Grab And Go With These Make-Ahead Breakfast Casseroles

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Good morning! Nothing beats the smell of bacon and eggs cooking in the early morning. Actually, one thing does — no cooking in the morning! Mornings are busy and they can be stressful, so here are some make-ahead breakfast casseroles that you can just pop in the oven and serve to your entire family with no hassle.

Dulce de Leche French Toast

Thanks to Taste of Home for this recipe!

make ahead breakfast casserole

Ingredients

Toast:

8 slices of Texas toast
⅓ cup whipped cream cheese
⅓ cup of dulce de leche
3 large eggs
½ cup of 2% milk
½ cup of half-and-half cream
3 Tbsp of sugar
1 + ½ tsp of vanilla extract

Topping:

½ cup of packed brown sugar
¼ cup of butter (cubed)
1 Tbsp of corn syrup or agave nectar
¾ cup of chopped pecans

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F and place the Texas toast on an un-greased baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the toast is light brown, then allow the toast to cool.

2. Arrange half of the toast in a single layer in the greased 8-inch square baking dish, trimming the toast to fit into the dish if necessary. In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese and the dulce de leche and spread it over the toast. Top with the remaining toast.

3. In another small bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla together. Pour the mixture over the toast, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

4. In the morning, preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the French toast from the refrigerator while the oven heats up. In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup or agave. Cook and stir over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the pecans and spread over the top.

5. Bake, uncovered for 40-50 minutes or until the casserole is puffed and golden and a knife comes out clean. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

Shrimp and Grits Casserole

Thanks to Southern Living for this recipe!

shrimp casserole

Ingredients

2 cups of whole milk
2 + ¼ cups of heavy cream
1 cup of uncooked quick-cooking grits
¼ cup of butter
1 large egg (lightly beaten)
8 oz. of sharp Cheddar cheese
1 + ½ tsp of kosher salt
5 thick-cut bacon slices (chopped)
½ cup of finely chopped red onion
½ cup of finely chopped red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves (minced)
⅓ cup of all-purpose flour
1 pound of medium peeled, deveined, raw shrimp
½ cup of dry white wine
1 cup of chicken broth
1 Tbsp of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp of fresh thyme leaves
½ tsp of black pepper
⅛ tsp of cayenne pepper
¼ cup of sliced scallions

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and coat an 11×17 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Bring the milk and 2 cups of heavy cream to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the grits and butter and let the mixture return to a boil, whisking often. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, whisking constantly until the grits are tender, about 5-7 minutes.

3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the egg, cheese, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish, cover, and bake until the mixture is set, 35-40 minutes.

4. While the dish is in the oven, cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until crisp, about 8 minutes.

5. Drain the bacon on paper towels, reserving 3 tablespoons of the drippings in the pan. Add the onion and bell pepper to the pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often until it has softened, about 3 minutes.

6. Add the garlic, flour, shrimp, and wine, cooking thoroughly after every addition. Stir in the broth, parsley, thyme, black pepper, cayenne pepper, remaining ¼ cup of heavy cream, and ½ teaspoon of salt.

7. Spoon the shrimp mixture over the baked grits casserole using a slotted spoon. Sprinkle the top with scallions and cooked bacon. Finally, pour the shrimp gravy from the pan into a serving bowl to go with the casserole.

Cinnamon-Pecan Breakfast Bread Pudding

Thanks to Southern Living for this recipe!

make ahead breakfast casserole

Ingredients

5 Tbsp of butter
1 loaf of French bread (cut into ½ – inch thick slices)
1 + ½ cups of sugar
4 tsp of ground cinnamon
¼ tsp of ground nutmeg
8 large eggs
3 cups of half-and-half
2 Tbsp of vanilla extract
2 Tbsp of all-purpose flour
1 cup of coarsely chopped pecans

Directions

1. Grease a 6-quart slow cooker with 1 tablespoon of butter. Arrange the bread slices on the bottom of the slow cooker. Whisk together ¾ cups of sugar, 3 teaspoons of cinnamon, and the nutmeg. Whisk in the eggs, half-and-half, and vanilla. Pour the mixture over the bread, cover, and chill for 8-18 hours.

2. Whisk the remaining ¾ cups of sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and flour in a bowl. Cut in the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the pecans, then cover and chill until ready to use.

3. Remove the bread mixture from the refrigerator and sprinkle the pecan mixture on top. Cover and cook on “High” for 1 hour. Reduce the heat to “Low,” cover, and cook for 3 + ½ hours, or until puffed and set.

Make-Ahead Breakfast Bars

Thanks to Allrecipes for this recipe!

breakfast bars

Ingredients

Cooking spray
3 cups of frozen Southern-style hash browns
4 eggs (lightly beaten)
1 cup of cubed fully-cooked ham
1 cup of shredded Cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese blend
½ tsp of onion powder
¼ tsp of salt
⅛ tsp of ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8×11-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.

2. Mix the hash browns, eggs, ham, cheese, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Shake the dish gently to level out the ingredients.

3. Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven until the top starts to brown, about 40 minutes. Cool before you cut it into bars.

Easy Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole

Thanks to Sally’s Baking Addiction for this recipe!

make ahead breakfast casserole

Ingredients

¾ pound of uncooked sausage
1 tsp of dried rosemary
2 bell peppers (diced)
1 cup of sliced mushrooms
1 cup of fresh spinach
½ medium yellow onion (diced)
1 tsp of minced garlic
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
4 slices of bread
10 large eggs
½ cup of milk
½ cup of shredded cheese

Directions

1. Set a large skillet over medium heat and coat it with nonstick spray or a drizzle of olive oil. Place the sausage in the skillet and begin to break it up with a spatula or a fork. Stir in the rosemary and brown the sausage for about 6-7 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, set a second skillet over medium heat and coat it with nonstick spray or a drizzle of olive oil. Add the peppers, mushrooms, spinach, onion, garlic, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Begin stirring and cooking the vegetables until they’re tender, about 6-8 minutes.

3. Set the sausage and veggies aside.

4. Generously grease a 9×13 inch baking pan. Break the bread into pieces and place them into the pan in an even layer.

5. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and ¼ cup of shredded cheese together. Pour half of this egg mixture over the bread. Top with the sausage and vegetables, then the remaining egg mixture and the last ¼ cup of cheese. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper to the top.

6. Cover the casserole with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Allow it to come to room temperature before baking.

Croissant Breakfast Casserole

Thanks to Carl’s Bad Cravings for this recipe!

make ahead breakfast casserole

Ingredients

Casserole:

8 large croissants (sliced into 1-inch cubes)
4 cups of mixed berries

Custard:

14 oz. of cream cheese (softened)
1 + ¼ cup of granulated sugar
6 eggs (room temperature)
2 cups of half-and-half (room temperature)
1 Tbsp of vanilla extract
1 Tbsp of lemon juice
2 tsp of lemon zest
¼ tsp of salt

Cream Cheese Lemon Glaze:

2 oz. of cream cheese (softened)
1 cup of powdered sugar (sifted)
1 + ½ Tbsp of lemon juice
1 + ½ tsp of vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add the cubed croissants in a single layer to a 15×21-inch baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 7-10 minutes until they’re golden or very toasted. Set aside to cool.

2. Add the cream cheese and sugar to a large mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer until it’s smooth. Beat in the eggs until smooth, followed by the half-and-half, and finally the lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and salt.

3. Transfer half of the croissants to a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish, then add an even layer with half of the berries. Pour the custard evenly over the dish. Add the remaining croissants in a single layer, followed by the remaining custard. Press down with your hands so most of the croissant is submerged in the custard. Scatter the remaining berries over the dish. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

4. When the casserole is ready to bake, take it out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter while you preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake, covered with foil, for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. While the breakfast casserole is baking, add all of the glaze ingredients to a medium mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer until it’s smooth. Taste and add additional sugar for a sweeter flavor or lemon juice for a tangier flavor. Drizzle the glaze over the casserole.

6. Serve the breakfast casserole warm.