I love breakfast casserole. It’s easy to make, and it’s delicious. But sometimes, I have leftovers that won’t be eaten before they go bad. In this situation, you can freeze your breakfast casserole and enjoy it later!
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What is a Breakfast Casserole?
Breakfast casseroles are made by mixing eggs, cheese, meat, and other ingredients into a dish that is then baked in the oven. The result is a savory dish that can serve as an appetizer or side dish for breakfast or brunch. Though there is no single recipe for this type of food, most breakfast casseroles include bread as well as cheese and meat—and sometimes vegetables too!
The word “casserole” has its roots in the French verb casser (to break), because when you bake these dishes they tend to break apart into pieces. Breakfast casseroles come in all sorts of varieties: some are vegetarian; some use milk instead of cream cheese; still others call for different meats than bacon or sausage. But whatever their differences may be, most breakfast casseroles have one thing in common: they’re delicious!
Can You Freeze Breakfast Casserole? Yes!
You can freeze breakfast casserole. The trick is to do it in the right way.
There are three ways to freeze breakfast casserole:
- Freeze individual portions in small containers or bags. Put a portion size serving on a plate and then wrap it tightly with plastic wrap before putting it into the freezer bag or container for storage. This is great for people who eat at different times of day and want to thaw out just a portion at a time when they are ready for breakfast!
- Bake the whole casserole, let cool completely, slice into pieces and vacuum pack each slice individually so that you have individually wrapped slices of your favorite delicious casserole! These are fantastic for busy mornings when you don’t have time to cook anything from scratch! Just grab one out of the freezer as soon as you wake up (or earlier) and put it in your microwave until warmed through–so easy! You can even freeze them individually ahead of time if desired so they’re ready whenever needed without having extra food going bad in your refrigerator while waiting around
How Should I Freeze Breakfast Casserole?
By following these steps, you can have a perfectly-frozen breakfast casserole that tastes just as good as it did when it was fresh out of the oven.
- You’ll want to place your dish into a freezer-safe container. If you don’t have one on hand, consider purchasing one specifically for this purpose (you can find them at any major chain store). Remember: if you don’t use an appropriately sized container and your food expands while freezing, it could burst through the top of your dish!
- Leave at least 1/2 inch of space between all sides (and the lid) in order to allow for expansion during freezing—this is especially important if your recipe includes liquids or creamy ingredients such as milk or yogurt because these will expand more than solid items like meatballs or vegetables would.
- Freeze for up to 3 months before eating; once thawed completely through thaw overnight in refrigerator prior to using again so that flavors won’t be altered by being left out too long after cooking first time around!
How Long Will Breakfast Casserole Last in the Freezer?
If you freeze breakfast casserole in a freezer safe container, it should keep for up to three months. You should label the container with the date and contents before you freeze it, then leave it out of the freezer for at least two hours before heating. This helps reduce condensation when you transfer your breakfast casserole into the oven.
When reheating frozen breakfast casserole, put it in an oven-safe dish and cook according to these directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C). Bake uncovered until heated through–approximately 30-35 minutes depending on whether or not your dish has been preheated as well. Do not thaw first! Allow your breakfast casserole to come up to room temperature before cooking; this will help prevent sogginess from moisture freezing inside during cooking time.
Directions for Thawing and Reheating Breakfast Casserole
Thawing and reheating breakfast casserole is easy, but there’s a few things you should keep in mind when doing so:
- Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. The longer you leave your frozen breakfast casserole out at room temperature, the more likely it is that it will thaw unevenly and develop an unpleasant layer of ice on top.
- Microwave for 1 minute, then 30 seconds at a time until cooked through. You want to get all parts of your frozen breakfast casserole to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius), which is hot enough to kill germs but not so hot as to dry out or burn any part of your dish—especially important if you used ground sausage instead of link sausage!
- Add extra cheese if needed. If part of your frozen breakfast casserole has begun to thaw before the entire dish has warmed up through, simply add more cheese!
- Don’t overcook your sausage! Overcooking causes grease buildup on top of whatever food item we have put into our microwave just prior–in this case: our sausage patties. If this happens during cooking time then we’ll end up with burnt-looking pieces on top while everything else remains raw underneath.”
Tips and Tricks for Making These Frozen Breakfast Casseroles Sick
- Use a large casserole dish. A 9 x 13-inch casserole dish works well, or you can use a straight-sided baking dish that is at least 2 inches deep.
- Use a glass or ceramic casserole dish with straight sides. You don’t want the bottom of your breakfast casserole to be able to fall through the sloped sides of your baking pan, so you need something with straight sides (or else use parchment paper).
- Use a lid for freezing your breakfast casserole, but put it on loosely so that some steam will escape while it freezes. You can also wrap each serving individually in plastic wrap before putting them into freezer bags or containers if you prefer not to use lids—that way no one serving gets soggy from condensation from its neighbors!
Soften cream cheese and eggs. Don’t allow them to reach room temperature before adding them to the recipe; they need to stay cool until they are cooked.
When you are ready to bake your casserole, be sure to let the cream cheese and eggs sit out at room temperature for no more than an hour. If they sit out too long and get too warm, they will separate into liquid (the watery part) and solid (the curdled part). You can still use them if this happens; it’s just not ideal.
If you have to include these ingredients in a recipe that calls for cooking first before adding them into another dish like scrambled eggs or a quiche, make sure that you don’t over cook them because this will also cause them to curdle.
Conclusion
Freezing breakfast casseroles can be a great way to save time in the morning. You can make one on Sunday night and then have it ready each morning throughout the week!