38 Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole Recipes You Will Love

From pancake bakes to make ahead egg casseroles, these easy recipes will carry you through a busy weekend.

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Updated on September 3, 2024

Southern Living Eggs Benedict Casserole in the casserole dish ready to serve — Photo:
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Mornings are usually the most hectic times of the weekday. Getting the entire family up on time, dressed, and out the door to work, school, or various appointments can be more difficult than we care to admit—and cooking up a nice breakfast is the last thing on our list. All too often, the most important meal of the day ends up being a slice of quick bread or a smoothie. Weekend mornings should feel special and just a touch indulgent—that's where these make-ahead breakfast casseroles come in.

Make the most of lazy weekend mornings with a comforting breakfast casserole. Do the majority of the prep work the night before, then simply pop it in the oven the next morning. From pancake bakes to make-ahead egg casseroles, these easy recipes will carry you through a busy weekend. And next weekend? Try some mouth-watering pancakes.

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Overnight Blueberry French Toast Casserole With Blueberry-Maple Syrup

Overnight Blueberry French Toast — Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox

If you arrived home from the farmers' market with an overabundance of fresh blueberries, use them for something new with this decadent yet fresh breakfast recipe.

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Baked Oatmeal with Apple, Cranberries, and Pecans

Baked Oatmeal with Apple, Cranberries, and Pecans — Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Maggie Ruggiero

With apple pie spice, pecans, cranberries, and fresh apples, this sweet (but not too sweet!) breakfast is the coziest meal for a chilly fall morning.

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Cheesy Tomato-and-Sausage Strata

Cheesy Tomato-and-Sausage Strata — Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

This breakfast casserole has all the usual suspects of a delicious and satisfying breakfast—eggs, cheese, sausage, bread—but they come together with a few upgrades that make it feel decidedly elegant for weekend guests.

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Best Breakfast Casserole

Southern Living Best Breakfast Casserole in the pan ready to serve — Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

This dish lives up to its name and checks every box. Loaded with breakfast sausage, eggs, hash browns, bell peppers, cheese, and spices—what's not to love?

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Baked Almond French Toast With Maple-Blackberry Syrup

Baked Almond French Toast with Maple-Blackberry Syrup — Photographer: Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Missie Neville Crawford

These flavors are too good to be true, and this recipe almost addicting. Be ready to share how you came up with this genius dish when you offer it up to a brunch crowd. The brioche bread cubes are what makes it taste so special.

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Breakfast Enchiladas

Southern Living Breakfast Enchiladas in the casserole dish — Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

Who says enchiladas are just for dinner? Flavored with bold Mexican flavors like fresh red bell peppers, salsa verde, fresh cilantro, and chopped avocado, this make-ahead casserole is sure to wake everyone up.

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Baked Oatmeal

Baked Oatmeal — Brittany Conerly; Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin

Baked oatmeal is packed with fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants—making it one of the healthiest make-ahead breakfast options. Plus, it's almost infinitely customizable. Grab some fresh or dried fruit and get started on your oatmeal bar.

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Deep-Dish Loaded Hash Brown Casserole

Deep-Dish Loaded Hash Brown Casserole — Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Missie Neville Crawford

We love these breakfast flavors at any time of day—especially this throw-together hash brown casserole. This delicious meal is one we guarantee will see your table often.

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Smoky Sausage-and-Grits Casserole

Smoky Sausage-and-Grits Casserole — Alison Miksch

You can assemble this cheesy grits casserole up to four days ahead, giving you a real jumpstart on your weekend planning. This one is a crowd-pleaser, and is the perfect option for a holiday gathering or other reasons you might have a full house.

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Eggs Benedict Casserole

Southern Living Eggs Benedict Casserole in the casserole dish ready to serve — Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

This savory breakfast casserole is built to be hassle-free and easy to pull off at home thanks to our foolproof blender hollandaise. Yes, you read that right: This hollandaise comes together entirely in a blender.

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Cinnamon Roll Casserole

Cinnamon Roll Casserole — Antonis Achilleos

There's no smell more enticing than a batch of fresh cinnamon rolls fresh out of the oven, and this casserole recipe makes them even easier to serve. That makes it a surefire winner anytime you're hosting overnight guests—or just get a hankering for a cinnamon-y start to your Saturday.

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Sausage Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

Southern Living Sausage Hash Brown Casserole in the dish with a serving taken out and two glasses of orange juice — Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Hash browns, sausage, eggs, and plenty of cheese—this recipe packs everything you love about a full breakfast into one dish. An all-in-one melding of brekky flavors, this is one of our favorites and will become yours as well.

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Breakfast Chilaquiles Casserole

Breakfast Chilaquiles Casserole — Photographer: Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Missie Neville Crawford

Need an impressive looking dish to wow at brunch without all the effort? This make-ahead chilaquiles casserole is just the ticket. Prepare the base in advance, then add fried eggs and garnishes just before serving.

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Sausage And Egg Casserole

Sausage Egg Casserole - Southern Living — Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Cutting into this sausage and egg casserole ensures a great day ahead. This breakfast casserole classic is loaded with all the good stuff—pork breakfast sausage, eggs, peppers, onion, Greek yogurt, and cheese for a filling meal.

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Brioche French Toast Casserole

Southern Living Brioche Cinnamon French Toast Casserole in the pan ready to serve — Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Many recipes for French toast casserole call for soaking the bread overnight in the egg custard—and you can certainly do that—but we sped up the process in this recipe because not everyone needs the overnight window. In this case, just an hour will do.

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Cheesy Sausage And Croissant Casserole

sausage and croissant breakfast casserole - southern living — Alison Miksch

This casserole is rich, delicious, and worthy of a special holiday breakfast, but you don't need to wait for a houseful of company to prepare it. Gruyère cheese browns beautifully and adds a nutty flavor to the dish. With the added sausage, your savory breakfast is served.

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Creamy Egg Strata

Southern Living Creamy Egg Strata after baking — Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox

In this strata, a mixture of Parmesan cheese and Swiss cheese packs a sharp punch, and dry white wine and chicken broth create an added layer of savory flavor. This is one of those recipes that needs to stay in your rotation of classics.

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French Toast Casserole

Southern Living French Toast Casserole in the pan with a serving out — Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey

French toast meets bread putting with this irresistible baked casserole topped with cornflake, walnut, and sugar mixture for a little crunch. Everyone will be asking for the recipe!

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Pancake Casserole

Pancake Casserole — Caitlin Bensel

Nobody has time for flipping flapjacks by the stove all morning, so make this Saturday brunch classic ahead with a big-batch casserole. The other advantage, of course, is that no one is waiting in line for their serving to come off the skillet.

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Everything Bagel Casserole

Everything Bagel Casserole — Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist Prissy Lee

In this recipe, everything bagels and everything bagel seasoning come together to form the creamiest, cheesiest, sausage-packed breakfast bake that can be prepped ahead. Imagine a toasted everything bagel loaded down with cream cheese, sandwiched around savory breakfast sausage, and baked until perfectly gooey. That's this in a casserole dish.

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Praline-Pecan French Toast

Southern Living's Praline Pecan French Toast on a platter — Robby Lozano; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

We blended one of the South's most cherished desserts, Pecan Pralines, with one of its favorite breakfast foods—French Toast. This is a flavorful match made in breakfast heaven, and we promise there will be no complaints once your servings have been scarfed down.

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Sausage Gravy Casserole With Cheddar-Cornmeal Biscuits

Sausage Gravy Casserole with Cheddar-Cornmeal Biscuits — Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Our Test Kitchen developed this comforting recipe to be frozen ahead of time, which makes it perfect for holiday prep. Don't forget, you can also freeze this casserole into smaller portions that will allow it to be enjoyed multiple times.

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Stuffed Ham And Cheese Croissant Casserole

Stuffed Ham-And-Cheese casserole

Already the ultimate make-ahead meal, you can freeze this breakfast and keep it on hand for busy weeks or weekends when you have company over. Just remember that you can have this on your table any time you crave it, and don't always need to share.

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Tater Tot Breakfast Bake

Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole - Southern Living — Photographer: Jen Causey, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely, Food Stylist: Ana Kelly

Grab a bag of frozen tater tots and a few pantry staples, and you've got a delicious breakfast even the pickiest eaters at your table will eat right up. You'll never go without tater tots in your freezer again.

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Overnight French Toast Casserole with Bourbon-Maple Syrup

Orange-Vanilla French Toast Casserole with Bourbon-Maple Syrup — Antonis Achilleo; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos

Our Test Kitchen just has one request for this recipe: Use the good stuff, only. 100 percent pure maple syrup will get you the flavor this recipe was made to have. From that point forward, any other syrup will taste inferior.

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Spinach-And-Broccoli Breakfast Bread Pudding

Spinach-and-Broccoli Breakfast Bread Pudding

Just when you thought breakfast casseroles couldn't get any easier, we made one that's created in a slow cooker. It's not just about the easy of one dish, but letting your favorite cooking appliance take care of it for you.

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Crispy Grits Breakfast Casserole

Southern Living Crispy Grits Breakfast Casserole — Greg Dupree; Prop Stylist: Ginny Branch; Food Stylist: Micah Morton

This isn't your average grits casserole. Once cooked, the grits are chilled on a baking sheet, cut into squares, and baked like croutons before being assembled into the casserole dish with the other ingredients.

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Croissant Breakfast Casserole

croissant breakfast casserole — Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Torie Cox; Prop Stylist: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Smokey, savory country ham steaks are the ideal partner for buttery croissants in this ultimate make-ahead breakfast. This will leave everyone at the table feeling full. Planning your next meal of the day isn't exactly urgent.

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Oven Baked Buttermilk French Toast

Oven-Baked Buttermilk French Toast — Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

This big batch of French toast is delicious topped with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a side of fresh fruit. No matter which accouterments you choose, there is enough for everyone.

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Cheesy Ham, Corn, And Grits Bake

Cheesy Ham, Corn, and Grits Bake — Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunnigham

This is one of our Test Kitchen's all-time favorite breakfast casseroles they've ever developed, so you know it's worthy of a crowd. All the components are there to delight even the most picky of palates. Do not expect any leftovers.

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Sausage-Kale Strata

Southern Living Sausage-Kale Strata in the pan ready to serve — Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Swap breakfast's usual bacon and sausage for this make-ahead flavorful sausage and kale bake. Thanks to leftover sourdough bread, the result is a savory breakfast that is out of this world with flavor.

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Shrimp And Grits Casserole

Shrimp and Grits Casserole — Antonis Achilleo; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos

The crowning glory of this recipe is the extra pan sauce or "shrimp gravy." Save it so your family can pour a little extra over their serving of this remade classic recipe. The grits will absorb the flavor and moisture, and your palate will be thanking you.

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Overnight Eggnog French Toast Casserole

Overnight Eggnog French Toast Casserole — Caitlin Bensel

We can't think of a more festive recipe for Christmas morning than this sweet breakfast that's prepped a day in advance. These are the flavors of home and will bring your crowd even closer together. There's nothing like bonding over a delicious start to the day.

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Hashbrown Casserole

Hashbrown Casserole — Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

This party-ready hashbrown casserole is one you'll want to keep stashed in your freezer at all times. It'll save you time in the kitchen on busy weekends or when hosting.

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Slow Cooker Cinnamon Roll Casserole

Crock Pot Cinnamon Roll Casserole — Caitlin Bensel

This ultra-gooey, sweet breakfast casserole requires minimal hands-on time thanks to your trusty slow cooker. This is twelve servings of goodness that might just require a sip or two of coffee. You've got just the right amount of fuel to get the day started.

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Mini Cheese Grits Casseroles Recipe

Mini Cheese Grits Casseroles — Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

These cute mini casseroles are even faster to make day-of if you prepare the grits the night beforehand. This recipe can be modified into a whole casserole if you don't have the 8 oz Ramekins depicted. No matter the presentation, this dish satisfies.

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Biscuits And Gravy Casserole

Biscuits-and-Gravy Casserole Image — Southern Living

Skip driving to your favorite breakfast spot this time around. Frozen biscuits speed up this classic breakfast favorite, which takes only 15 minutes of hands-on time. Not only that but you will all be served at once.

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One Dish Blackberry French Toast

One-Dish Blackberry French Toast

Although it looks and tastes impressive, this sweet breakfast comes together with a handful of store-bought ingredients. You will put this breakfast option on repeat for those mornings when you need a last-minute solution.

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