20 Make-Ahead Breakfast Casseroles That Feed a Crowd in One Fell Swoop

It sure is a lovely idea: having your favorite folks crowded around the table on a lazy Sunday morning, refilling mug after mug, piling plates high as the morning wastes away. In reality, though, you’ve snoozed your alarm seven times and your breakfast guests are already in the kitchen, practically banging their forks on the counter. Luckily, you knew this would happen—the make-ahead breakfast casserole was practically invented for you.

Whether your ideal breakfast casserole is sweet (French toast- or fruit-filled, Nutella-drizzled even, crammed with brioche or croissants); or savory (oozing Gruyère, salted cream, did something say bagels and lox?), most of these 20 recipes can be made in their entirety the night before. So put on a pot of coffee and turn on the oven—the hard work is already done.

1. French Toast Casserole with Salted Frosted Flakes

For those who can’t pick between cereal and French toast for breakfast, this enormous casserole has both, making it an ideal wintery meal for a crowd.

2. Hot Chocolate Bread Pudding

It’s a cup of cocoa, but with bread—what could be better? Whatever you do, don’t skip the pisco-scented dark chocolate sauce. After one bite, you’ll want to take a bath in it.

3. Apple Hazelnut Bread Pudding with Maple Sauce

With tender bits of baked apple, crunchy hazelnuts, and a warm maple sauce, this casserole is fall in a baking dish—perfect to make after an apple-picking trip.

4. Stuffed French Toast Casserole with Strawberry Sauce

This cream cheese-stuffed casserole can be prepped 24 hours in advance; when you plan to eat, simply bake, smother in strawberry sauce, and revel.

5. Nutella Bread Pudding

Drench teeny Nutella sandwiches in custard, bake, then top with a zingy blackberry-lemon sauce.

6. Bacon, Parmesan & Cherry Tomato Strata

A less eggy strata than classic, this smoky, cheesy casserole is the best possible way to use up stale bread.

7. Everything-Bagel Breakfast Bake

An easily made vegetarian dish for a crowd, this spinach-enhanced casserole is basically an everything bagel slathered in cream cheese, but with a heartier twist.

8. Prosciutto & Goat Cheese Strata

This cheesy casserole actually needs to be prepared the night before—a dream come true for late risers who love hosting brunch.

9. Tomato Cheddar Bread Pudding

It’s grilled cheese and tomato soup for those who are really only in it for the bread. Not a cheddar fan? Bring on the caprese salad vibes and try mozzarella.

10. Bagel & Cream Cheese Strata

Skip your Sunday morning bagel sandwich from the deli and plop your lox, onions, capers, and dill in this creamy casserole.

11. Baked Eggs With Ricotta and Onions

Salty ham, creamy ricotta, eggs, and craggy bits of bread baked right in. Need we say more?

12. Sheet-Pan Eggs

This casserole is quite thin, as it's intended to be sliced up and laid between two slices of bread. You could keep the eggs simple or add in sliced veg, herbs, melty cheese, maybe crumbled bacon. Now that’s a breakfast sandwich.

13. Baked Eggs with Mushrooms & Gruyère

Drizzled with cream, under a blanket of Gruyère, with mushrooms nestled all around—these eggs couldn’t be cozier. Serve with a toasted baguette for dipping.

14. Puff Pastry Breakfast Casserole

Running out of time before the breakfast crowd wakes up? Turn to the freezer. Frozen puff pastry, eggs, onion, a few slices of bacon, and cream—you’re done.

15. Roasted Sausage, Chard & Cannellini Beans

Maybe in your eyes this isn’t really a casserole, but say you have no eggs, a plethora of beans, and a hungry group looking for breakfast. Now, this chard and sausage number is your personal hero.

16. Fennel & Pear Strata

Like a fruit and cheese plate in casserole form, this strata is layered with sweet pears, funky cambozola cheese, razor-thin bits of fennel, and plenty of eggs and cream to tie it together.

17. Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole

Honestly, what can’t hashbrowns improve? Here, they replace the bread typically called for in such a casserole, getting comfy with cheddar, green chiles, and crumbled spicy sausage.

18. Layered Croissant Sandwich Casserole

It’s a plate of ham and cheese croissant sandwiches, but you did all the work last night. Bake the casserole until warm and bubbly, serve avec salade.

19. Gluten-Free & Vegan Breakfast Bake

Breakfast casseroles are often packed with eggs, meat, cheese, and bread, making them less than ideal for vegans or those who keep gluten-free. Enter: this chickpea flour–based, bean and hashbrown–filled, vegan cheese–studded casserole.

20. Tex-Mex Breakfast Casserole

With fried eggs on top instead of baked inside, this smoky vegetarian sausage casserole can be eaten as is, or scooped inside warm tortillas.

What are your favorite make-ahead breakfast dishes? Let us know in the comments below.