Easy Thanksgiving Breakfasts

Everyone knows Thanksgiving focuses on the big meal with turkey, ham, or a roast and all the fanfare, but that's no reason to skip breakfast. Especially if you need to keep the kitchen clear of snacking grazers while busy preparing the holiday feast.

A good Thanksgiving breakfast is key, but it has to be quick and stress-free so it doesn't become another daunting holiday chore. These easy breakfast recipes are just the thing - with plenty of options you can make in advance and reheat on Thanksgiving morning.

1. Overnight French Toast Bake

The great thing about this French toast casserole is that all the prep takes place the night before. Slice the bread, let it soak in the cinnamon maple egg and cream mixture overnight, and pop it in the oven on Thanksgiving morning.

I like to add raisins for a subtle touch of fruity sweetness, or you could try other French toast toppings like chocolate chips, dried cherries, pecans, or walnuts.

2. Baked Denver Omelet

A classic Denver omelet is made with eggs, ham, bell peppers, onions, and cheese. This baked version has all of that in one easy, cheesy, and delicious breakfast casserole that serves four.

While the original recipe serves four, this baked omelet is incredibly easy to double or even triple depending on how many people you plan to serve.

3. Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

Frozen tater tots make up the base of this cheesy sausage and egg breakfast casserole, which adds to the convenience and tastes delicious. You can assemble, bake, and freeze this casserole in advance.

Thaw it in the fridge overnight and bake it in the oven to reheat for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning.

4. Air Fryer Pancakes

Did you know making pancakes in the air fryer means you don't have to flip them? You can only make a few pancakes at a time, but the air fryer does all the hard work once you've made the batter.

These easy pancakes air fry up soft, fluffy, and golden without you ever needing to bust out a spatula.

5. Homemade French Toast Sticks

I have nothing against store-bought French toast sticks, but making them from scratch is super simple with a much better flavor. You can even freeze them for the same heat-and-eat convenience you can get from boxed brands.

There's no need to thaw them before reheating, just pop them in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes on Thanksgiving morning.

6. Cinnamon Roll Casserole

You'll need butter, eggs, cream, a couple of tubes of unbaked cinnamon rolls, and plenty of maple syrup for this indulgent cinnamon roll breakfast casserole. Drizzle the casserole with the included packages of icing from your cinnamon rolls for a sweet final touch.

You can also use already baked cinnamon rolls, which will knock about 10 minutes off the baking time, making this a quick 15-minute breakfast or brunch.

7. Bisquick Waffles

Bisquick recipes are always a breeze because of the convenience of a pre-measured baking mix. Their signature recipe for waffles is a classic that I love because it yields fluffy, golden waffles in a flash.

All you need is a box of Bisquick baking mix, milk, eggs, oil, and your favorite waffle toppings.

8. Breakfast Sandwiches

These easy breakfast sandwiches are filled with meat, cheese, and eggs on toasted English muffins. I make them as a variety of breakfast sandwiches with bacon, sausage, and Canadian bacon or ham. However, you could go with any of the three and it will still be tasty.

9. Hash Brown Egg Cups

My quick and easy hash brown egg cups are a simple combination of frozen hash browns, butter, eggs, and seasoning baked until crispy in a muffin pan. These crunchy potato egg cups are an excellent two-bite main dish if you plan on making another recipe from this list.

You could add cheese, diced cooked ham, or crumbled bacon, the possibilities are endless for these scrumptious egg cups.

10. Sausage Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls

With only four ingredients, these quick 20-minute sausage cream cheese rolls are an easy breakfast that will keep everyone satisfied until the big meal. All you need is some cream cheese, cheddar cheese, cooked sausage, and a tube of crescent rolls.

Add the fillings, roll them up, and bake for a cheesy and savory breakfast you can eat on the go.

11. Baked French Toast Muffins

This easy recipe takes everything you love about French toast and bakes it into fluffy, delicious muffins. They're infused with cinnamon vanilla flavor and taste even better with a drizzle of maple syrup.

Assemble the muffins in the muffin pan, cover them, and refrigerate them overnight to make things even easier in the morning.

12. Sheet Pan Pancakes

Everyone loves pancakes, but I'll be the first to admit standing in the kitchen and flipping pancakes for a large group of people can be tedious. Once I discovered sheet pan pancakes, this easy method for making multiple pancakes at once in the oven became my go-to for quick family breakfasts.

These soft and fluffy pancakes taste just like classic pancakes only sliced into squares, so you can still add all your favorite pancake toppings.

13. Pizza Dough Cinnamon Rolls

Making cinnamon rolls has never been easier thanks to this little shortcut using tubes of unbaked pizza dough. The dough is sliced, slathered in cinnamon brown sugar butter, rolled up, and baked to perfection.

I've included easy instructions for making either vanilla or cream cheese icing for the most delectable cinnamon rolls.

14. Breakfast Quesadillas

Loaded with breakfast favorites like hash browns, eggs, cheese, and bacon, these quesadillas are an easy and delicious way to start Thanksgiving Day. Sandwich it all between two crispy tortillas and serve with sour cream or your favorite salsa.

Breakfast quesadillas are completely customizable from the meat to the cheese and whether or not you add veggies.

15. Apple Pie French Toast Casserole

Apple pie French toast casserole tastes as decadent as it sounds despite the convenience of using canned apple pie filling. It has a layer of French toast, a layer of sweet spiced apple pie filling, and a layer of crumbly oatmeal streusel.

The French bread needs to soak in the egg mixture, so making the casserole the night before and covering it in the fridge to bake in the morning is the way to go.

💭 Tips For Making Easy Thanksgiving Breakfasts

1. Overnight recipes. Recipes like overnight French toast casserole or French toast muffins can be assembled the night before and baked in the morning.
2. Freeze in advance. Muffins, breakfast quesadillas, pancakes, waffles, and many breakfast casseroles can be made weeks ahead, frozen, and reheated on Thanksgiving morning.
3. Utilize your kitchen appliances. You can make air fryer bacon, air fryer pancakes, air fryer sausage patties, and more that taste just as good in half the time.
4. Incorporate some easy sides. Pick one standout dish, like hash brown egg cups or sheet pan pancakes, and pair it with simple sides like bacon and fresh fruit.
5. Add a coffee or tea bar. If you're hosting guests, a coffee or tea bar goes a long way in the morning. Include seasonal mix-ins like pumpkin spice, cinnamon sticks, or whipped cream for a special treat.

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