28 Make-Ahead Breakfast Casseroles That Make Mornings Easy

Particularly when you have a house full of people, a breakfast bake (whether French toast casserole, strata or something else) is just a genius idea. Put it together the night before, whenever you have a quiet moment, then refrigerate overnight (most of these require that sit time, for the custards and flavors to meld, so don’t even be tempted to skimp on the make-ahead). The next morning, while the coffee brews, you bake it off and set the table. That’s it—no need to get out griddles and measuring spoons in the morning when you still feel like you just barely cleaned up from dinner. You get to relax, too, right along with everyone else in your house. To us, that’s a recipe for an excellent start to the day.

As the recipe notes, the combination of dark, bitter-ish greens with pork is one that is tried-and-true. They unite with creamed corn under a blanket of cornmeal that here, behaves like light drop biscuits atop this outrageously good casserole. To make ahead, assemble the filling the night before, and pulse together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and pepper in the food processor; just let it sit in there overnight. The next morning as your oven preheats, pulse with the butter, cream and Cheddar to get the batter ready to go. Top your casserole, sprinkle with cheese and bake.

Enter the strata, named for its layers of deliciousness, which has as much in common with your Thanksgiving stuffing as it does a breakfast treat. This one can be fully assembled and refrigerated until bake time. It’s also meatless, but absolutely hearty with the inclusion of mushrooms, spinach and Gruyere, and as all good breakfast casseroles should be, it goes wonderfully with a cup of joe.

Ree packs so many shortcuts to so much tastiness here. The easy casserole gets boosts of personality by starting with onion rolls and store-bought pesto, but it also has already-roasted red peppers and lots of mozzarella. Fresh oregano and parsley complement the basil in the pesto and really earn its moniker of “herbalicious.”

Lest you think that make-ahead breakfast casseroles are only for the lovers of savory breakfasts, let’s dispel that notion right now! Casseroles can transform things like pancakes and French toast from requiring tedious flipping at the griddle to a super-simple dish for feeding a crowd, where everyone gets fresh hot food all at once. This one gives a little tropical flair to French toast, with those slivered almonds and shredded coconut adding a crunch to offset the creamy bread.

Pancakes get the bread-pudding treatment! Make them first, when you have time, then shingle them in a casserole with a rich, vanilla laced custard, and pop in the fridge. While your coffee brews the next morning, bake it off and prep your fruit. Voila.

This casserole goes lean where it can, with turkey sausage and a lot of egg whites. The whole-wheat baguette in particular makes for an interesting flavor and texture, just a little more complex than the usual white. A combination of Cheddar, Parmesan and scallions, along with the inclusion of spinach, takes it from just healthier to also satisfying.

You could hardly improve on a donut and coffee in the morning. But if you want that vibe with a little more fanfare, turn the donuts into a casserole that will combine beautifully with syrup and berries. Damaris gives you all the instructions you need to assemble ahead, and even freeze until you’re ready to bake and serve. Easy-peasy, but so special.

We see you, after the holidays, when seemingly just a single wedge is missing from your panettone (and you went for the large size, again!). Well, here’s something to do with it to make it disappear so fast that everyone will be wishing there was more. Slick slices with a creamy filling, then bake in a tasty custard, topped with crunchy almonds.

We won’t claim that eggs Benedict will ever be a simple undertaking, but this method lets you prep ahead as much as possible, and make it actually doable to serve a crowd, which otherwise feels impossible without a professional kitchen backing you. The English muffins and ham layers can sit in the fridge overnight. While they bake the next morning, you prep your hollandaise and poach the eggs. Pour the mimosas and enjoy.

Attention PSL stans! It’s never really the wrong time for fall flavors, particularly when you can conjure them this easily. Canned pumpkin pie filling is already all spiced up and ready to go, so you can dollop it on when you’re ready to bake (and top with a crunchy-buttery brown sugar crumble). You will absolutely smell fall in the air—even if it’s July.

Don’t despair keto followers, you can get in on the casserole goodness too! This one is so packed with tasty veggies (and hello, chorizo!), that even if you’ve never heard of keto, you’ll want to dive in. Some Monterrey Jack cheese and dollops of sour cream emphasize the south-of-the-border flavors.

This dish takes all the elements of a corned beef hash served over breakfast potatoes and translates them to a casserole. Even better, you know those potatoes will be crispy and easy because they are frozen potato tots! After crisping them up, they’re covered with a layer of Cheddar and then the hash. Bake right away or go ahead and refrigerate it until you’re ready to have the heartiest breakfast of your life.

This sweet breakfast bake has a lot going for it. Aside from being easy to make in advance, the ingredient list is relatively short — and chock full of pantry and refigerator staples. Oh, and did we mention that it's topped with a sprinkle of brown sugar and cinnamon for a dessert-like, glazed finish?!

Think about an egg, cheese and sausage on an everything bagel—the ideal breakfast sandwich. Now think about recreating that for 8 to 10 people—not something most people would sign up for before they’ve even had coffee. But this casserole makes it possible, turning hunks of those bagels into the base and cream cheese and provolone, breakfast sausage and spinach into the key players, and it bakes while that coffee brews.

It’s okay if you want to start with store-bought pancakes here, because the key to this delicious dish is in the custard, and in the topping. The custard is full of warm spices, cinnamon and nutmeg. While the casserole is baking, you cook pecans in maple syrup for a chunky, nutty warm topping that makes simply a knockout combination.

Ree has an express lane to Southwest flavors that bubble together in this breakfast casserole. Jalapeños, poblanos and green chiles make it chile-forward, while Cheddar, Monterey Jack and bacon give the frozen hash browns a cheesy blanket that ties it all together. It is so full of potatoes, so if you are a real potato lover, give it a try.

This breakfast bake conjures European flavors with such minimal prep. Whole wheat English muffins give it subtle character, while sun-dried tomato contributes intense hits of salty-sweetness. Some egg whites replace whole eggs, but it strikes just the right balance once you pop some Cheddar in there.

That overnight soak in the custard gives this French toast such a creamy texture. Just baking it would yield a nice crisp top, but we like to go for full-on crunchy. A brown sugar-walnut crumble on top gives it a perfectly craggy, sweet and salty, butterscotchy crown.

Many of the casseroles on this list have you assemble the night before and then bake in the morning. But this one has you prep the night before, and then it cooks all night, right in the slow cooker. Beware that you might be drawn out of bed early, for all the incredible aromas coming from the kitchen! The good news is, it will be ready whenever you are; no morning labor required.

Trisha’s casserole really follows the stuffing model, with bread cubes soaking up the custard and being seasoned with tons of sausage. The morning bake melts all that copious cheese and gives crisp, browned edges. The dry mustard adds a nice subtle heat and tons of savoriness to the mix.

We vote for more tots at breakfast time. After all, what are tots, exactly, other than shrunken-down hash brown patties? Here, Ree works the tots into a casserole with breakfast sausage, peppers and lots of cheese for a morning bake that’s fit for a lumberjack.

This is truly restaurant-quality French toast, so your fellow eaters will never guess that it’s not made to order. While the pre-assembled casserole bakes, you macerate the berries, which makes even not-quite-in-season berries taste at their optimal peak. The homemade whipped cream is a nice touch.

The croque madame, that French bistro classic of a griddled ham and cheese sandwich topped with a fried egg, was always a knife-and-fork kind of sandwich, particularly if it’s served with a Mornay sauce, a bechamel-based Gruyere sauce. Here, instead, the cheese is inside the sandwich, as it’s translated into something cooked in a casserole. To assemble ahead, get it all the way to covering the casserole, then refrigerate overnight. Morning of, just fry up those eggs for topping as the casserole cools. Don’t forget the powdered sugar.

This bake veers close to the dessert category—but we don’t know anyone who would object! Melty chocolate chips complement the bananas in this pancake/bread pudding hybrid that is fluffy and rich. Even though the bananas are sliced, you can refrigerate this overnight, fully assembled, without worrying about any color-changing.

Ham and cheese get the star billing here, but there are all sorts of other tasty elements that go unnamed. Like the mushrooms and onions, plus the plum tomatoes that get layered on top so that their flavors are concentrated in the oven. Some fresh parsley and a scattering of Parmesan and Gruyere bring a cheesy finish.

Surprise! We tend to think of pancake bakes as in the sweet realm, but this one is decidedly savory (albeit with those sweet pancake undertones). This combo really suits those “I can’t decide” eaters, with sausage, Cheddar and scallions mixed together with the pancakes. This makes an amazing impression at a potluck brunch.

We can’t think of a more delicious way to start off a wintery morning (or any kind of morning to be honest) than with a plate of this warm croissant French toast casserole. Day-old, store-bought croissants work perfectly for this, as their slight staleness helps them soak up all the creamy, almondy custard poured over top. Dollops of blueberry jam and a sprinkling of sliced almonds and fresh blueberries take it to another level, making it a decadent choice for breakfast, brunch or even dessert.