20 Breakfasts You Can Start (or Make Entirely) the Night Before

Even if you're an early bird, the waking hours of a weekday morning are sacred. With an hour to spare before emails start flying, you might exercise, get organized for the day, settle down with a real live newspaper, or even (try to) meditate. But opening every cabinet in your kitchen and working up a whole sink of dishes to clean before the sun comes up? That's the opposite of centering.

But of course, we love homespun breakfasts—they're the kind of small pleasure that propels us through meetings and technical glitches all day long. To make this possible without unhinging the calm of your morning before it even begins, we've rounded up 20 recipes you can start (or make entirely) the night before. (They're organized, from easiest to most complex, by how much finishing up you want to do in the morning.)

Make muesli or overnight oats in the evening—in individual jars, even—and they'll be ready to go when you wake up.

Baking a big tray of granola is just as easy—and perfect if all you can muster in the morning is the sheer act of sloshing milk or placing yogurt into a bowl.

Your morning task, should you choose to accept it, is to cut one of these puppies in half, dab it with butter, then run it under the broiler or put it in the toaster.

Alternatively, you can just add toast under a scoop of these make-ahead mixes.

Prep a few ingredients the night before—whether that's beating eggs for a frittata or chopping and sautéing the ingredients—and then simmer your way to breakfast in the morning without so much as dirtying a cutting board.

For the recipes below, do every step in the recipe right up until you're asked to put it in the oven the night before. Cover your baking dish or sheet, and refrigerate (or freeze, depending on your recipe), then bake as instructed while you're brushing your teeth.

What's your favorite time of day to cook? Tell us in the comments!