What are your favorite breakfast casserole recipes? Mine change depending on the season, but one thing they all have in common is that they are pretty darn easy to make.
Mornings at our house consist of grabbing as many people as possible off the ground, arguing over whose turn it is to use the good hairbrush or good razor or good shampoo, and emerging victorious or not from the war of toiletries. After all of this is accomplished, I have about four minutes to bring out food for my family.
So, breakfast casseroles that take forever to make or require lots of pans and stirring on the stove are out. Make-ahead casseroles that you just plop in the oven are more like it.
This is how we get through the school year.
Today I’m sharing my best and easiest breakfast casserole recipes, thirteen, to be exact. Each one has been tried and tested in my own kitchen, served to my family, and approved as worthy of making again.
They’re all found on the site and are linked below.
1) Easy Breakfast Casserole
1) Easy Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- 5 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3 cups of frozen hashbrowns (thawed)
- 1/3 c. greens onion (sliced)
- 1/2 green pepper (diced)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1 1/2 cups mild cheddar cheese
- 1 cup diced ham
Cooking Instructions
- Stir together eggs and milk and salt and pepper.
- Combine the hashbrowns, green onions, cheese, green pepper and ham.
- Pour egg and milk mixture over hashbrown mixture in a bowl and mix well.
- Pour into a square dish (a pie plate works well, too)
- Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes uncovered, or until casserole is set when you try and wiggle it and a toothpick comes out “clean”
- Let the breakfast casserole sit for 5 minutes or so to let it harden up a bit.
- Cut into pieces and serve – will serve 6-8 people.
- *** If you prepare this the night before you’ll need to add time to your baking time. Also, keep the dry and wet ingredients separate until ready to put in the oven and then combine them.
With just ten minutes of hands-on time, this casserole is the ultimate in easy. It can be made ahead and assembled the night before, and is always a hit with the family.
My teen-age appetites can inhale the whole pan so I make two when I know we’ll be eating this for breakfast.
2) Breakfast Sausage Casserole
2) Breakfast Sausage Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound sausage (browned and drained)
- 6 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 8 slices bread
- 1 tsp. dry mustard
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Cooking Instructions
- Butter bread slices and press butter side down in 9×13 dish
- Mix together eggs, mustard, milk and salt
- Mix in cheese and sausage
- Pour over bread slices
- Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight
- Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes
- Enjoy!
Sausage + eggs + cheese = happy. This casserole is another make-ahead casserole that gets thrown in the oven in the morning.
My husband asks for this one on holiday mornings, it is important that the ratio of sausage to eggs is just right.
3) Biscuits and Gravy Casserole
3) Biscuits and Gravy Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb. breakfast sausage*
- 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 c. whole milk
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 16 oz. can Pillsbury flaky biscuits (each biscuit cut into quarters or sixths)
- 2 tbsp. butter (melted)
- * I get this from the meat counter (sage breakfast sausage)
Cooking Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° and spray a large baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet cook sausage until browned all over.
- If there is a lot of grease, drain if desired and sprinkle flour all over the sausage, cooking for just a minute longer.
- Season with cayenne, salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Pour milk over mixture, constantly stirring while bringing the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes until thick.
- Remove from heat.
- Place half your diced biscuits onto the bottom of your baking dish, bake those for a few minutes in the oven, remove from oven and pour gravy mixture on top.
- Top with the remaining biscuits and brush with butter.
- Place in the oven to bake 17-18 minutes, until biscuits are golden and sausage mixture is bubbling making sure that biscuits in the bottom of the casserole dish are baked through as well.
- Enjoy!
If you love biscuits and gravy as much as I do, you’ll love this version in casserole form. There’s a lot of love in a pan of B&G and this recipe brings it all together in an easy-to-make casserole that feeds a crowd.
Guaranteed to keep your tummy full past 10am.
4) Quick Breakfast Casserole
4) Quick Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 5 large eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 3 cups frozen hashbrowns (thawed)
- ⅓ cup green onions (sliced)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 slices bacon (cooked and crumbled (or 1 cup diced ham))
- 1½ cups sharp cheddar (shredded and divided)
Cooking Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch pie plate.
- Cook bacon over medium heat until crispy. Drain on paper towels and crumble into pieces. Set aside. If using ham, dice it and skip this step.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk until fully combined.
- Add the thawed hashbrowns, sliced green onions, salt, pepper, and 7 of the crumbled bacon slices to the egg mixture. Stir until evenly combined.
- Stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheddar.
- Pour the mixture into the greased pie plate. Top with the remaining ½ cup shredded cheddar, then scatter the last crumbled bacon slice over the cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 35–40 minutes, until the top is golden and the center does not jiggle when you shake the pan gently. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
- Let rest 5 minutes before cutting into wedges.
Quick and easy casserole breakfasts have to be one of my favorite types of recipes. This one in particular requires little assembly and has a short bake time.
Plus, it’s made with basic ingredients that you likely already have on hand so no special shopping required. It’s such an easy breakfast that I’ve been known to make it on a random Tuesday.
5) Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole
5) Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- Casserole
- 3 cups frozen shredded hashbrowns (thawed overnight and blotted dry)
- 1/3 cup butter (melted, plus enough to grease the pie plate)
- 1 cup diced ham (fully cooked)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper (finely chopped)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking Instructions
- Instructions
- Move the frozen hashbrowns from the freezer to the refrigerator the night before. Let them thaw for at least 6 to 8 hours, ideally overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Butter a 9-inch pie plate generously, including the sides. Blot the thawed hashbrowns dry with paper towels, then press them firmly and evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. Drizzle the melted butter over the hashbrowns.
- Bake the hashbrown crust at 425°F for 25 minutes, until the edges and tips are golden and crispy and the surface looks dry and set.
- Remove the crust from the oven. In a bowl, combine the diced ham, shredded cheddar, and finely chopped green bell pepper. Spread the mixture evenly into the baked hashbrown crust without packing it down.
- Whisk the eggs, milk, salt, and black pepper until fully combined. Pour the custard evenly over the ham and cheese layer, tilting the pie plate gently so it reaches the edges.
- Turn the oven down to 350°F. Return the casserole to the oven and bake for 25 minutes, until the egg is fully set in the center and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. If the center still moves, bake for 5 more minutes and check again.
- Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before slicing so the custard firms up and the slices hold together cleanly.
Breakfast casseroles are great because they’re easy to make and usually include hashbrowns and cheese. This recipe takes those concepts and adds in eggs and your choice of protein to create a super easy to make casserole that tastes like it’s something you’d get from a diner. They’re inexpensive, easy to make and oh-so-delicious. The bottom gets nice and crispy too. My family loves this recipe so much they’d probably be ok with me making it once a week, though not me as I’d be bored with it.
6) Quick and Easy Breakfast Casserole Quiche
6) Quick and Easy Breakfast Casserole Quiche
Ingredients
- One Pillsbury Pie Crust (or make your own)
- 8 thick bacon strips (cooked and crumbled)
- 1/2 cup colby jack cheese (pepper jack would be delish as well!)
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
- 4 extra large eggs
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 tsp salt (I use sea salt)
- 1/4 t. sugar
- 1/8 t. cayenne pepper
Cooking Instructions
- Grab your pie dish.
- Unroll and lay your pie crust in the dish. Cut the excess of the edges with a paring knife.
- Put two layers of foil over the pie crust and bake at 450 degrees for five minutes.
- Take the foil off and bake for an additional five minutes.
- Let the pie crust cool for atleast 20 minutes.
- Fill the pie crust with the bacon, onion and cheese.
- Mix the remaining ingredients and pour over the pie dish.
- Carefully transfer to an oven preheated to 375 degrees, noting that you’ll need to turn the temp down after baking the pie crust.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- The quiche will still jiggle a little, but once the toothpick comes out clean, it’s good to sit and set up.
- Let sit for ten minutes after baking and cut in pie pieces.
Quiche + Casserole = Easy, impressive breakfast. It’s a casserole in nature but comes together under a crust that makes it seem like “I made an effort”.
This is a great recipe to have in your back pocket for entertaining or just on a regular ol’ Saturday because it can be made ahead of time. Just pop it in the oven when you get up and leave it be.
7) Easy Cinnamon Roll Recipe
7) Easy Cinnamon Roll Recipe
Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- 1 stick butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup frozen vanilla ice cream
- 1 12-count Bag Frozen Rhodes Cinnamon Rolls
Cooking Instructions
- Combine butter and vanilla ice cream in a saucepan and melt.
- Add sugars and heat to boiling, over medium high heat constantly stirring with a whisk.
- Bring to a rolling boil while whisking the entire time for two or three minutes.
- Remove saucepan from burner and let sit for 15 minutes or so to cool down.
- Once cooled put this mixture in to the refrigerator for an hour or so.
- Spray glass baking dish with nonstick spray and arrange the frozen cinnamon rolls evenly in the dish.
- Give the frozen rolls atleast 2 inches on each side for room to expand or as much room as your dish will allow.
- Pour cold caramel mixture over the rolls and set in the oven overnight.
- Store the packet of icing that comes with the rolls in the fridge overnight. You’ll use that on top of the rolls once they’re cooked in the morning.
- In the morning do not take the rolls out of the oven.
- They will remain in the oven while preheating.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees until browned on top.
- ** I generally halve this recipe and make six cinnamon rolls at a time. When I do that, for example, I cook them for 25 minutes total from the time I turn on the oven.
- Frost those puppies right when you take them out of the oven. Yum!
I cannot stress enough how delicious these rolls are. They’re super easy to make, take 25 minutes to bake, give or take, and smell like a bakery when they’re being baked in your oven on a holiday morning.
The smell alone is impressive but the taste is even better. Soft, gooey rolls are always a hit.
Make the dough, roll them up and refrigerate the night before baking them the next morning while you’re brewing a pot of coffee. They’re a reader’s request more times than not.
8) Caramel Cinnamon Rolls
8) Caramel Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- 1 stick butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup frozen vanilla ice cream
- 1/2 to a full (12-count Bag Frozen Rhodes Cinnamon Rolls)
Cooking Instructions
- Combine butter and vanilla ice cream in a saucepan and melt.
- Add sugars and heat to boiling, over medium high heat constantly stirring with a whisk.
- Bring to a rolling boil while whisking the entire time for two or three minutes.
- Remove saucepan from burner and let sit for 15 minutes or so to cool down.
- Once cooled put this mixture in to the refrigerator for an hour or so.
- Spray glass baking dish with nonstick spray and arrange the frozen cinnamon rolls evenly in the dish.
- Give the frozen rolls atleast 2 inches on each side for room to expand or as much room as your dish will allow.
- Pour cold caramel mixture over the rolls and set in the oven overnight.
- Store the packet of icing that comes with the rolls in the fridge overnight. You’ll use that on top of the rolls once they’re cooked in the morning.
- In the morning do not take the rolls out of the oven.
- They will remain in the oven while preheating.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees until browned on top.
- ** I generally halve this recipe and make six cinnamon rolls at a time. When I do that, for example, I cook them for 25 minutes total from the time I turn on the oven.
- Frost those puppies right when you take them out of the oven. Yum!
They’re basically “caramel cinnamon rolls” which is fine with me. It takes little time and makes for an amazing aroma at 8am.
My teens were doubtful that anyone on earth would want cinnamon rolls with caramel added but each demolished FOUR.
9) Butterscotch Coffee Cake
9) Butterscotch Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 box instant butterscotch pudding
- 1 box instant vanilla pudding
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- 2 T melted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Cooking Instructions
- Butter or spray your 9×13 glass dish and preheat oven to 350°.
- Mix first six ingredients with a hand mixer or in your stand mixer.
- Pour into baking dish.
- Combine sugar and butter till crumbly.
- Drop on top of coffee cake.
- If using pecans, sprinkle on top of coffee cake.
- I usually do half with pecans and half without.
- But then after you bake it for 35-45 minutes (my oven takes 40 minutes) it will turn into this… amazing goodness. Yum! Enjoy!
Coffee cake is already one of the best ways to start the morning but adding butterscotch takes this recipe over the edge in a very good way. It’s amazing for entertaining and very little effort.
This one I save for a leisurely Sunday morning, ahem, when I have time to sit back and enjoy a HOT cup of coffee, which happens about 4 times a year.
10) Banana Bread
10) Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- 2 eggs
- 4 ripe bananas (mashed)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Cooking Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottoms of two loaf pans with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and softened butter until combined.
- Stir in the eggs until well blended.
- Blend in the mashed bananas, vanilla, and buttermilk until smooth.
- Add the flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared loaf pans.
- Bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the loaves cool briefly in the pans, then turn them out onto a wire rack.
- Cool completely before slicing for the cleanest slices.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
I tested and tested this recipe until it was just right, moist, flavorful, easy. Banana bread can be made ahead of time which is helpful for busy mornings.
Bake it up the night before and pull out a slice or two for breakfast. It’s one of those recipes I make again and again but I’m sure I’ll be beaten to the punch by my husband.
He inhales three slices before I get one.
11) Pumpkin and Bran Muffins
11) Pumpkin and Bran Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Raisin Bran cereal
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup canned pumpkin (plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2/3 cup plain yogurt
Cooking Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, or grease each cup well with cooking spray. Set the pan aside.
- In a large bowl, add the Raisin Bran, whole wheat flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and raisins. Toss until the cereal is coated and the spices are evenly distributed.
- Add the canned pumpkin, eggs, vegetable oil, and plain yogurt directly to the bowl with the dry ingredients. A separate wet-ingredient bowl is not needed.
- Use a spatula or large spoon to fold the batter together until no dry flour or pockets of yogurt remain. Stop as soon as it is combined. The batter should look thick and a little rough.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about three-quarters full. A cookie scoop works well for even portions.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Start checking at 20 minutes. The tops should look matte and feel firm when lightly pressed, and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack. Let them cool another 10 minutes if you want them to hold together cleanly.
If you’re looking for a slightly healthier option these muffins fit the bill. They’re flavorful and light.
Make them up on Sunday for all of this week’s breakfasts and you’ll be ahead of the game. And trust me, Gigi watches intently hoping someone will drop one of these muffins but her hopes are in vain.
12) Easy Breakfast Pizza
12) Easy Breakfast Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 tube refrigerated pizza crust (11–14 oz)
- 2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
- 6 large eggs
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1/2 lb bacon (baked and crumbled)
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
Cooking Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange bacon strips on a wire rack set over a sheet pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until fully crisp. Set aside to cool while you prep the crust and eggs.
- Increase oven temperature to 400°F. Lightly grease your sheet pan with cooking spray or a thin layer of olive oil. Unroll the pizza crust and press it out to fill the pan, stretching it to the edges. Brush the top with about 1½ tablespoons of the olive oil. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes until light golden and no longer doughy to the touch.
- Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the milk, and whisk until fully combined. Heat the remaining ½ tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Pour in the egg mixture and cook, stirring gently, until the eggs are just barely set and still slightly glossy. Remove from heat — they will finish cooking in the oven.
- Once the bacon is cool enough to handle, break it into small crumbles with your hands or chop it roughly with a knife.
- Spread the scrambled eggs in an even layer over the pre-baked crust, leaving a small border at the edges. Scatter the bacon crumbles evenly over the eggs. Sprinkle the Monterey Jack cheese over the top first, then the cheddar.
- Return the pizza to the 400°F oven and bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and just beginning to bubble at the edges.
- Let the pizza sit for 2 to 3 minutes before slicing. Cut into squares or wedges and serve immediately.
Breakfast pizza is an unusual way to serve up your classic breakfast foods, but the combination of pizza crust, eggs, cheese, and your favorite toppings is a winner. Give this recipe a try and enjoy an interesting change from all of the other recipes on this list.
And, when the words “breakfast pizza” are uttered on a Saturday morning, our teens’ doors swing open quicker than you can say “where is it?”
13) Simple Breakfast Sandwiches
13) Simple Breakfast Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 13 English muffins (split and toasted)
- 26 Jimmy Dean premade sausage patties (2 patties per sandwich)
- 13 Kraft cheese slices (1 slice per sandwich)
- fruit (optional, for serving)
Cooking Instructions
- Split the English muffins and toast them until warm and lightly crisp.
- Reheat the premade sausage patties according to the package directions, about 1 minute, or until hot.
- Place 2 hot sausage patties on each toasted English muffin.
- Top each sandwich with 1 cheese slice. Microwave for about 20 seconds, just until the cheese softens and melts.
- Serve warm, with fruit on the side if desired.
There’s nothing like having breakfast sandwiches waiting in the fridge when life gets crazy. These little gems will be ready and waiting for busy weekday mornings.
Make a batch on Sunday and you’ve got breakfast sorted for the week. And, they’re about 1/3 the cost of their drive-thru counterparts and taste a million times better.
There’s no arguing with that.
There you have it, 13 easy, delicious, make-ahead breakfast recipes that are perfect for whipping out when you need a crowd-pleasing breakfast. They’ve all been made and remade in my kitchen and met the harsh judgemental gazes of my taste-testing crowd.
Enjoy!
I wrote in the blog post that these make-ahead casseroles are really worth making a habit of, because future you at 7am will thank you.
