Try These 17 Easy Make-Ahead Casseroles for Brunch and Dinner
Easy and delicious casseroles should be a staple in everyone's meal rotation for last-minute family dinners.
Skip the stress of throwing together last-minute meals with one of these easy make-ahead casseroles. Discover our best make-ahead dinner casseroles, including baked ziti and enchiladas, and prep-early brunch dishes like egg stratas. With all the assembly done in advance, these delicious make-ahead casserole recipes can be oven-ready whenever needed.
Related: 23 Easy 5-Ingredient Meals to Include in Your Weeknight Repertoire
Rolled Lasagna Florentine
What's better than a cheesy spinach-starring lasagna topped with red wine-infused, garlicky meat sauce? How about a make-ahead casserole of that same lasagna assembled into perfectly portioned rolls and frozen until you're ready to bake until bubbly and serve alongside a big green salad? (Psst ... you can leave this freeze-ahead casserole on ice for up to 2 months.)
Deep-Dish Cheeseburger Pizza Casserole
Deep dish pizza meets burger in this mash-up make-ahead casserole that will have the entire family running to the table. You'll love that it starts with packaged pizza dough—and that the whole sausage and beef "pie" can be made early and frozen for up to 3 months. Ketchup, mustard, pickles, and cheese are all tucked inside, so you don't even need to pull out the bottles at dinnertime.
Related: 17 Summer Burger Ideas to Make Your Cookout a Culinary Experience
Make-Ahead Baked Ziti with Three Cheeses
Meal prep fans, this one's for you! Combine al dente ziti, diced fire-roasted tomatoes, and plenty of cheese with a garlicky cream sauce on Sunday, and chill for up to 48 hours. Then, on Tuesday night, you have an easy make-ahead casserole on the table in just 45 minutes.
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Sausage, Egg, and Biscuit Casserole
While it looks like something you might enjoy at Grandma's house on a holiday morning, this easy make-ahead casserole recipe calls for just six ingredients. Refrigerated flaky biscuits and brown-and-serve breakfast sausage patties give you a head start on prep. Cheese, eggs, milk, and seasonings are the only other items you need for this family-friendly dish that you can put together the night before and chill until morning.
Related: 24 Christmas Casserole Recipes for Breakfast, Brunch, and Dinner
Blueberry- and Mascarpone-Stuffed French Toast Casserole
A make-ahead casserole for breakfast equals a few extra minutes in bed. Sweet! Starting your day with extra sleep AND a warm, fruity meal pretty much guarantees a good morning. "This recipe is amazing and reheats really well," raves one BH&G home cook. "I've made it so many times and get rave reviews. I've always used mascarpone [instead of cream cheese, an optional swap], and I add lemon zest to the mascarpone mixture."
Chicken Enchiladas Adobo
Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and fire-roasted tomatoes combine in a complex, crowd-pleasing sauce for these hearty enchiladas. To allow the flavors to deepen and meld, assemble the healthy make-ahead casserole full of spicy, cheesy rolls up to 24 hours ahead.
Test Kitchen Tip
Feel free to trade any of them for the chicken if you have leftover beef, turkey, or pork.
Spicy Brunch Lasagna
Alfredo sauce isn't just for pasta. This make-ahead casserole you can make the night before is stuffed with hearty Italian sausage and shredded hash browns and layered with creamy Alfredo. Dreamy! Top it off with melty mozzarella cheese for a recipe that's equally delicious for dinner or brunch.
Related: How to Make Alfredo Sauce at Home That's Creamy and Delicious
Caramelized Onion Breakfast Casserole
Don't be intimidated by making caramelized onions. Once you master the easy technique, you can use the aromatic, surprisingly sweet onions to flavor meals from breakfast to dinner, including this cozy dish. Sauté onions in the same frying pan as you crisp the bacon to accentuate the rich caramel flavor of the onions. This make-ahead casserole recipe's medley of sweet-and-savory ingredients—melty cheese, broccoli, sweet onions, and sourdough bread—promises out-of-this-world flavor. And it delivers!
Make-Ahead Turkey Manicotti
These tender manicotti shells are bursting with an enticing turkey-and-cheese filling. (You could also use leftover or rotisserie chicken for this make-ahead casserole if you like.) Garlic- and wine-spiked tomato sauce drizzled on top gives this classic Italian recipe a bold new dimension of flavor.
Prosciutto-Stuffed Chicken Bake
Add Italian flair to your dinner table by stuffing chicken breasts with salty prosciutto, then toss them in a buttery sauce and serve over rice. Oh yes, and don't forget the panko bread crumbs for an enticing crunchy topper. The entire make-ahead casserole can be prepared up to 3 months in advance and then frozen until you're ready to thaw, bake, and devour.
Related: Southwest Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Black Bean Salad
Bacon-Asparagus Strata
Bound together by fluffy eggs, this breakfast bake is filled with crispy bacon and crunchy asparagus—two ingredients that complement each other beautifully. Try it with white bread, bagel, or even English muffin bread cubes. Assemble this easy make-ahead casserole the night before guests arrive (or up to 24 hours ahead) for a low-fuss breakfast recipe.
Four-Cheese Zucchini Strata
Seeking a vegetarian make-ahead casserole for a meal that's both light and comforting? This summer squash recipe is your solution. The zucchini recipe is protein-packed and topped with melty provolone, white cheddar, feta, and Parmesan cheese. The delectable results will satisfy your need for a hearty dish without leaving you feeling stuffed.
Vegetable-Cheese Strata
Before you head to bed, toss together the rest of the slices of bread from dinner (or maybe ones remaining from a week's worth of avocado toast breakfasts) with sautéed veggies, eggs, and cheese. Chill overnight, then bake the make-ahead vegetarian casserole—it can be on your table in less than an hour. Pair with a side of bacon or sausage to please the carnivores in the crowd, and voilà: You have a company-worthy brunch that's a cinch to whip up any weekend of the year.
Make-Ahead Sausage, Mushroom, and Polenta Bake
Gluten-free lasagna does exist! This easy, cheesy make-ahead freezer casserole trades layers of Italian-seasoned cornmeal polenta for the plain ol' pasta. Stack that with mushrooms, Italian sausage, and a garlicky marinara sauce, and you might just forget about the noodle-based competition. Set the stage by preparing it all (up to the final baking step), wrapping tightly, and freezing for up to 1 month ahead.
Ham, Asparagus, and Cheese Strata
After chilling this dish overnight, bake it to serve as a breakfast, lunch, or dinner recipe. Fresh asparagus spears, creamy Gruyère cheese, and diced ham set the foundation for a tasty make-ahead casserole recipe combination. Add a fruit salad, and you have a remarkably well-balanced meal no matter what time you choose to serve.
Related: 14 Modern Fruit Salad Recipes to Sweeten Up Your Menu
Bean-and-Beef Enchilada Casserole
This Mexican main dish actually tastes better when you prep it 24 hours ahead. Do so to ensure the robust flavors of chili powder, ground beef, and enchilada sauce have enough time to blend. Set and forget this make-ahead casserole recipe in the fridge for a day, and you'll get the tastiest bites every time.
Green Chile Chicken Tortilla Casserole
A chill time of 8 to 24 hours allows all of the zesty flavors of this healthy Mexican make-ahead casserole to meld for a delicious make-ahead dinner. Of course, it's topped with ample cheese because pretty much all good savory things are (if you ask us)! Pair this make-ahead dinner idea with bowls of chopped tomato, fresh cilantro, and your favorite guacamole recipe. Let everyone go to town garnishing their piece.
More Tasty Casserole Recipes
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