Wake up on New Year's Day to breakfast and brunch dishes that are ready in a jiffy! From muffins to coffee cakes to hot casseroles from the oven.

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What will you be doing for the holidays this year? Last year I asked if you might be trekking to Times Square to shiver and watch the ball drop, or heading out to local bars to toast with friends.
This year, it's more likely than not that you'll find yourself at home with family or a few close friends. Staying safe, celebrating the end of one hell of a challenging year to put it very, very mildly... and making a wish for easier and healthier days in 2021.

We loved letting our kids stay up with us during the holidays—most years when they were little they could barely keep their eyes open. But we had fun: games, old movies like The Wizard of Oz, snacks, and cups of eggnog.
So even if you're staying home, odds are you'll be up late. And then sleeping in.
That's the perfect kind of morning to have a make-ahead breakfast waiting for you in the kitchen.

Whether it's a basket of Christmas Muffins, a moist coffee cake, or a casserole to pop in the oven, you'll be so happy to have most of the work already done!

Make-Ahead Holiday Breakfast and Brunch Recipes
Scroll down to find make-ahead breakfast recipes grouped together by the type of dish: casseroles, muffins, coffee cakes, buns, fruit dishes, and breads.
Make-Ahead Casseroles (and a quiche)
Make-Ahead Muffins
Can't find Vegemite for the muffins above? Use Marmite in its place. Look for these yeast extract spreads at health food stores and in international sections of grocery stores. And online, of course! (affiliate link.)
Make-Ahead Coffee Cakes
Make-Ahead Buns
Make-Ahead Fruit Dishes
Make-Ahead Breads
Make-Ahead Baked Breakfast Sandwiches
Here's one of our favorite breakfasts, in a recipe that makes enough sandwiches for everyone in your house.
📖 Recipe

Make-Ahead Breakfast Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 6 English muffins
For the scrambled eggs:
- 7 large eggs
- ⅓ cup milk (2%)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Other sandwich ingredients:
- 6 precooked sausage patties, fresh or frozen
- 6 slices Cheddar cheese
For the butter baste:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Toast the English Muffins, tops and bottoms until they are lightly browned.
Make the scrambled eggs:
- Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk them together until they're blended and smooth. Whisk in the milk, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and one pinch of pepper.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When the pan is hot, pour the egg mixture into the pan.
- Allow the eggs to sit for 1 minute, then slowly push a spatula across the bottom. This will push up the egg that has cooked and allow uncooked egg to flow over the bottom. Let the eggs sit for 30 seconds, then push the eggs again with the spatula. (Reduce the heat a little if they're cooking too fast.)
- Repeat this every 30 seconds or so to slowly cook the egg and push the curds together. When the eggs are cooked—no liquid left but the eggs are still jiggly—remove the pan from the heat.
- Gently stir 1 tablespoon of butter into the eggs until it's melted. Then, stir the sour cream gently through the eggs. Hold the scrambled eggs aside.
Option 1: Six make-ahead sandwiches to bake in the morning
- Spray the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking dish or baking sheet with nonstick spray. Lay the bottoms of the English muffins in the pan.
- Place a sausage patty on each muffin. Then top the sausage with the scrambled eggs, dividing the eggs between the 6 sandwiches. Do your best to keep the egg on the sandwiches, though a few curds will inevitably topple off.
- Place a slice of cheese on each sandwich, and then place an English muffin top on each one.
- Wrap the pan tightly with plastic wrap and pop the pan into the fridge to rest overnight.
- In the morning, preheat the oven to 375° F.
- Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter with the ¼ teaspoon of onion powder, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and pinch of pepper in a small dish in the microwave, stirring it to make it smooth.
- Remove the sandwiches from the fridge and brush the tops of all the sandwiches with the butter mixture. Use all of the butter on the sandwiches. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
- Bake the breakfast sandwiches for 30 minutes. Remove the foil for 7-10 minutes more, until the tops are browned and the sandwiches are hot in the middle.
- Serve the sandwiches immediately! Leftover sandwiches should be wrapped well and stored in the fridge.
Option 2: Freeze individual sandwiches
- Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter with the ¼ teaspoon of onion powder, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and pinch of pepper in a small dish in the microwave, stirring it to make it smooth.
- Brush the insides of the English muffins with the butter mixture.
- Place a sausage patty on each muffin bottom. Then top the sausage with the scrambled eggs, dividing the eggs between the 6 sandwiches. Do your best to keep the egg on the sandwiches, though a few curds will inevitably topple off.
- Place a slice of cheese on each sandwich, and then place an English muffin top on each one.
- Wrap each sandwich in aluminum foil, and place the wrapped sandwiches in a freezer-proof bag. Freeze the sandwiches for up to one month.
- IMPORTANT: If you're planning to reheat a sandwich in an air fryer or toaster oven, put a sandwich in the fridge the night before to defrost.
To reheat a frozen sandwich in the microwave:
- Remove the foil from the frozen sandwich, and place it BOTTOM SIDE UP on a plate. Drape a damp paper towel over the top and sides. Microwave the sandwich for 1 minute. Turn the sandwich over, and zap it for another 30-35 seconds until it's heated through. Eat immediately.
To reheat a sandwich in the toaster oven:
- THE NIGHT BEFORE: Put a sandwich in the fridge to defrost overnight.
- Open and flatten the foil, and open up the sandwich so that the eggs and cheese are on one side and the sauasge is on the other. Put the foil with the two sandwich halves on the rack in your toaster oven.
- Set it to the Bake function at 350° F. Bake the sandwich for about 2-4 minutes until it's heated through.
To reheat a sandwich in the air fryer:
- THE NIGHT BEFORE: Put a sandwich in the fridge to defrost overnight.
- Open and flatten the foil, and open up the sandwich so that the eggs and cheese are on one side and the sausage is on the other. Poke a few holes in the foil for excess moisture to escape.
- Put the foil with the two sandwich halves on the rack inside the air fryer basket. Set it to the Air Fry function at 350° F. Cook the sandwich for about 2-3 minutes until it's heated through.
Notes
Tips:
- To reheat your breakfast sandwich in an air fryer or toaster oven, remember to put a frozen sandwich in the fridge the night before to defrost. Thawed sandwiches reheat more quickly and with better results than still-frozen ones.
- To reheat your breakfast sandwich in the microwave, doing so with a frozen sandwich works just fine.
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