These Breakfast Casseroles Are Great for Prepping Ahead (2024)

FAQs

How long can breakfast casserole be refrigerated before cooking? ›

Success Tip: Refrigerate Overnight

At this point, you can either bake it right away or refrigerate the casserole overnight and for up to 24 hours. During this time, the flavors mingle together and the bread has a chance to soak up some of the liquid and flavor.

Make-ahead meals (especially baked casseroles) are terrific because you can completely assemble them in advance and bake them just before serving. They're the ultimate comfort food as they come bubbling hot and delicious straight from the oven to the table to the delight of family and friends.

Cover the casserole and store it (unbaked) in the refrigerator overnight or up to one day. Bake in the morning, according to recipe instructions. To freeze breakfast casserole prepare the recipe and add to your pan. Cover well with plastic wrap and then tinfoil and freeze for 2-3 months.

If you want to freeze the casserole and reheat

Pre-bake the casserole as instructed above, then cool to room temperature and cover tightly with foil. Freeze for up to 1 month, then reheat in a 350 F oven for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for 30 minutes more, until completely warmed through and browned on top.

Yes, you can. Raw eggs are fairly stable in the freezer, especially when beaten or mixed with other ingredients. Check to see what else is in the casserole, though.

If you've got raw egg yolks or whites left over from a recipe which you don't want to waste (let's face it, why would you?), you can store them in the fridge as long as you plan to use them within the next few days.

For example, assemble a vegetable casserole a day in advance, refrigerate and then bake the day of your dinner. Plan 15 to 20 minutes additional heating time for the refrigerated cold casserole. Heat until it's hot and steamy throughout (165 °F as measured by a food thermometer).

In the case of casseroles, leftovers should actually never be added to a preheated oven. The reason is simple: the cold casserole dish may crack.

Yes. Most people fret when it comes to cooking two dishes at once, but it's your oven's job to keep the internal temperature set to what you selected. It may have to work a little harder when two or more cold dishes are inserted but trust that it will do its job.

Why is my breakfast casserole soggy? ›

Pre-cook the veggies. Veggies are naturally watery. As they cook, they release that moisture. If they only cook in the casserole, all that extra moisture will also be IN your casserole.

You can freeze the hashbrown casserole, either before baking it or after it has been baked and cooled. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before baking or reheating in the oven.

Scrambled eggs are easy to freeze, and they taste great when reheated. We like to cook them so they're slightly runny, which helps retain a soft texture when they're warmed through. Let your scrambled eggs fully cool before packing them into individual portions in freezer-safe bags.

Thaw Before Cooking

Whether you pre-cook the casserole or not, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking it in the oven for the best results. You can place the casserole into a dish in the fridge for up to 36 hours to allow it to thaw and then proceed to follow the dish's original cooking instructions.

The best way to reheat it is to cover it and put it into a cold oven. Covering the dish will trap the steam in and keep it moist while it heats.

Most casseroles can be made ahead and refrigerated for a day or two or frozen up to three months. Not only is this convenient, but it also lets the flavors mingle and fully develop.

Uncooked Casseroles: If the casserole contains raw meat or seafood, it should be refrigerated for no more than 1-2 days before baking. A purely vegetable-based uncooked casserole can be refrigerated for 3-4 days. Cooked Casseroles: Once cooked, casseroles can be kept in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Answer From Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D. Leftovers can be kept for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. After that, the risk of food poisoning goes up. If you don't think you'll be able to eat leftovers within four days, freeze them right away.

For homemade sausage casserole, storage times are similar. Your casserole should be refrigerated within two hours of cooking and will then last about 3-4 days in the fridge or 2-3 months in the freezer.