Eggs Benedict Casserole Recipe

This eggs Benedict casserole is a 9×13 brunch bake of sourdough or white bread, a thin layer of cream cheese, soft scrambled eggs, and crispy bacon, finished with a poached egg and warm hollandaise on every square. It bakes at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes, takes about 55 minutes start to finish, and serves 8.

One 9×13 dish gives 8 squares, and each square gets its own poached egg. The base can be assembled the night before, so on the morning itself you only bake, poach, and whisk the sauce.

The Numbers for One 9×13 Dish

• Pan: 9×13 inch casserole dish, lightly buttered
• Oven: 350°F (175°C), uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are golden and the center is set
• Eggs: 10 scrambled for the layer, 8 poached for the top, 3 yolks for the hollandaise
• Time: 30 minutes prep, 25 minutes cooking, about 55 minutes total
• Serves: 8, one square and one poached egg each

Building the Bread, Egg, and Bacon Layers

Hearty sourdough or a sturdy white sandwich bread works for the base. Skip anything very soft or sweet, because it turns pasty under the eggs. Lay 8 slices in a single snug layer to cover the bottom of the buttered dish, trimming the crusts if you like, then spread ½ cup whipped cream cheese thinly over the top. That layer adds a mild tang and keeps the bread from drying out in the oven.

Whisk 10 eggs with ½ cup milk or half-and-half, salt, and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat and scramble gently. Take the pan off the heat while the curds are still soft, glossy, and a little wet in spots. They bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, so eggs that look fully set on the stove come out dry and rubbery. Spread them over the cream cheese.

Cook 12 slices of thick-cut bacon until properly crisp, then halve or chop it and scatter it evenly over the eggs. Thin bacon goes limp and greasy in the oven; thick-cut keeps some crunch. Bake uncovered until the bread edges are golden and the center is set.

Poaching 8 Eggs for the Topping

The poached eggs go on last, so they are the part to plan. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a bare simmer, with small bubbles at the bottom and no rolling boil, and add 1 tablespoon white vinegar. Crack each egg into a small bowl first, then slide it into the water.

Work in 2 batches of 4 so the whites do not run together. Each batch takes 3 to 4 minutes, until the whites are fully set and the yolks still wobble. Lift them out with a slotted spoon onto paper towels and trim any ragged edges. If the first batch has to wait, keep it in a bowl of warm tap water while the second cooks.

For a calmer morning you can poach the eggs up to a day ahead. Drop them into ice water as they come out, keep them covered in the fridge, then rewarm them in hot water for 30 to 60 seconds right before serving.

Hollandaise Over a Water Bath

Whisk 3 egg yolks with 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a heatproof bowl until pale and slightly thick. Set the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water without letting it touch the water. Keep whisking and pour in ½ cup melted butter in a thin stream. The sauce is ready when it is smooth, thick enough to coat a spoon, and falls off the whisk in a ribbon. Season with salt and a pinch of cayenne.

Warm lemony hollandaise goes over each square right before it hits the table. Hold it off the heat over warm water, whisking now and then, and loosen it with a teaspoon of warm water if it gets too thick.

If the Hollandaise Splits

Sauce that looks greasy or curdled got too hot, or the butter went in too fast. Put 1 teaspoon warm water in a clean bowl and whisk the broken sauce into it a spoonful at a time. It comes back smooth. If the yolks have scrambled into bits, strain them out and start again with fresh yolks.

Night Before or Same Morning?

Night before: butter the dish, layer the bread, cream cheese, scrambled eggs, and bacon (the first three steps of the card), cover, and refrigerate. In the morning it goes into the oven straight from the fridge. A cold dish can need a few extra minutes, so check that the center is set rather than going by the timer. This is the version for holidays and houseguests.

Same morning: assemble and bake right away, about 55 minutes in all. The eggs stay a touch softer, and it suits a smaller brunch where you are in the kitchen anyway. Either way, the poached eggs and hollandaise are made fresh while the casserole bakes and rests.

A Brunch Morning Timeline

• 50 minutes before serving: heat the oven to 350°F and take the casserole out of the fridge if you assembled it the night before.
• 35 minutes: casserole goes in. Melt the butter for the hollandaise and put the poaching water on to heat.
• 10 minutes: casserole comes out to rest. Poach the first batch of 4 eggs, then the second.
• 5 minutes: whisk the hollandaise.
• Serving: cut into 8 squares, top each with an egg, spoon over the sauce, and sprinkle with parsley or chives.

Feeding More Than 8

For 16, bake two 9×13 dishes on two oven racks and swap them halfway. Poach in four batches and double the hollandaise in a larger bowl. For a bigger spread, add a sweet bake alongside, such as this overnight strawberry French toast casserole or a blueberry cream cheese croissant casserole, both of which also wait in the fridge overnight.

Reheating Leftovers and Freezing the Base

Keep leftover squares covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. The bread softens a little, but the flavor holds. I reheat portions in the oven at 300°F until warmed through. Store any poached eggs and sauce separately; they do not keep well once assembled.

The baked base, without poached eggs or hollandaise, freezes well. Wrap it tightly, thaw overnight in the fridge, reheat, and top with freshly poached eggs and sauce.

Sides for a Benedict Brunch

• Roasted asparagus, which is classic with hollandaise
• A citrus salad to cut the richness of the butter and yolks
• Warm sour cream biscuits or muffins for the table
• Black coffee, or a Bloody Mary bar for guests

If you want another savory bake for the same table, the overnight breakfast casserole is assembled the night before too, and the tater tot casserole feeds a crowd with no last minute steps. For a sweet weekend option that reheats well, try eggnog French toast.

Questions Before Brunch

Can I use Canadian bacon or ham instead of bacon?

Yes. Classic eggs Benedict uses Canadian bacon, and one slice per square under the poached egg works well. Brown it in a skillet first so it is not watery.

Can I skip poaching the eggs?

You can serve the casserole with just the hollandaise, but the runny yolk on top is what makes it taste like eggs Benedict. Poaching ahead and rewarming is the easiest way to keep it.

Is the hollandaise safe with raw yolks?

The yolks cook as you whisk them over simmering water, so they are heated, not raw. If you serve young children, pregnant guests, or older relatives, use pasteurized eggs for the sauce.

Save this eggs Benedict casserole for Easter, Mother’s Day, or the next weekend you have a full table. If you swap the bacon for smoked salmon or ham, tell me in the comments how it went.