36 Breakfast Casserole Recipes Worth Waking Up For

Jennifer Causey
A breakfast casserole is one of the most delicious ways to start the day. Whether you’re a “sweet” person who prefers a baked French toast or fruit-filled pancake casserole, or a “savory” person who likes a hearty sausage-and-grits casserole, cheesy frittata, or enchiladas, we’ve got a breakfast casserole you’ll love. From eggs and bacon to grits, this collection of breakfast casseroles has all your morning favorites.Our easy casserole recipes are perfect for casual family breakfasts or a special Sunday brunch with friends. Many of our breakfast casseroles are make-ahead recipes, so you can actually sleep in and still get a hot and filling meal on the table. That’s an even better way to start the day! 
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Pancake Casserole

Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Pancake Casserole

A drizzle of maple syrup and a few pats of butter are all you need to put the finishing touches on this simple, delicious pancake casserole.

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Shrimp and Grits Casserole

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

Recipe: Shrimp and Grits Casserole

Every Southern family should have this dish in their weekend rotation. It transitions seamlessly from breakfast to dinner, although we're always partial to breakfast shrimp and grits.

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Pancake Bake with Cinnamon Streusel

Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Pancake Bake with Cinnamon Streusel

With a crumbly streusel topping, this pancake bake is a perfect combination of pancakes and coffeecake.

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Overnight Eggnog-French Toast Casserole

Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Overnight Eggnog-French Toast Casserole

On those hectic holiday mornings, there's barely enough time to get everything ready for the day. Prepare this fuss-free, festive French toast casserole ahead of time.

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Caramelized Onion, Spinach, and Pork Strata

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

Recipe: Caramelized Onion, Spinach, and Pork Strata

For those who may not know, a strata is a casserole built with layers of bread and egg like a savory bread pudding. This version also includes caramelized onion, spinach, and pork to really enhance those flavors.

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Biscuits-and-Gravy Skillet

Jennifer Causey

Recipe: Biscuits-and-Gravy Skillet

Biscuits and gravy have been a Southern tradition for years, and for good reason. This take on the classic dish is big-batch, so it'll feed the whole family.

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Baked Oatmeal

Jennifer Causey

Recipe: Baked Oatmeal

With cinnamon apples and toasty pecans, this Baked Oatmeal is ideal for fall mornings.

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Orange-Vanilla French Toast Casserole with Bourbon-Maple Syrup

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

Recipe: Orange-Vanilla French Toast Casserole with Bourbon-Maple Syrup

Orange and vanilla is one of those unexpected flavor combinations that just works so well. And you can never go wrong with a drizzle of bourbon-maple syrup.

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Sausage-Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

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

Recipe: Sausage-Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

This casserole is loaded up with lots of potato, sausage, and cheese, combining all our favorite brunch sides into one easy casserole. All you need now is a big pot of scrambled eggs.

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Grits and Greens with Brown Butter Hot Sauce

Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Grits and Greens with Brown Butter Hot Sauce

A scoop of this one-skillet grits dish makes the perfect base for a breakfast bowl. Plus, you'll start the day off right and get some greens in.

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Blueberry Pancake Breakfast Casserole

Jennifer Causey

Recipe: Blueberry Pancake Breakfast Casserole

This stunning pancake casserole can be made almost completely ahead of time, leaving you lots of time to get the kids up and ready before this indulgent brunch.

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Banana Bread French Toast Casserole

Jennifer Causey

Recipe: Banana Bread French Toast Casserole

Don't let that banana bread go stale! Use that extra loaf as a base for French toast in this scrumptious casserole.

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Breakfast Enchiladas

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Breakfast Enchiladas

Who says enchiladas are just for dinner? You and your entire family won't be able to resist this decadent breakfast casserole. It’s flavored with bold Mexican flavors, like fresh red bell peppers, salsa verde, fresh cilantro, and chopped avocado. The cheese sauce comes together with only six ingredients, and helps take this crowd-pleasing casserole to the next level in flavor and fill. Remove eggs from stovetop while they're still a bit wet; they'll finish cooking in the oven. To make this a day ahead, go through Step 2; cover and chill the casserole. Let stand at room temperature about 20 minutes before baking.

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Cheesy Sausage-and-Croissant Casserole

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Cheesy Sausage-and-Croissant Casserole

This casserole is rich, delicious, and worthy of any Thanksgiving Brunch or Christmas Morning Breakfast. Topped with Gruyère cheese, the casserole browns beautifully and has a delicious nutty flavor, but you can sub Swiss cheese if you prefer. Pre-made store bought croissants from your local grocery give bakery-fresh flavor with minimum effort, and add a flaky crust to the dish’s edges. Serve with grits and fruit for a filling meal, and finish the brunch with a decadent desert like Bananas Foster Coffee Cake with Ambrosia Sauce for a holiday-worthy brunch that all of your friends will remember for years to come.

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One-Dish Blackberry French Toast

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: One-Dish Blackberry French Toast

Our readers love this family friendly favorite, decadent French toast. Perfect for a holiday breakfast or a weekend brunch, this French toast recipe is loaded with tasty, sweet ingredients like cinnamon, vanilla, and brown sugar, but the reduced fat cream cheese helps lighten the meal. Although this recipe calls for French bread, you can sub sweet Italian bread, a dense, crumbed white Pullman, challah, or brioche for varied density and flavor. This one-pan dish is great to make the night before for company, or for a family member’s birthday breakfast. It is sweet on its own, but of course, you can always add a little extra sweetness with maple syrup or whipped cream for special occasions.

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Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole

Victor Protasio

Recipe: Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole

Sweet potato helps build up this casserole to make it more substantial alongside pork sausage and mozzarella cheese.

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Smoky Sausage-and-Grits Casserole

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Smoky Sausage-and-Grits Casserole

The key to this delicious brunch dish is in the smoked sausage. Salt, thyme, garlic powder, and cheddar cheese give depth to the casserole’s savory flavor, but the most rich and filling flavor comes from the sausage. Choose local links for unique flavor. We love Conecuh Hickory Smoked Sausage, made in Evergreen, Alabama, since 1947. You can also opt for a breakfast sausage, flavored with sage and black pepper, for a classic breakfast dish. Low on time? You can assemble this up to four days ahead, and keep in the fridge; then let it stand at room temp for 30 minutes before baking.

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Red Pepper, Potato, and Ricotta Frittata

Photo: Greg Dupree

Recipe: Red Pepper, Potato, and Ricotta Frittata

Part quiche, part omelet, but easier than both. This hearty Italian frittata recipe makes enough to feed your entire family—all in a single skillet. In our recipe, we amped up our basic eggs with diced red bell pepper, fresh parsley, chopped chives, crispy potato wedges, and creamy ricotta cheese. You can use any combination of fillings you'd like –such as savory bacon, summer tomatoes, or dried rosemary. For a simple fix, throw in last night’s leftovers and whichever cheese you have on hand. For a colorful, eye pleasing plate, make sure you include ingredients in a variety of colors: they will rise to the top of the frittata.

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Tomato-Herb Mini Frittatas

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Tomato-Herb Mini Frittatas

These mini frittatas work for simple weekday breakfasts, but can be spruced up and individually plated for more formal occasions. BY transferring the ramekins from the bottom baking sheet to the middle rack during the last few minutes of cooking time, you’ll give the frittatas a crispy golden brown layer of cheese on top. Give them a restaurant finish by topping them with mixed baby greens tossed with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. No ramekins on hand? This recipe can also be adapted for a large frittata – simply pour the egg mixture into a 13x9 baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes longer.

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Creamy Egg Strata

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Creamy Egg Strata

A strata is similar to quiche and frittatas. It’s a mixture of eggs and cheese baked in a baking dish, with cubed bread coated in butter serving as a base. This Creamy Egg Strata uses half of a French bread loaf, cubed and drizzled with melted butter. 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. Let Creamy Egg Strata be the star of your next brunch. Made with Swiss and Parmesan cheese, this creamy egg dish is worth waking up for. Just make sure you chill it for 8 to 24 hours so the bread has a chance to soak up the flavors.

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Scrambled Egg and Crêpe Casserole

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Scrambled Egg and Crêpe Casserole

Homemade crêpes, baked ham, and cheese sauce join forces for this twist on classic Gentleman’s Casserole. Once you master the savory herb crêpe, you’ll have tons of garnish options. Don’t let the thin pancake’s reputation scare you – crêpes don’t take chef-level skills. Choose a plain wheat flower, and do not try to flip it as you would a pancake. Simply tilt the pan in all directions after pouring the batter. This blend of breakfast basics – scrambled eggs, breakfast ham, green onions, and cheese sauce – is a new take on traditional flavor. If you have leftover crêpes, wrap them around smoked salmon, vegetables, and cream cheese for another breakfast option for guests.

Video: How to Make Scrambled Eggs

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Brie-and-Veggie Breakfast Strata

Photo: Ralph Anderson

Recipe: Brie-and-Veggie Breakfast Strata

Looking to feed a crowd? This sourdough bread based strata serves 8-10 brunch guests. We promise you won’t have leftovers. Creamy Brie cheese combines with the fresh flavors of onion, bell pepper, and potatoes in this hearty casserole. Add breakfast sausage or cubed honey ham to up the protein and add more flavor. Make sure you prepare the entire casserole the night before you plan to serve it, so the bread has time to absorb into the eggs, milk, and oil, and cheese. Just pop it in the oven the next morning and bake for 45-50 minutes. Serve with sweet berries for a balanced meal.

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Croissant Breakfast Casserole

Victor Protasio

Recipe: Croissant Breakfast Casserole

Bring new life to those day-old croissants in this savory breakfast casserole, complete with country ham, spinach, dijon mustard, and caramelized onions.

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Cheesy Ham, Corn, and Grits Bake

Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Cheesy Ham, Corn, and Grits Bake

A layer of cheese on top bubbles to golden-brown perfection. You can't go wrong with this Southern staple.

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Tomato-Herb Frittata

Victor Protasio

Recipe: Tomato-Herb Frittata

A frittata may sound fancy, but in reality it's super easy to make and a great way to impress your brunch crowd.

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Huevos Rancheros Bake

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

Recipe: Huevos Rancheros Bake

Topped with gleaming sunny-side-up eggs and layered with corn tostadas and refried beans, this Huevos Rancheros Bake has a little bit of everything.

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Country Ham Hash

Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Country Ham Hash

Country ham is one of our favorite breakfast specialties, and tossed with roasted potatoes, it simply can't be beat.

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Stewed Tomato Shirred Eggs with Ham Chips

Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Stewed Tomato Shirred Eggs with Ham Chips

Inspired by traditional Middle Eastern dish shakshuka, this tomato-and-egg casserole is best enjoyed with crusty bread and crispy ham.

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Slow-Cooker Cinnamon Roll Casserole

Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Cinnamon Roll Casserole

Who knew you could cook cinnamon rolls in a slow cooker? This is a technique you've gotta try this fall.

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Cinnamon Roll Casserole

Antonis Achilleos

Recipe: Cinnamon Roll Casserole

Remember: no cinnamon rolls are complete without a generous drizzle of sweet vanilla glaze.

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Bacon-and-Tomato Breakfast Casserole

Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Bacon-and-Tomato Breakfast Casserole

Imagine your favorite caprese salad, complete with tomato, mozzarella, and basil, but in breakfast-casserole form. You're going to want to bookmark this one.

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Cinnamon-Pecan Breakfast Bread Pudding

Southern Living

Recipe: Cinnamon-Pecan Breakfast Bread Pudding

This spice-packed breakfast casserole is ideal for the morning after a major holiday, like Thanksgiving or Christmas.

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