The bulk of your Thanksgiving menu may be planned and prepped by now … but have you neglected breakfast? The upcoming holiday already calls for a considerable amount of time spent in the kitchen, so we’re making things a little easier with a roundup of cozy, fall-inspired breakfast casseroles. Prepare these the night before your big gathering for an easy, stress-free day-of breakfast. Plus, these dishes are perfect for feeding a crowd if you’re hosting out-of-town guests. Enjoy!
4 Breakfast Casseroles for Thanksgiving Morning
Apple Fritter Breakfast Casserole
This apple fritter breakfast casserole comes from Janelle Heath of Num’s The Word. Combining sautéed Granny Smith apples, buttery croissants, and a decadent icing, this casserole is an excellent option if you prefer to start the day with something sweet. Janelle notes that you can pair this dish with almost any other breakfast food to create the ultimate spread. If you plan to make this casserole the evening before, Janelle says to prepare and bake as instructed — just don’t add the icing until you heat the dish up the following day.
Make this apple fritter breakfast casserole for an easy breakfast treat on Thanksgiving morning. Image: Num’s The Word
Apple Fritter Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
Apple Mixture
- 5 Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and diced (Janelle says the more spots your apples have, the better!)
- 6 tbsp butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp warm water
Apple Butter Mixture
- 6 large pre-made croissants chopped into chunks
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup cinnamon applesauce or ½ cup apple butter
- 3 eggs lightly beaten
- ⅛ tsp cinnamon
Icing
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 4 tbsp heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
- Add brown sugar and stir until incorporated.
- Add cinnamon and nutmeg, mix well.
- Add diced apples and stir to coat. Simmer mixture for 5 minutes or until apples are soft and to the desired texture. (Janelle recommends tasting one to see if it's soft enough.)
- In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water. Mix well, then add cornstarch mixture to apples and stir. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a 9x13 casserole dish, lay out croissant pieces, spreading out so they cover the bottom of the pan.
- Top croissants with apple mixture. Spreading evenly over croissants.
- In a separate bowl combine heavy cream, apple butter (or applesauce), eggs, and cinnamon. Mix well.
- Pour apple butter mixture over croissants and apples. Drizzle over the top to cover apples.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- When casserole is removed from oven, allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- While casserole is cooking, in a small bowl, combine heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar ¼ cup at a time. Add more heavy cream ½ teaspoon at a time, if needed. Mixture should be thick but should drip from spoon when held in air.
- Drizzle casserole with icing and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Sweet Potato Sausage Breakfast Casserole
Courtesy of Amy Dong of Chew Out Loud, this sweet potato sausage breakfast casserole is not only the perfect morning meal, but it’s also Whole30- and paleo-friendly to boot. Combining roasted sweet potatoes, kale, bell peppers, sausage, and eggs, this dish is sure to leave you feeling energized and ready to take on all of the holiday festivities. If you plan to prepare this dish the night before, Amy suggests covering it tightly before storing it in the refrigerator. Then, in the morning, bake the dish uncovered for one hour.
This sweet potato sausage breakfast casserole is sure to leave you feeling full and energized. Image: Chew Out Loud
Sweet Potato Sausage Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lb. sweet potatoes peeled and cut into half-inch cubes
- ½ cup onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup red bell peppers diced
- 1 lb. ground breakfast sausage
- 2 cups kale leaves chopped
- 12 large eggs
- ½ cup non-dairy milk of your choice almond, coconut, etc.
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit with rack on lower-middle position. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.
- On a large baking sheet, combine sweet potatoes with 2 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp kosher salt, and ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper; toss to coat well. Bake in a single, even layer for 20 minutes until soft.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tbsp olive oil on a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and stir 2-3 minutes or until translucent. Add peppers and stir 1 more minute. Transfer mixture to prepared 9×13 baking dish.
- In the same skillet over medium-high heat, cook and break apart sausage with spatula until cooked through. Drain and add to baking dish with veggie mixture. Add roasted sweet potatoes, chopped kale, 1 tsp kosher salt, and ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper to the mixture in baking dish. Gently toss to combine all ingredients well.
- In a bowl, gently whisk together the eggs and ½ cup of non-dairy milk until well combined. Pour evenly over the sausage/potato mixture in baking dish. Bake uncovered about 25-30 minutes or just until eggs are set in center.
Nutrition
RELATED: 4 Creative Sweet Potato Casserole Recipes
Apple Breakfast Bake with Caramel Sauce
This recipe from Trisha Haas of Salty Side Dish combines French toast and caramel apples into a delicious breakfast casserole. One of the best parts of this recipe is that it can be altered to suit your tastebuds. For example, Trisha says you can forgo the caramel drizzle if you don’t want the dish to be as sweet, or you can add a layer of candied pecans or cooked breakfast sausage crumbles for a little savory contrast. If you make this dish the night before, Trisha says to follow the directions up until the pie filling. Then, cover the dish tightly and refrigerate it overnight.
You can even serve this casserole with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a last-minute Thanksgiving dessert! Image: Salty Side Dish
Apple Breakfast Bake with Caramel Drizzle
Ingredients
- 16 oz. Italian bread day-old or fresh
- 6 eggs
- 1½ cups milk
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 20 oz. apple pie filling can
- Caramel sauce optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grease a 9×13 oven-safe baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cut bread into one-inch pieces and place them into a baking pan. Set aside.
- Crack and add eggs, milk, granulated white sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla into a separate mixing bowl and whisk ingredients well.
- Slowly pour egg and milk mixture over bread, evenly coating bread as best as possible around the baking dish.
- Open can of apple pie filling. Spread apple pie filling on the top of the bread in a thick layer.
- Bake breakfast casserole for 45-60 minutes or until center, when inserted with a knife, comes out clean (to show eggs are fully cooked).
- Remove apple breakfast bake from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. This is an important step or the bake will still be a little loose from heat.
- Serve French toast casserole topped with caramel sauce, powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or maple syrup.
Nutrition
Gluten-Free Apple Sheet Pan Pancakes
This recipe is a slight departure from more traditional casserole recipes, as it’s made on a sheet pan instead of a deep casserole dish, but it’s still a big-batch, one-pan crowdpleaser. The best part? It’s friendly for the gluten-free crowd! It makes use of Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix, an awesome allergy-friendly blend. While this one isn’t recommended for prepping the night before, baking it up on a single sheet pan instead of on the stove makes it WAY easier than churning out pancakes to order. And, the addition of fresh cranberries and sliced apples lends a pop of festive, seasonal flavor. Perfect for Thanksgiving breakfast or brunch!
A layer of fresh cranberries and sliced apples adds festive flavor to these gluten-free sheet pan pancakes! Image: Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix
Better-For-You Fall Sheet Pan Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups Pamela's Pancake & Baking Mix
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/3 cups water
- 2 tbs vegetable Oil
- 1 apple sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh cranberries
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- maple syrup, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix pancake batter per package instructions.
- Slice the apple.
- In a large bowl, mix apples and cranberries with sugar and cinnamon.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour batter on.
- Top batter with apples and cranberries.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes or until batter is nice and fluffy.
- Serve with butter and maple syrup.
Nutrition
Happy Thanksgiving!
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