Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole
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Published Nov 15, 2023, Updated Jan 17, 2025
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This make ahead breakfast casserole is packed with turkey bacon, veggies and cheese. Prep it ahead of time for a quick and easy breakfast that serves a crowd!
If you’re looking for a dish to make for breakfast/brunch that serves a crowd look no further than this make ahead breakfast casserole.
It’s packed with protein-rich eggs, turkey bacon and fresh veggies all topped with cheesy goodness. It’s simple enough to make for meal prep, but fancy enough to make for a holiday brunch like Easter or Christmas. And the best part is that you can prep the entire dish ahead of time and store it in the fridge overnight for a quick and easy breakfast that’s sure to impress guests!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Protein-packed – One serving is packed with 34 grams of protein thanks to the turkey bacon and eggs to keep you full all morning long!
- Customizable – Feel free to swap out the veggies or skip the turkey bacon or cheese. This recipe can easily be adapted to fit any dietary needs.
- Meal prep – Make it over the weekend and you’ll have a healthy breakfast ready to go for the week! Just reheat in the oven and enjoy.
- Make-ahead – It can be made in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to bake!
Ingredients Needed
- turkey bacon – for that hearty, savory flavor with less fat than traditional bacon.
- olive or avocado oil – for sautéing your veggies.
- vegetables – red potatoes, yellow onion, red bell pepper, garlic and baby spinach.
- eggs – can’t have a breakfast casserole without eggs! You’ll need 12 eggs for this recipe.
- non-dairy milk – gives the egg mixture a smooth, creamy consistency without the dairy. I used unsweetened almond milk since it’s low in calories and has no added sugars.
- seasonings and spices – sea salt, ground pepper, paprika and garlic powder.
- sharp cheddar cheese – adds some saltiness and creaminess to this dish! I used a block of organic sharp cheddar cheese and shredded it myself, which I highly recommend instead of using pre-shredded cheese.
Substitutions & Notes
- Seasonings: Feel free to adjust the spices and herbs to your liking. Try adding some thyme or rosemary for a herby touch or chili powder or cayenne pepper for some spice.
- Turkey bacon: Not a fan of turkey bacon? Feel free to swap it out for regular bacon, chicken sausage, ham, Canadian bacon or breakfast sausage. For a vegetarian option, skip it all together or use tempeh bacon.
- Eggs: Want to lighten up this dish? You could try using half liquid egg whites instead of 12 whole eggs for a lighter option!
- Veggies: Have different veggies on hand? Use what you have! Sweet potatoes, butternut squash, kale, red onion, broccoli, mushrooms and zucchini would all be great veggie options!
- Almond milk: You can use any dairy or non-dairy milk of choice. Just make sure you’re using unsweetened milk as to not add sweetness to this dish.
- Cheese: Feel free to skip the cheese or use a different type. Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, feta or pepper jack cheese would all be great options. To make this dish dairy-free skip the cheese or use a dairy-free alternative.
How to Make
Step 1: Cook turkey bacon until crisp, chop it, and set aside.
Step 2: In a skillet, heat oil and sauté potatoes, onion, red pepper, garlic, and spinach. Add the turkey bacon to the mix.
Step 3: Transfer the veggie and bacon mixture to a baking dish and let it cool briefly.
Step 4: Whisk together eggs, milk, spices, and cheese in a bowl.
Step 5: Pour the egg mixture over the cooled veggies in the dish. Stir, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
Step 6: Preheat the oven to 400°F, let the casserole sit at room temperature, then bake for 25–30 minutes until golden and set. Let cool slightly before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Skip the pre-shredded cheese and use hand-shredded cheese! I definitely recommend buying a block of cheese and grating it yourself. Fresh is always better and shredding the cheese takes no time at all. The pre-shredded store-bought cheeses typically contain preservatives like potato starch, natamycin and/or cellulose to prevent the shreds from clumping together in the bag.
- Make sure veggies have had time to cool off before adding them to the eggs, otherwise your eggs will start to cook!
- Feel free to bake this casserole right away! It doesn’t have to sit in the fridge overnight.
What to Serve With Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole
This breakfast casserole would be such a great brunch addition! Here are some foods that would pair well with this dish:
- Fluffy cinnamon rolls, vegan coffee cake or almond cake – I love serving both sweet and savory options at brunch!
- Air fryer breakfast potatoes – I love having crispy potatoes for breakfast and these breakfast potatoes are a great option! Shredded hash browns would be another great potato option.
- Easy fruit salad – You can’t have brunch without a little fruit, right?!
- Arugula salad or easy spinach salad – I love serving a simple salad at brunch for some greens.
- Peanut butter green smoothie or green detox smoothie – Can’t go wrong with a smoothie at brunch!
- Whipped coffee or pumpkin spice latte – Coffee is a must for brunch!
- Mimosas or bellinis – If you’re looking to make this a boozy brunch, these are my two go-to drinks!
How to Store and Make Ahead
This breakfast casserole is perfect for holiday mornings, especially because it can be prepared ahead of time. First, assemble the casserole the day before and store it in the fridge. In the morning, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes, then bake in a 400°F oven for 25–30 minutes until warmed through and ready to enjoy.
Storing leftovers: After the casserole has cooled completely, cover it tightly and store it in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Freezing instructions: For longer storage, allow the casserole to cool completely, then portion it into individual pieces and freeze. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheating: To reheat, you can use the microwave, toaster oven, or conventional oven. The microwave or toaster oven works best for individual portions, while the oven is ideal for reheating the entire casserole. If reheating from frozen, remember to let the casserole thaw in the fridge overnight before warming it up.
Frequently Asked Questions
A 9×13 dish works perfectly for this recipe. However, if you’re using a dish that’s a different size or depth, be sure to keep an eye on the baking time. This is because a deeper dish may take longer to cook, while a shallower dish could bake more quickly.
Allowing the casserole to warm up a bit helps it bake more evenly. It’ll also reduce your total baking time and will make sure you get a fluffy, perfectly cooked center.
Let the casserole cool for about 10 minutes after baking. This allows it to set and makes it easier to slice and serve.
More Egg Recipes
- Healthy Breakfast Casserole
- Dairy-Free Spinach Quiche
- Sausage Egg Casserole with Veggies
- Baked Egg Muffins
- Avocado Deviled Eggs
- Egg in the Hole
Popular Breakfast Recipes
- Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
- Almond Flour Waffles
- French Toast Casserole
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Be sure to check out the full collection of breakfast recipes on EBF!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 12 oz package turkey bacon
- 2 teaspoons olive or avocado oil
- 2 cups red potatoes, diced into ¼ inch chunks
- ½ yellow onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 12 eggs
- ½ cup non-dairy milk, I used unsweetened almond milk
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper, divided
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Cook turkey bacon according to the package directions. Set aside to cool. Once cool chop the bacon into small-medium chunks.
- Meanwhile, add oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot add potatoes, red pepper, onion, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper to skillet. Cook until potatoes have softened and onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes.
- Add spinach and cook for another 2-3 minutes until it begins to wilt. Remove from heat, add chopped turkey bacon and stir to combine.
- Add veggie mixture to prepared baking dish and let cool for 5-10 minutes while you whisk your eggs together.
- In a large mixing bowl add eggs, milk, paprika, garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Whisk together until smooth and combined.
- Add shredded cheese to egg mixture and stir to combine.
- Pour egg mixture over veggies and turkey bacon. Give the mixture a good stir to make sure everything is evenly distributed.
- Cover baking dish with foil or plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight.
- The next morning preheat your oven to 400°F and remove the egg bake from the fridge to come to room temperature for 10-15 minutes while oven preheats.
- Bake the casserole uncovered for 25-30 minutes until top is golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving!
Notes
- Make right away: Instead of covering the casserole, just preheat the oven to 400°F and bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this for Christmas morning and my family devoured it! If I wanted to bake this in a cupcake pan for easy individual servings throughout week, would I prepare it the same way? And any suggestion on bake time?
So glad you and your family loved this recipe, Ali! I haven’t tried it in a cupcake pan, but it should work just fine. I suggest preparing everything the same way and baking at 375°F for about 20 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick. It should come out clean when they are ready. I also have a baked egg muffins recipe you might like. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
I used grass-fed beef breakfast sausage instead of turkey bacon (because that’s what I had) and I added some turmeric to the eggs (because of its anti inflammatory properties and lovely yellow color), but I stuck to the recipe apart from that and it was delicious! Taking the time to cook the veggies in advance really does make a difference to the end result. Totally worth it! I took a picture of the casserole before cutting it up because it was so pretty. Thank you, Brittany.
LOVE this so much, Rennie. I am so glad you gave this recipe a try and it turned out delicious for you. Thanks for coming back and sharing your review + star rating, I truly appreciate it!