Edited by Isabel Ehlert
I used to make breakfast from scratch every morning. I know.
I do not know who I was, either. At some point, around when the third kid started kindergarten, I realized I was standing at the stove cracking eggs while everyone else was already eating their cereal in the living room and I had not even sat down yet.
Carol would have said, “Honey, why are you doing that?” And honestly, I had no answer.
Then I discovered the make ahead breakfast casserole. You assemble it the night before.
It sits in the fridge. In the morning, you put it in the oven, and 40 minutes later there is a hot, real breakfast for everyone, and you are still sitting at the table in your robe.
These are the ones I make for holidays, school mornings, weekend brunches, and any time I want to feel like I have my life together.
Bacon Breakfast Casserole▼
This is the one to start with if you have never made an overnight breakfast casserole. Bacon, eggs, cheese, hash browns.
The classic combination, layered into a 9×13, refrigerated overnight, baked in the morning. It is forgiving.
It is reliable. It tastes like a really good diner breakfast.
I make this on Christmas Eve every year. By the time everyone is opening presents in the morning, the kitchen smells like bacon and the casserole is ready to go.
If you are feeding a crowd, this one doubles into a second pan without any fuss, just bake them side by side. Cooked and crumbled turkey bacon works fine here too if that is what is in your fridge.
Leftovers reheat well in the microwave for a minute or so, or in a low oven if you want the top to crisp back up. I have never once had this go to waste in my house.
Get the recipe: Bacon Breakfast Casserole
Potato Breakfast Casserole▼
The potato forward version, for the days when you want something heartier than eggs alone. Layers of seasoned potatoes, eggs, cheese, and your meat of choice.
It bakes up into something that feels like a full breakfast plate, except in one pan. This is the one I make when we have weekend guests.
It feeds eight people and looks like I tried very hard.
Frozen shredded potatoes save you the peeling and shredding, and honestly nobody at the table can tell the difference. This is also a great one to build in a disposable pan if you are bringing it somewhere and do not want your good dish to go home with someone else.
Get the recipe: Potato Breakfast Casserole
Bisquick Breakfast Casserole▼
The Bisquick version is the one Carol made, and the one I make now when I want a little nostalgia in the kitchen. The Bisquick layer puffs up into something between a biscuit and a quiche crust, and it holds the eggs, cheese, and sausage in the most satisfying way.
This is the casserole I make when I want my kids to taste the breakfast of my childhood. It works every time.
This one is about as pantry friendly as it gets since Bisquick keeps in the cupboard forever. Sub in whatever ground breakfast sausage is on sale that week, mild or spicy, it holds up either way.
Get the recipe: Bisquick Breakfast Casserole
Sausage Breakfast Casserole▼
This is the classic overnight breakfast casserole, the one everyone’s grandma had a version of. Bread cubes, sausage, eggs, milk, cheese.
You make it the night before and it sits in the fridge soaking up all that custardy goodness, and by morning it bakes into something that is half breakfast, half savory bread pudding.
If somebody told me I could only make one breakfast casserole for the rest of my life, this would probably be the one.
Stale or slightly dried out bread actually works better here than soft fresh bread, it soaks up the egg mixture without turning to mush. This is the one that used to disappear fastest at church potlucks, so plan on a full pan if you are bringing it somewhere with a crowd.
Get the recipe: Sausage Breakfast Casserole
Biscuits and Gravy Casserole▼
Take your favorite Southern breakfast and turn it into a single 9×13. Biscuit topping, sausage gravy underneath, all baked together so you get the perfect bite every time.
This is the dinner for breakfast or breakfast for dinner casserole, depending on what kind of day you are having. My husband, who grew up in the South, called this “exactly right” the first time I made it, and that is praise that does not come easily.
Canned biscuits or the refrigerated tube kind both work fine if you are not making the dough from scratch. This one is also sneaky good as a dinner on a night when breakfast for dinner sounds better than whatever was actually planned.
Get the recipe: Biscuits and Gravy Casserole
Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit Bake▼
Imagine if a McDonald’s bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit grew up and went to a real bakery. That is this casserole.
Layers of biscuit dough, scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheese, all baked together until the biscuits puff up around the edges and turn golden brown.
The kids will eat this. The teenagers will eat this.
The husband will eat this. The grandparents who are visiting will eat this.
Everyone eats this.
This is the one I reach for on picky eater mornings because there is nothing weird looking about it, it just looks like biscuits with breakfast baked in. It also reheats beautifully split into individual squares wrapped in foil for grab and go mornings.
Get the recipe: Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit Bake
Bubble Up Sausage Breakfast Casserole▼
This is the casserole that uses canned biscuit dough cut into pieces and stirred right in, so the whole thing bakes up into these little biscuit pockets surrounded by sausage and eggs and cheese. It is the easiest one on this list to assemble, and it tastes like you spent way more time on it than you did.
If you have ever wanted breakfast to feel like a treat without being any extra work, this is the recipe.
A kitchen scissor is the easiest way to cut the biscuit dough right over the pan, no cutting board needed. This is a good one to hand off to a kid who wants to help since the cutting and stirring part is basically foolproof.
Get the recipe: Bubble Up Sausage Breakfast Casserole
Bacon Breakfast Casserole (Hash Brown Version)▼
The hash brown version is for when you want a crispy edge on the bottom of your breakfast casserole. The frozen hash browns crisp up against the pan, and you get that perfect contrast of crunchy hash brown and soft, eggy middle.
This is the one I make when the in laws are visiting and I want to win at breakfast without putting in more than 15 minutes of actual work.
Do not thaw the hash browns first, they crisp up better going into the pan frozen. A glass or metal 9×13 both work, but glass tends to give you a slightly crispier bottom layer.
Get the recipe: Bacon Breakfast Casserole (Hash Browns)
Breakfast Quiche▼
Technically not a casserole, but spiritually one of them. A quiche is just a fancy breakfast casserole with a crust.
I make this for brunches because it looks polished, and for school mornings because it cuts into perfect slices that travel in lunch bags.
Add whatever you have in the fridge. Spinach, mushrooms, ham, cheese, leftover bacon.
Quiche is the friendliest recipe in the world.
A store bought pie crust is completely fair game here and nobody will know but you. It also freezes well baked and cooled, just wrap slices tight and reheat straight from frozen in a low oven.
Get the recipe: Breakfast Quiche
Breakfast Sausage Quiche▼
The sausage and cheese version, for the days when you want quiche but you also want it to feel like a real, satisfying breakfast. Crumbled breakfast sausage, sharp cheese, and that perfectly set egg custard, all in a buttery crust.
This is the quiche I make for Easter brunch every year. It feels special without requiring anything special.
Cook and drain the sausage the night before so morning assembly is just pouring the custard in and baking. This one holds up at room temperature for a couple hours too, so it is a safe bet for a brunch table where people graze.
Get the recipe: Breakfast Sausage Quiche
Questions I Get About These Breakfast Casseroles
Can I really assemble these the night before?
Yes, that is the whole point of this list. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, then bake in the morning, adding a few extra minutes to the bake time if the dish is going in cold from the fridge.
Can I freeze a breakfast casserole?
Most of these freeze well either baked or unbaked, though egg dishes can get a little watery after freezing so drain any extra liquid when you reheat. I usually wrap portions tight and thaw overnight in the fridge before warming them back up.
What if my kids are picky eaters?
Start with the Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit Bake or the Bubble Up Sausage Casserole, they look the most familiar and get the fewest complaints at my table. You can also just pull a plain corner for a picky kid before adding anything extra on top.
Can I double these for a crowd?
Absolutely, most of these scale up easily in a second 9×13 or a larger pan if you have one. I do this every year for Christmas Eve and it has never let me down.
What can I swap if I do not have an ingredient on hand?
Swap turkey bacon or turkey sausage for regular, use whatever shredded cheese is in the drawer, and frozen hash browns can usually stand in for fresh potatoes. These recipes are forgiving, so do not stress over an exact match.
More make ahead reads: easy meals for tired moms | Mother’s Day brunch ideas | cheesy casseroles