Freezer Meal Breakfast Recipes

Hash Brown Casserole (freezer meal version)

Hash brown casserole makes such a nice dish for breakfast or brunch. This make-ahead version is also great for bringing to a potluck. It’s a go-to for our family for Christmas morning or nice Sunday brunches.

This easy breakfast casserole is nice and cheesy. In our house, if there are any leftovers, everyone tries to be the first one to the fridge the next morning to finish them up. That’s really the sign of a great recipe! I love a good make-ahead breakfast dish. Make a complete brunch with scrambled egg bites, French toast casserole, this potato side dish, and a fruit platter.

Hashbrown casserole is also sometimes called party potatoes (because it’s perfect for a crowd) or funeral potatoes (because this comfort food is often given to families who’ve lost a loved one).

Can you freeze hash brown casserole?

You can absolutely make hash brown casserole ahead of time and freeze it. In fact, that’s the way I make mine most of the time. You can freeze it before you bake it or after. I find it is best when you make it without baking, freeze it, and then cook it fresh on the day you want to serve it.

This recipe freezes beautifully. While potatoes don’t always freeze and reheat well, you can use pre-frozen potatoes such as frozen hash browns without issue.

How to Make Hash Brown Casserole:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, melted
10.5 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
pepper to taste
1 kg bag frozen hash browns (you can use cubed or shredded, but I prefer cubed)

Assembly instructions:

Melt butter in the microwave or a stovetop pot.
While butter is melting, chop the onion.
Mix everything together in a giant bowl starting with the butter and mushroom soup.
Dump it in a large resealable freezer bag.
Remove the excess air.
Seal.
Freeze.

Oven Cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Bake at 350° in a greased casserole dish for an hour.

Top it with ketchup, salsa, or hot sauce if you want.

Crock Pot Cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Dump bag contents into your slow cooker and cook on low for 3-5 hours.

Note that because of the potatoes and cheese, this casserole tends to stick to the crockpot, so I tend to use a Slow Cooker Liner when I make this dish.

If desired, you can serve with ketchup, salsa, or hot sauce.

Recipe Variations:

Brown Italian sausage or breakfast sausage and stir it in to add protein and flavor. This is one of our favorite versions. When I add sausage to mine, I also add a can of evaporated milk so that it’s not at all dry.
Change the type of cheese used. Sharp cheddar, jalapeño jack, or a tex mex blend are all nice options.
Add cubed ham or crumbled bacon.
Stir in some vegetables such as diced red or green peppers, jalapeños, or diced green chilies.
Top it with a mixture of butter and breadcrumbs or Cornflakes on the day of cooking.

Find make-ahead breakfast recipes, shopping lists, and printable labels in our Breakfast Freezer Meal Plan.

Hash Brown Casserole

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: casserole, hash brown

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 622 kcal

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter melted
10.5 oz. can Campbell's cream of mushroom soup
1 large onion chopped
1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
pepper to taste
1 kg bag frozen hash browns

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Melt butter.
Chop onion.
Mix everything together in a giant bowl starting with the butter and mushroom soup.
Dump it in a large resealable freezer bag.
Remove the excess air.
Seal.
Freeze.

Oven Cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Bake at 350° in a casserole dish for an hour.

Crock Pot Cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Dump bag contents into your slow cooker and cook on low for 3-5 hours.

Recipe Notes

Serve with ketchup, salsa, or hot sauce if you want.

Some of our other freezer cooking breakfast recipes:

No-Bake Cranberry Pistachio Energy Balls

By Sharla

These no-bake cranberry pistachio energy balls are a great way to start the day. They are a healthy on-the-go breakfast or snack. Since they can be made ahead and frozen, they are good to have on hand for busy families. These no-bake cranberry pistachio energy balls are easy to make and can be stored in the freezer. The recipe is also very forgiving and can be adapted according to your preferences.

Cranberry Pistachio Energy Balls Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup dates
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup raw pistachios
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. maple syrup
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup currants
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 cups instant oats

Directions:

Add the dates, cranberries, and shelled pistachios to a food processor. Roughly chop.
Transfer to a bowl.
Add the salt, maple syrup, and honey and mix well.
Mix in the chia seeds, currants, and brown sugar.
Stir in oats and mix very well with a sturdy wooden spoon.
Place the bowl in the fridge for about an hour to firm up the mixture. This will make rolling it into balls
much easier.
Remove mixture from the fridge. Roll into 1” balls. You can use a 1-inch cookie dough scoop to help make them more uniform if you wish.
Store the energy balls in an airtight container in the freezer or the fridge.

This recipe will make about 15 energy balls. You can double or triple the recipe if you’ll be storing them in the freezer as they freeze well for 3 to 6 months.

Cranberry Energy Bites Variations:

substitute raisins or chopped dried apricots for the dried cranberries
if there is a nut allergy in the family, omit the pistachios
substitute hemp seed for the chia seeds

Cranberry Pistachio Energy Balls

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Keyword: energy balls, no-bake

Servings: 15 energy balls

Calories: 220 kcal

Ingredients

1 cup dates
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup raw pistachios shelled
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. maple syrup
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup currants
1/2 cup brown sugar packed
2 cups instant oats

Instructions

Add the dates, cranberries, and shelled pistachios to a food processor. Roughly chop.
Transfer to a bowl.
Add the salt, maple syrup, and honey and mix well.
Mix in the chia seeds, currants, and brown sugar.
Stir in oats and mix very well with a sturdy wooden spoon.
Place the bowl in the fridge for about an hour to firm up the mixture and making rolling into balls easier.
Remove mixture from the fridge. Roll into 1” balls.
Store the energy balls in an airtight container in the freezer or the fridge.

Check out some of our other easy on-the-go make-ahead breakfasts:

Make-Ahead Everything Bagel Muffins

Scrambled Egg Bites

Cherry Muffins with Crunchy Topping

Homemade Freezer Granola

By Sharla

Making homemade granola is easier and more economical than you may think. This recipe can be made ahead and stored in the freezer to cook up fresh when needed. It is crisp and oh so delicious!

Being the mom of a large family, the more that can be made ahead, the better. Breakfast is such a mad rush, so I love having smoothie packs, pancake mini muffins, and scrambled egg bites ready for busy mornings.

Homemade Freezer Granola Recipe:

6 cups rolled oats
1 cup almonds, slivered
1 cup sesame seeds, untoasted
1 cup sunflower seeds, raw hulled
1 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
1/2 cup of dried cranberries or other dried fruit of your choice
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
1 cup honey
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt

Assembly instructions:

Mix the oats, almonds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, cranberries, and cinnamon together in a large bowl.
In a pot over medium heat, stir the oil, honey, water, vanilla, and salt until the sauce starts to boil.
Pour the sauce over the mixture of oats and mix well.
Put the granola into freezer bags, remove the air, seal, and freeze.*

*I like to use medium-sized freezer bags instead of large ones because it allows me to cook it in smaller batches.

Cooking instructions:

Take granola out of the freezer.
Lay the granola out on a cookie sheet. Bake at 275° for 45 minutes to an hour depending on how crunchy you like it. I like mine super crunchy.
Store any leftover granola in an airtight container or bag.

Granola topping suggestions:

yogurt
strawberries
blueberries
tangerines
ice cream
raspberries
raisins
cherries
banana slices
blackberries
dried apricots
chocolate chips
mango slices
dried or fresh pineapple

Homemade Freezer Granola

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Course: Breakfast

Keyword: granola

Servings: 24 approximately 1/2 cup

Calories: 330 kcal

Ingredients

6 cups rolled oats
1 cup almonds slivered
1 cup sesame seeds untoasted
1 cup sunflower seeds raw hulled
1 cup shredded coconut unsweetened
1/2 cup of dried cranberries or other dried fruit
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup honey
1/3 cup water
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Mix the oats, almonds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, cranberries, and cinnamon together in a large bowl.
In a pot over medium heat, stir the oil, honey, water, vanilla, and salt until the sauce starts to boil.
Pour the sauce over the mixture of oats and mix well.
Put the granola into freezer bags, remove the air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

Take granola out of the freezer.
Lay the granola out on a cookie sheet. Bake at 275° for 45 minutes to an hour depending on how crunchy you like it. I like mine super crunchy.
Store any leftover granola in an airtight container or bag.

Recipe Notes

Granola topping suggestions:
yogurt
strawberries
blueberries
tangerines
ice cream
raspberries
raisins
cherries
banana slices
blackberries
dried apricots
chocolate chips
mango slices
pineapple, fresh or dried

You might be interested in these make-ahead breakfast recipes:

Amazing Egg Bites

Breakfast Sausage Hand Pies

Everything Bagels Breakfast Muffins

Scrambled Egg Bites (freezer breakfast idea)

By Sharla

It’s so nice to have breakfast foods in the freezer ready to go. These scrambled egg bites are great for busy weekday mornings. You can grab them on your way out the door for work or you can heat them up for the kids before school.

The other thing I really like about this particular recipe is how many variations you can make of it. You can try different combinations until you find your favorite. You can also customize them for each person in the family.

This is a great recipe to have kids help with. It’s super easy and older kids can even make them on their own. They can add in the mix-ins they like best. Inviting the kids to participate in making the egg bites really allows them to explore their culinary creativity. It also makes them more likely to be willing to try new foods.

Scrambled Egg Bites Recipe:

Ingredients:

12 eggs
salt and pepper
whatever you want to add in such as vegetables, meat, and shredded cheese

Assembly instructions:

Grease muffin tins.
Break one egg into each muffin tin.*
Lightly whisk each to break the yolk.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Drop-in your choice of mix-ins.
Press the mix-ins down with a fork or spoon.
Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes.
Cool.
Place in a large, resealable freezer bag. Seal. Freeze.

*You can substitute egg whites if desired.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Reheat in the microwave on a paper towel or napkin. Cooking times vary depending on the microwave oven but approximately 1 1/2 to 2 minutes if frozen or 30 seconds if thawed.
If you want, you can top the egg bites with salsa, some hot sauce, guacamole, or cottage cheese.

Suggestions for what to put in egg bites:

diced green or purple onions
chopped red or green pepper
pre-cooked deli ham
pre-cooked sausage
crumbled cooked bacon
cooked diced turkey
shredded cheese (cheddar, Gruyere, Swiss, jalapeño jack, or a blend)
diced jalapeños
spinach
broccoli

My husband loves the egg bites at Starbucks but finds them a bit small. Also, Starbucks is a farther drive than our freezer! He’s loving having these handy whenever he wants to grab a quick breakfast.

Scrambled Egg Bites

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: egg bites, scrambled egg bites

Servings: 12

Calories: 70 kcal

Ingredients

12 eggs *You can substitute egg whites if desired.
salt and pepper
whatever you want to add in such as vegetables, meat, and shredded cheese

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Grease muffin tins.
Break one egg into each muffin tin.*
Lightly whisk each to break the yolk.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Drop in your choice of mix-ins.
Press the mix-ins down with a fork or spoon.
Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes.
Cool.
Place in large, resealable freezer bag. Seal. Freeze.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Reheat in the microwave on a paper towel or napkin. Cooking times vary depending on your microwave oven, but approximately 1 1/2 to 2 minutes if frozen or 30 seconds if thawed.
If you want, you can top the egg bites with salsa, some hot sauce, guacamole, or cottage cheese.

Recipe Notes

Suggestions for what to put in egg bites:
diced green or purple onions, chopped red or green pepper, pre-cooked deli ham, pre-cooked sausage, crumbled cooked bacon, cooked diced turkey, shredded cheese (cheddar, Gruyere, Swiss, jalapeño jack, or a blend), diced jalapeños, spinach, broccoli

Check out some of our other make-ahead breakfasts:

Everything Bagels Breakfast Muffins

French Toast Casserole

Pancake Mini Muffins

Cherry Muffins with Crunchy Topping

By Sharla

I love grab-and-go breakfasts. For me, muffins totally count as breakfast as long as they have fruit in them! These cherry muffins can be used as a quick make-ahead breakfast or after-school snack.

It’s best to make these muffins when cherries are in season. We go for road trips each summer to British Columbia, Canada and they have the most delicious cherries sold at roadside stands. We usually come home with several bags of them. Muffins make good healthy school snacks. I prefer to send the kids homemade granola bars, corn dog mini muffins, English muffin pizzas, or other homemade snacks in their school lunch than store-bought ones. That way, I know exactly what ingredients they’re eating.

Cherry Muffins Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cups white sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup oil (canola or olive)
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup fresh cherries, pitted and chopped
2 Tbsp. white sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°,
Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
Stir together the flour, the first amount of sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
Add in the oil, milk, and egg. Stir together until well combined. Don’t worry about the occasional lump or small dry patch if it looks mostly combined.
Gently fold in the cherries. Scoop the dough into cupcake liners until they are 2/3 of the way full.
Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. of sugar on top of each muffin for a crunchy topping.
Bake the muffins for 20-24 minutes until golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Note: You can substitute almond or soy milk for the milk in this recipe, so they can be made dairy-free.

This recipe doubles well. The cherry muffins can be frozen in large resealable freezer bags and taken out to eat when needed. Ensure that you seal the bag well each time and take out as much air as you can to prevent freezer burn.

Pro tip: If you don’t want any streaks of color in the muffin batter, coat the cherries in a dusting of flour before folding them in.

Cherry Muffins with Crispy Topping

Course: Dessert

Keyword: cherry, muffins

Servings: 12

Calories: 180 kcal

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cups white sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup oil canola or olive
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup fresh cherries pitted and chopped
2 Tbsp. white sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°,
Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
Stir together the flour, the first amount of sugar, baking powder and salt until well combined.
Add in the oil, milk and egg. Stir together until well combined. Don't worry about the occasional lump or small dry patch if it looks mostly combined.
Gently fold in the cherries. Scoop the dough into cupcake liners until they are 2/3 of the way full.
Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. of sugar on top of each muffin for a crunchy topping.
Bake the muffins for 20-24 minutes until golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Recipe Notes

You can substitute almond or soy milk for the milk in this recipe, so they can be made dairy-free.

You’ll love these tasty dessert recipes:

Caramel Stuffed White Chocolate Chip Cookies Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies Make Ahead Granola Bars