I Tried Our 5 Most Popular Breakfast Casseroles and My Favorite Is for Hash Brown Lovers

Growing up, breakfast casseroles were a staple on Christmas morning, Easter brunch—and if the host was extra fancy, sleepovers. The best part about breakfast casseroles?  They can be prepped the night before for an easy morning bake off in your fuzzy slippers. No muss. No fuss. These dishes are simultaneously homey and luxurious, a full breakfast in a single pan.

What Makes the Perfect Breakfast Casserole?

At its most basic, a breakfast casserole requires only two things: starch in some form and a custard made from milk and eggs. The custard covers and soaks into the starch (bread, potatoes, etc.) overnight to create a pudding-like texture. The very best recipes begin with this basic structure and build nuance with thoughtful and creative additions.

Meet the Contestants

• Best Breakfast Casserole (Hash Browns and Eggs), by MELISSAKOVACS07

• Eggs Benedict Casserole, by alycimo

• Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole, by Shannon Marie

• Easy French Toast Casserole, by Heather Bogle

• Breakfast Sausage Casserole, by M.K. Meredith

How Did I Judge?

I used three criteria to judge our contestants:

• Composition: The best breakfast casseroles have these things in common: eggs, starch in the form of bread or potatoes, a cream-based custard, and often an additional source of protein such as ground sausage. Cheese, aromatics and additional ingredients add interest, but are not required. A scrupulous layering of ingredients often aids in structural integrity.

• Texture: Breakfast casseroles are all about texture. The ideal specimen should have a creamy interior with crusty corners and exterior peaks. Additional texture can come from vegetables, cheese, protein, starch, and aromatics. These dishes are generally prepared for crowds, so a casserole that slices easily after a brief rest and makes for easy serving is appreciated. This is often best accomplished with a generous amount of eggs for stability and an overnight rest in the fridge before baking.

• Flavor: Warm and cozy flavors are key in breakfast casseroles. The core ingredients should speak for themselves, and less is often more. The classics often include crumbled and cooked sausage, which can overpower a dish pretty quickly. A sense of balance and judicious seasoning combine to make the best dish for warming up your palate and filling your belly for the day ahead.

The Results

Best for Brunch

• The Recipe: Eggs Benedict Casserole, by alycimo

• Average Rating: 4.5 stars

• Rave review: “This is now my favorite breakfast casserole! It's in the oven now, actually. This is my 3rd time making it, and I will continue to regularly.” —AllRecipes Community Member

If you love eggs Benedict as much as I do but don’t necessarily want to carefully poach eggs, whisk together an unbreakable hollandaise sauce, and need to feed a crowd, this is your solution. English muffins are chopped and layered with Canadian bacon and covered with a scallion-scented custard. This sets up overnight in the fridge. After baking, individual servings are drizzled with an extra user-friendly (packet-based) hollandaise sauce. The interior is light and fluffy, and the top browns and crisps up beautifully.

Most Versatile

• The Recipe: Easy French Toast Casserole, by Heather Bogle

• Average Rating: 4.7 stars

• Rave review: “Such a fabulous recipe! I used sourdough bread (a family favorite) and baked for an hour at 350. It was delicious. This was so easy and our family really enjoyed it. Perfect for those family get-togethers. —erinrivers59

I love this recipe because it is so endlessly adaptable. It calls for melting brown sugar and butter on the stove (good move, Heather), and layering the bottom of your dish with the gooey, caramelized mixture. French bread pieces are scattered across the top and doused with a creamy vanilla-based custard. The casserole is topped with additional cinnamon and sugar before baking, resulting in a satisfyingly crackly lid.

The crunchy top bordering the creamy interior makes for the perfect forkful. There are so many ways to riff on this casserole, including adding orange zest, cardamom, and black pepper; mixing in pumpkin pie spice and a 1/4 cup pumpkin purée; or topping the sugar butter layer with sliced apples and a smidge more cinnamon. I love a recipe that stands on its own two legs while simultaneously inviting cooks to create their own fabulous endings.

Related: 11 Baked French Toast Casseroles That Make Brunch Easy

Most Wholesome

• The Recipe: Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole, by Shannon Marie

• Average Rating: 4.6 stars

• Rave review: “Phenomenal! Having it for Mothers Day breakfast. Fresh mushrooms instead of canned for the win! Yummm!!” —Stacey DeBaun

This recipe scored high in both practicality and presentation. The addition of mushrooms and spinach make this feel like more of a meal than a side dish and added an earthy quality that balances nicely with the richness of eggs, sausage, and cheese. Shannon Marie’s recipe calls for seasoned croutons in place of plain bread, which maximizes crunch and flavor. This casserole is simple to assemble the night before and is a wonderful recipe to have in your repertoire.

Easiest

• The Recipe: Breakfast Sausage Casserole, by M.K. Meredith

• Average Rating: 4.7 stars

• Rave review: “ Been making this recipe for 10+ years - all my crew (home and work) love it!!” —Kerrie Davis Ward

The quickest and easiest to execute of the bunch, M.K.’s recipe calls only for sausage, eggs, milk, toasted white bread, salt, mustard powder, and shredded Cheddar cheese. However, don’t be fooled by this humble list. The sausage gets browned, drained, and combined with the remaining ingredients in a casserole dish before an overnight rest in the fridge. Out of the oven, it is a browned and bubbly beauty. Simple, straightforward and balanced, this is a killer recipe.

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Best All Around

• The Recipe: Best Breakfast Casserole (Hash Browns and Eggs), by MELISSAKOVACS07

• Average Rating: 4.4 stars

• Rave review: “This recipe always comes out great and everyone enjoys it! Easy to make ahead the night before!’ —Christine B.

This was a decisive favorite among my family members, who are avid Waffle House fans and have never said no to a plate of hash browns. I love the way this dish is layered: hash browns, cheddar cheese, sautéed onions and sausage, and more cheese. Layering provides structure and ensures that each bite contains a bit of each element. Once rested, this casserole is easy to serve in neat squares, making it perfect for a large gathering. The hash browns contribute to the heartiness of this dish and the cheese topping gives it crispy browned corners. This was my family’s favorite and the one I’ll be bookmarking for the holidays this year.

Related: Our Top 20 Breakfast Casserole Recipes for Your 9x13 Dish

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