31 All-Time Favorite Make-Ahead Breakfast Casseroles

By Southern Living Editors
Updated October 28, 2020
Credit: Antonis Achilleo; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos

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. The most important meal of the day is often a slice of quick bread or a smoothie. It’s no wonder the weekends are greeted with a long sigh! Make the most of lazy weekend mornings with a comforting make-ahead breakfast casserole. Do the majority of the prep work the night before, then simply pop it in the oven the next morning while everyone is still sleeping. Your family will become a fan of weekend breakfast when you serve up one of these delicious make-ahead breakfast casseroles. And next weekend? Try some mouth-watering pancakes.

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Breakfast Casserole

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Breakfast Casserole

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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Smoky Sausage-and-Grits Casserole

Credit: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Smoky Sausage-and-Grits Casserole

You can assemble this cheesy grits casserole up to four days ahead, giving you a real jumpstart on your weekend planning.

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Creamy Egg Strata

Credit: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Creamy Egg Strata

A strata, similar to quiche and frittatas, is a rich mixture of eggs and cheese baked with buttered, cubed bread serving as a base. A mixture of Parmesan cheese and Swiss cheese pack a sharp punch, and dry white wine and chicken broth create an added layer of savory flavor.

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Praline-Pecan French Toast

Recipe: Praline-Pecan French Toast

Oh yes, we did. We blended one of the South’s most cherished desserts, Pecan Pralines, with one of its favorite breakfast foods—French Toast. Try it with French bread, challah, or Italian sweet bread for texture variety. Looking for a flavor variation? Try using pumpkin bread in the fall. Brew a pot of chicory coffee and your overnight guests will think they are waking up in New Orleans.

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Cheesy Sausage and Croissant Casserole

Credit: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Cheesy Sausage and Croissant Casserole

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. You can sub Swiss cheese if you prefer.

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Sausage Gravy Casserole with Cheddar-Cornmeal Biscuits

Credit: Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Sausage Gravy Casserole with Cheddar-Cornmeal Biscuits

Our Test Kitchen developed this comforting recipe to be frozen ahead of time, which makes it perfect for holiday prep.

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Banana Bread French Toast Casserole

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Recipe: Banana Bread French Toast Casserole

Banana bread and French toast? This is one breakfast mashup we can totally get behind, especially when a homemade Honey-Banana Topping is involved.

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Croissant Breakfast Casserole

Credit: Victor Protasio

Recipe: Croissant Breakfast Casserole

Smokey, savory country ham steaks are the ideal partner for buttery croissants in this ultimate make-ahead breakfast.

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Sausage-Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos

Recipe: Sausage-Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

Hash browns, sausage, eggs, and plenty of cheese, this recipe packs everything you love about a full breakfast into one dish.

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Blueberry Pancake Breakfast Casserole

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Recipe: Blueberry Pancake Breakfast Casserole

You don’t have to make this sweet breakfast casserole during the summer with fresh blueberries—frozen will work just fine.

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Spinach-and-Broccoli Breakfast Bread Pudding

Recipe: Spinach-and-Broccoli Breakfast Bread Pudding

Just when you thought breakfast casseroles couldn’t get any easier, we made one that’s made in the slow cooker.

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Tater Tot Breakfast Bake

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Recipe: Tater Tot Breakfast Bake

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.

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Oven-Baked Buttermilk French Toast

Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Oven-Baked Buttermilk French Toast

This big-batch French toast is delicious topped with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, a drizzle of maple sugar, and a side of fresh fruit.

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Shrimp and Grits Casserole

Credit: Antonis Achilleo; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos

Recipe: Shrimp and Grits Casserole

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.

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Cinnamon Roll Casserole

Credit: Antonis Achilleos

Recipe: Cinnamon Roll Casserole

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.

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Cheesy Ham, Corn, and Grits Bake

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Cheesy Ham, Corn, and Grits Bake

This is one of our Test Kitchen’s all-time favorite breakfast casseroles they’ve ever developed, so you know it’s holiday-worthy.

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Overnight Eggnog-French Toast Casserole

Credit: Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Overnight Eggnog-French Toast Casserole

We can’t think of a more festive recipe for Christmas morning than this sweet breakfast that’s prepped a day in advance.

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Caramelized Onion, Spinach, and Pork Strata

Credit: Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke

Recipe: Caramelized Onion, Spinach, and Pork Strata

Swap breakfast’s usual bacon and sausage for slow-cooked pork chops for a savory breakfast that’s out of this world with flavor.

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Cinnamon-Pecan Breakfast Bread Pudding

Recipe: Cinnamon-Pecan Breakfast Bread Pudding

Warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg makes this sweet-as-sugar breakfast ideal for the holiday season.

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Bacon-and-Tomato Breakfast Casserole

Credit: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Bacon-and-Tomato Breakfast Casserole

This slow-cooker casserole is delicious at breakfast, lunch, or dinner with a light green salad on the side.

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Pancake Bake with Cinnamon Streusel

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Karin Olsen; Food Styling: William Smith

Recipe: Pancake Bake with Cinnamon Streusel

This casserole is basically like a bread pudding recipe with pancakes as the base. A cinnamon-pecan streusel adds a nice crunch to every last bite.

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Biscuits-and-Gravy Casserole

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Biscuits-and-Gravy Casserole

Frozen biscuits speed up this breakfast favorite that’s full of nostalgia.

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Overnight French Toast Casserole with Bourbon-Maple Syrup

Credit: Antonis Achilleo; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos

Recipe: Overnight French Toast Casserole with Bourbon-Maple Syrup

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.

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Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole

Recipe: Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole

Need something to tide your little turkeys over before the big Thanksgiving meal? This seasonal breakfast casserole was made for fall.

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Pancake Casserole

Credit: Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Pancake Casserole

Nobody has time for flipping flapjacks by the stove all morning, so make this Saturday brunch classic ahead with a big-batch casserole.

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Christmas Morning Strata

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Christmas Morning Strata

To prevent the kids from having all the candy from their stockings for breakfast, have a warm, cheesy breakfast casserole ready for Christmas morning.

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Slow-Cooker Cinnamon Roll Casserole

Credit: Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Cinnamon Roll Casserole

This ultra-gooey, sweet breakfast casserole requires minimal hands-on time thanks to your trusty slow cooker.

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Herbed Sausage Breakfast Casserole

Recipe: Herbed Sausage Breakfast Casserole

Cutting into this slow-cooker casserole reveals beautiful layers of hash browns, sausage, veggies, eggs, and cheese.

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Waffle Casserole

Credit: Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Waffle Casserole

Frozen waffles get a whole new life as a breakfast casserole that can serve the whole family.

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Creamy Grits-Mexi Casserole

Credit: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Creamy Grits-Mexi Casserole

This breakfast casserole is filled with Tex-Mex flavor, which starts with cooking grits in Mexican soup broth.

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One-Dish Blackberry French Toast

Recipe: One-Dish Blackberry French Toast

Although it looks and tastes impressive, this sweet breakfast comes together with a handful of store-bought ingredients.

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