick easy cooking and less mess. Delicious everytime! -
Rachel — Reply
This is such a neat recipe. I’m a fan of putting my leftovers to good use. Love the combination of cornbread and sausage. -
Jea — Reply
So I had leftover cornbread… but also leftover mexican food. This is just a magical recipe. I substituted taco meat, and chicken fajita veggies, 1/2 pint of ranch style beans, added a handful of okra from the garden (sliced up) and threw in some pepper jack cheese for fun. This is just a great foundational recipe with so much room to get creative (and get rid of other leftovers!)-
Diane — Reply
Yay! So glad you enjoyed the recipe Jea. Love all the additions you added.
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Elin — Reply
We had so much cornbread left over last year. This was such a cool recipe. -
Kevin — Reply
Ya’ll this is so good. We had it for breakfast with salsa on top and hashbrowns on the side. We had it for dinner the next day with black beans, but it’s definitely a meal unto itself.-
Diane — Reply
thanks Kevin! It really is so delicious and so glad you served it with black beans with the leftovers!
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Leah — Reply
I want to make this using leftover cornbread and honey baked ham we have, since I want to make this for dinner, I also have a bag of frozen peas and carrots – I want to include..would you thaw in with the sautéd onion? Or how would you incorporate?
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Diane — Reply
Hi Leah! Yes we would thaw the frozen peas and carrots with the onion. It would release excess moisture.
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M.A. — Reply
Delicious! A great recipe to put different spins on.
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Diane — Reply
Thanks M.A!
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MCW — Reply
This was delicious! A perfect way to use leftover cornbread, and definitely adaptable for different flavor profiles by substituting different meats, veggies, and cheeses. However, since we only have two people eating it, I am wondering if I could freeze the leftover casserole in individual servings for a grab and go breakfast or snack. How would I heat that up? Would I need to thaw it before heating it? Thanks.-
Diane — Reply
Hi MCW, so gad you enjoyed the leftover cornbread bake. Best way to re-heat is in the microwave so it doesn’t dry out. Yes, you should thaw it first. Thank you!
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Alex — Reply
Made this at work in our toaster oven with an 8×8 metal pan. Subbed sausage for 4 strips bacon (cooked), used 4 eggs and only 1.5 cups milk, didn’t have any bell peppers so none of those. Used leftover jiffy cornbread (made in the 8×8 pan, used 4 pieces out of 9 for casserole.)
Cooked it at 375/bake for 50 minutes total.It came out fantastic for a ‘throw sh*t together’ meal and everyone cleared their plates happily, but I will 100% make it ahead of time next round since it does take a while to cook. Thanks for the recipe!
