Ree Drummond’s 5 Best Breakfast Casseroles Perfect for Christmas Morning
Ree Drummond is a big fan of breakfast casseroles. The Pioneer Woman says that there’s “nothing better than putting together an easy breakfast casserole in the morning and just popping it in the oven — especially during the holidays.”
When you’re busy planning your Christmas dinner menu and baking sweet treats, who has time for a made-to-order breakfast? With that in mind, here are the Food Network star’s five best breakfast casseroles that are perfect for Christmas morning.
1. The whole family will love Ree Drummond’s Christmas Breakfast Casserole
Ree says that her Christmas Breakfast Casserole is the “best ever” because it’s packed with gooey cheese, rich croissants, ham, and peppers. If you prefer, you can substitute bacon for the ham. Or, just leave the meat out if you want to make a vegetarian version. No matter which option you choose, this dish is “sure to be the hit of your holiday morning.”
Because this dish needs to sit in the refrigerator for a few hours, you need to make it the night before and pop it in the oven on Christmas morning so it can cook for 45 minutes.
2. Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Casserole is the easiest version of cinnamon rolls you’ll ever make
The Pioneer Woman loves to make “pans and pans” of her classic homemade cinnamon rolls during the holiday season. But, if you don’t have the time for that and need a shortcut, her easy Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Casserole is a fantastic option.
This breakfast can be quickly put together on Christmas morning. All you need is a few tubes of refrigerated cinnamon roll dough, butter, eggs, half-and-half, ground cinnamon, kosher salt, packed dark brown sugar, pecans, and sour cream.
3. Ree Drummond’s Tater Tot Casserole is great for a crowd
Ree’s easy five-star Tater Tot Casserole is perfect for a large gathering at breakfast time on Christmas morning. This dish needs to be made the night before so it can sit in the refrigerator overnight.
Ingredients needed include a bag of frozen tater tots, butter, olive oil, breakfast sausage, onion, milk, half-and-half, seasoned salt, cayenne, eggs, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, grated cheddar cheese, grated pepper jack cheese, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Sausage Breakfast Casserole is a classic make-ahead dish
The Food Network star’s Sausage Breakfast Casserole is a classic make-ahead dish that can actually be assembled, covered, and refrigerated for up to two days before baking. However, if you plan to make any substitutions, Ree says to be careful because of the eggs and moisture content.
“For any breakfast casserole involving eggs (most), you’ll need to be semi-aware of the moisture content of the other ingredients going in. You can sub all different types of vegetables—chopped yellow onion in place of scallions or small bits of broccoli instead of bell peppers—but cook them first. Cheese-wise, you’re best off with a low-moisture variety (i.e. not fresh mozzarella),” she writes.
5. Ree Drummond’s Eggs Benedict Strata recipe is ‘outstanding’
Another make-ahead casserole that you can prep on Christmas Eve is Ree’s Eggs Benedict Strata. To make the strata you’ll need English muffins, eggs, whole milk, half-and-half, kosher salt, black pepper, olive oil, Canadian bacon, baby spinach, salted butter, and grated white cheddar cheese.
For the hollandaise sauce, you’ll need salted butter, egg yolks, lemon juice, kosher salt, black pepper, and a few dashes of hot sauce. According to one review, this dish is simply “outstanding.”
Another shared, “This is so good and very easy. I made this last year for Christmas day and everyone loved it. It is on my menu for this Christmas morning as well! I’ll be partnering this with something “cinnamon roll-ish.”
The Pioneer Woman airs on the Food Network.
