Food and Recipes Breakfast 35 Easy Southern Breakfast Ideas To Make Every Day Of The Week From hashbrown casserole to slow-cooker grits. By Kaitlyn Yarborough Kaitlyn Yarborough Part of the Southern Living team since 2017, Kaitlyn Yarborough is a Georgia native living in Austin, Texas, who covers a wide variety of topics for both the magazine and website, focusing on culture and lifestyle content, as well as travel in the South. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on January 19, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Missie Neville Crawford Nothing helps us get up and at 'em like a warm bakeshop-worthy blueberry muffin, bacon-studded scrambled eggs, or the ultimate Southern classic for when we're craving something comforting: warm, fluffy buttermilk biscuits smothered in sausage gravy. Bran flake cereal and plain yogurt just doesn't inspire quite the same excitement to take on the day. For weekdays, we'd suggest our big-batch baked oatmeal that'll feed you for days or our family-favorite cheesy hash brown casserole that everyone loves. Saturday and Sunday mornings? Go all out, starting with more than one of these easy Southern breakfast recipes. You'll find everything on this list to satisfy your biggest breakfast daydreams with minimal effort, including perfect pancakes, egg-filled bakes, hearty oats, sweet quick breads, and—of course—all the biscuits. Here are 35 easy Southern breakfast and brunch ideas for you and your family to enjoy every morning. 01 of 35 Sausage-Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos We're coming out with one of our most crowd-pleasing breakfast recipes of all time. A bag of frozen shredded hash browns can work wonders. 02 of 35 Breakfast Biscuit Sandwich with Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Everyone's favorite to-go breakfast sandwich just got an at-home sheet-pan makeover. Bake and slice to fit into any biscuits of your choice, store-bought or otherwise. May we suggest these classic Southern angel biscuits? 03 of 35 Pancake Casserole Caitlin Bensel Say hello to the easiest show-stopper of sweet breakfast foods. The playful twist on pancakes bakes into warm, buttery perfection that the whole family will love. 04 of 35 Slow-Cooker Buttermilk Grits Antonis Achilleos Words we love to hear: "Set it and forget it." Serve with toppings like shredded cheese, over-easy or scrambled eggs, wilted greens, and crispy bacon. Oh, and keep the slow cooker warm—because they'll be going back for seconds. 05 of 35 Sweet-and-Spicy Sheet Pan Bacon Hector Manuel Sanchez Cooking bacon on a sheet pan in the oven ensures ultimate crisp and mess-free prep, and this recipe takes things up a notch with sweet-and-spicy kick á la brown sugar and cayenne pepper. 06 of 35 Any-Berry Muffins with Cornmeal Streusel Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling; Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Any berry means you can just use whatever you have in your fridge, which makes baking these fruit-filled streusel muffins easy as pie. 07 of 35 Crustless Ham and Collard Greens Quiche Antonis Achilleos Don't like to mess with making a pie crust? Enter a simpler take on quiche that skips the crust altogether and fills you up for the day with ham and greens. 08 of 35 No-Bake Granola Bars Photo: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox You'll never go back to store-bought after making these no-bake breakfast bars that we also find ourselves doubling as an afternoon snack and dessert. Feel free to add anything you're craving, like coconut, nuts, or dark chocolate chips; or try out one of the three different variations at the bottom of the recipe. 09 of 35 Cinnamon Roll Waffles Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Kay E. Clarke Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Everyone needs a dependable waffle recipe under their belt. This one starts with a tube of store-bought cinnamon rolls. 10 of 35 Fried Skillet Potatoes Caitlin Bensel This quintessential recipe works from brunch to dinner. While we prefer to keep the spices around even when pairing with fried eggs and bacon, you can omit them to opt for simpler crispy potatoes. 11 of 35 Bakeshop Blueberry Muffins Southern Living If you crave blueberry muffins from your local bakery or coffee shop, put the car keys down. This berry-studded recipe is as good—no, better—than anything you can get out there. 12 of 35 Sausage Gravy and Biscuits Southern Living It'd be wrong not to include this signature Southern dish. Not just because everyone loves it, but also because sausage gravy is generally quick and easy to make with minimal ingredients. We won't tell if you pair with frozen biscuits from time to time. 13 of 35 Huevos Rancheros Bake Antonis Achilleo; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos Put a little Tex-Mex in your step with this quick skillet recipe that is gloriously layered with cheese, refried beans, corn tostadas (or crispy toasted tortillas if you don't have tostadas), red enchilada sauce, and—of course—eggs. Serve with fixings like avocado, hot sauce, and sour cream. 14 of 35 Baked Oatmeal Jennifer Causey This hearty big-batch oatmeal recipe will feed you and your family many a breakfast. Pecans and apples add a nice crunch, while cinnamon and raisins give a touch of sweetness. Top each helping with options like more nuts, berries, dried cranberries, or sliced bananas if desired. 15 of 35 Sunshine Smoothies Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Start the day with a dose of vitamin C with this mango-and-orange smoothie combination. 16 of 35 Buttermilk Biscuits Jennifer Davick We couldn't leave this all-time best recipe off the list. Tender-soft and golden-topped, these buttermilk biscuits are Mama's secret weapon to happy campers all around. 17 of 35 Spicy Bisquick Sausage Balls Photography: Caitlin Bensel Food Styling: Ali Ramee Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland Classic sausage balls get a slight kick from hot ground sausage and pepper jack cheese, which means it's not too spicy to please any crowd. These'll disappear quicker than you can say Bisquick. 18 of 35 Cinnamon Roll Casserole Antonis Achilleos Get everything you love about cinnamon rolls and French toast, but without all the hassle. The simplicity of a casserole is a breakfast game-changer. 19 of 35 Bacon-Hash Brown Quiche Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox We like to keep things interesting, so we replaced the usual pastry shell with a golden crust made from shredded potatoes and bacon. And trust us, you won't regret it. 20 of 35 Bacon Pancakes Antonis Achilleos Salty and sweet is a combination we'll never get tired of. Pour simple pancake batter over cooked pieces of bacon for the mash-up of your dreams. 21 of 35 Blueberry Overnight Oatmeal Alison Miksch, Kay E. Clarke, Torie Cox This hearty and healthy breakfast option is one of our favorites to take on the go, especially when berries are in season in the South. Stir all the ingredients into a Mason jar and add additional toppings in the morning, such as more berries, peanut butter, or sliced bananas. 22 of 35 Sausage-and-Egg Casserole Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox You can even slice this breakfast bake and make it into a Sausage and Egg Casserole sandwich for a quick and super yummy homemade handheld breakfast. 23 of 35 Stuffed Ham-and-Cheese Croissant Casserole Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Missie Neville Crawford Upgrade your time-tested breakfast sandwich with this savory casserole version including smoked ham slices, eggs, and Swiss cheese. 24 of 35 Baked Buttermilk French Toast Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall You won't find a more decadent breakfast casserole to serve your brunch crew. Not only does it make French toast feel super low maintenance, but we also added just a hint of lemon zest and juice to offset the sweetness perfectly. 25 of 35 Biscuits-and-Gravy Casserole Alison Miksch, Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland, Food Styling: Melissa Gray Made with warm biscuits and creamy sausage gravy, you might never go back to the country breakfast joint after trying this comforting casserole. Plus, using store-bought frozen biscuits makes it oh-so simple to make in a jiff. 26 of 35 Skillet Baked Almond-and-Banana Oatmeal Photographer: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall If you love oatmeal or sweeter breakfasts, try this banana-studded bake for your make-ahead meal prep for the week. 27 of 35 Cinnamon Coffee Cake Antonis Achilleos A little mixing, a little pouring, and a lot of butter are all you need to turn out a darn good coffee cake, and this one features a cinnamon ripple that is guaranteed to please. 28 of 35 Homemade Orange Rolls Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Using your muffin tin to make orange rolls is the smartest thing we've heard all day, especially for anyone who has struggled before with making perfectly round rolls in a baking dish. As far as ingredients go, these melt-in-your-mouth rolls are pretty simple to make. 29 of 35 Cheddar Cheese Grits Casserole Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Rose Nguyen We'll take anything and turn it into a casserole, and that definitely goes for melty, cheesy grits. This brunch-worthy recipe pairs well with crispy, salty bacon, if we do say so ourselves. 30 of 35 Spring Vegetable Frittata with Feta Cheese Photo: Jennifer Causey A frittata is the best way to make eggs for a crowd that goes beyond scrambled. Feel free to fill with whatever veggies you have on hand, from tomatoes to spinach to roasted red peppers. Top with crumbled feta or goat cheese. 31 of 35 Snickerdoodle Doughnut Hole Muffins Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Torie Cox It basically goes like this: Handy muffins with the cinnamony flavor of snickerdoodle cookies and the novelty of doughnut holes. Enough said. 32 of 35 Cheesy Sausage-and-Croissant Casserole Alison Miksch Everything you could want out of breakfast wrapped up into a single casserole dish that incorporates flaky, buttery croissants. The Gruyére cheese alone makes us swoon. 33 of 35 Breakfast Enchiladas Hector M Sanchez This beats your same old omelette every time. Make this big-batch Mexican casserole the night before and pop in the oven to bake in the morning to feed a crowd. 34 of 35 Blueberry-Cornmeal Cake Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Cornmeal and buttermilk ensure that this breakfast cake isn't too sweet to enjoy with your cup of coffee. From there, blueberries and lemon make it burst with freshness. 35 of 35 Breakfast Chilaquiles Casserole Photographer: Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Missie Neville Crawford We've made this chilaquiles breakfast casserole perfect for a crowd, so the tostadas cook in the sauce during the oven bake instead of being fried beforehand. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit