Here at Sporked, we love a good breakfast casserole. Especially an easy breakfast casserole. Whether it’s a tater tot breakfast casserole or one made with ripped-up pieces of bread soaked in egg, there’s something so excellent about just tossing a bunch of ingredients into a dish, baking it in the oven, and calling it a meal. Still not sold? Here’s a beautiful breakfast casserole song, sung to the tune of O Christmas Tree, to convince you to make a casserole:
“O casserole, O casserole, You stand in splendid glass pan
O casserole, O casserole, Your eggs are yellow in oven’s glow and crispy brown in kitchen’s glow
O casserole, O casserole, You stand in splendid glass pan.”
Assuming that you are now in the casserole-making mood, here is our roundup of the best breakfast casserole ingredients!
- Just Egg Plant-Based Scramble
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If you don’t want to bother cracking and scrambling a bunch of eggs, an egg substitute is one of the best breakfast casserole ingredients. Just Egg is our favorite option. It looks and tastes eggy like regular eggs and has the advantages of being reasonably priced (less than five bucks at our local Target) and easy to store. Eggs are kind of like the glue that holds an easy breakfast casserole together, and this only makes things easier.
Read the full ranking of the best vegan egg substitutes
Credit: Merc / Target
- Farmer John Maple Pork Sausages
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The best breakfast casseroles have meat (vegan meat counts, too!). We particularly love Farmer John Maple Pork Sausages because they pack so much breakfasty flavor into little links. They are intensely craveable and filled with pork fat, plus that little bit of maple flavor gives them nuance.. Slice up these links or crumble them into your easy breakfast casserole to give it a salty, slightly sweet, highly savory kick.
Read the full ranking of the best breakfast sausage
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Pederson’s Natural Farms No Sugar Added Hickory Smoked Uncured Bacon
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This list wouldn’t be credible without a bacon shoutout. BACON! (See, I shouted it.) And for our ultimate breakfast casserole, we’re reaching for Pederson’s Natural Farms No Sugar Added Hickory Smoked Uncured Bacon.These strips are to die for—the salt, the crunch, the fat, the meatiness, the depth. Oh my! Mix this bitchin’ bacon into your next casserole to add some chew that will encourage you to slow down and mindfully enjoy every bite.
Read the full ranking of the best bacon
Credit Liv Averett / Instacart
- Kroger Cubed Ham
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There’s no dispute, eggs and ham are a classic pair. Now I don’t mean to ham it up, but there’s comfort to be found in the traditional taste of this pairing. If you add in ham, the Kroger Cubed Ham is a good choice because it’s not too salty, it is already cubed for your convenience, and it’s high on our list of the best ham at the grocery store. An easy breakfast casserole should be easy, so put the knife away!. Yay tossing, boo dicing.
Credit: Liv Averett / Kroger
Read the full ranking of the best ham
- Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Tater Tots
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Okay, we see you. You’re cooking for your pals and looking to impress. Look no further because everyone likes tater tots, and tater tot breakfast casserole is a surefire crowd pleaser. We’re going with these extra crispy tots so they don’t get soggy amid all the egg and meat. Use these and your casserole will still have some crunch.
Read the full ranking of the best tater tots
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Instacart
- Ore-Ida Shredded Hash Brown Potatoes
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Okay, maybe the breakfast casserole recipe you’re using calls for hash browns instead of tots. We have you covered there, too. Let me hash it out for you: if you want your casseroles to be softer and more delicate, then join #TEAMHASHBROWN. Ore-Ida Shredded Hash Brown Potatoes are potatoey and come in a big ol’ bag, so you can’t go wrong. On their own, they need seasoning, but in a breakfast casserole, they’re going to absorb the other flavors so nicely.
Read the full ranking of the best hash browns
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Kraft Finely Shredded Sharp Cheddar
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Your breakfast casserole better have cheese or you’re risking a full blown family mutiny before noon. Kraft Finely Shredded Cheddar may come in delicate shreds, but it’s big on flavor. Milder cheeses can get lost amongst all those other flavors, but sharp cheddar is sure to stand out. Plus, the fine shreds are really nice and melty, whether you’re sprinkling them on top of your casserole or mixing them in.
Read the full ranking of the best shredded cheddar cheese
Credit: Merc / Instacart
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!