How To Reheat Breakfast Casserole - I Test 5 Methods [Pics] - Pantry & Larder (2024)

When it comes to reheating eggs, it can be tricky to get the right balance. Too little heat and you’ll end up with a watery, sloppy mess. Too much heat and you’ll end up with a tough, rubbery dish that barely resembles an egg casserole.

In this article, I test several different ways of reheating breakfast casserole to see which one gives the fluffiest egg with the least effort.

The best way to reheat breakfast casserole is in the skillet. Lightly butter a pan and heat it on medium heat. Once hot, add your slice of casserole and fry it on both sides for 1-2 minutes until lightly browned. For a whole breakfast casserole, the oven works best.

How I Tested Reheating Egg Casserole

I made a big batch of egg casserole on Sunday morning and stored it in the fridge overnight. The following day, I tested reheating egg casserole:

• In the oven: Best for whole casseroles.
• In the microwave: Okay for individual portions.
• In the skillet: My favorite method because of the crispy eggs.
• In the air fryer: Good if you use foil.
• In the toaster: Quick and easy!

Reheating breakfast casserole in the oven

Time: 5-10 minutes
Rating: 8/10

Note: the oven is your only option if you have a whole breakfast casserole to reheat!

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Remove the breakfast casserole from the fridge and let it come to room temperature (skip this step if just heating a slice).
3. Cover the breakfast casserole with foil and heat a slice for 5-10 minutes, or heat a whole casserole for 20-30 minutes.
4. To crisp the top, remove the foil for the last few minutes of heating.

Covering the dish with foil will prevent the egg from drying out, but to take your breakfast to the next level, remove the foil near the end and sprinkle some cheese over the top.

Trust me. It’s Delicious.

Results: My breakfast casserole came out of the oven tasting great – it was pretty much indistinguishable from the fresh version.The only real downside is how long it takes (although this is less of a concern if you have a toaster oven).

Reheating breakfast casserole in the microwave

Time: 1-2 minutes
Rating: 6/10

1. Put a slice of breakfast casserole on a microwave-safe plate.
2. Cover your dish with a wet paper towel.
3. Heat on 50% power in 30-second intervals until heated through.

Heating on a lower power and using short time intervals helps prevent overcooking the eggs.

One thing I noticed was that the watery vegetables didn’t fare very well in the microwave – they leaked moisture and left the casserole a bit soggy. So I would avoid the microwave if you have lots of water-logged veg in your casserole.

But if you can’t, line the plate with a dry paper towel to help soak up the excess moisture.

Results: The microwave worked okay for me, but I was very careful not to overheat the egg.If you’re less careful, the results might not be as good. It’s also super quick and convenient, which helps outweigh the risk of rubbery eggs.

Reheating egg casserole in the skillet

Time: 4-6 minutes
Rating: 8/10

1. Melt butter or heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Place a slice of egg casserole in the pan and heat for 2 to 3 minutes, checking it’s not over-browning. If it’s heating too quickly, turn the heat down.
3. Flip, then heat for 2 more minutes.
4. Repeat as needed until heated through.

If you’re using a non-stick pan, there’s no need to add butter or oil (but I still like to use butter for extra flavor).

Stick to medium heat until the egg casserole is hot in the middle.Then, if you want to add some extra crispiness to the outside, you can turn the heat up to high for a minute or two.

Results: This was my favorite method. The egg casserole was moist and fluffy on the inside, with nice crisp edges, and the butter really complemented the flavors of the casserole. The only downside was having a pan to wash up afterward!

Reheating egg casserole in the air fryer

Time: 3-4 minutes
Rating: 7/10

1. Heat your air fryer to 300°F (150°C).
2. Brush a slice of egg casserole with butter or spray with oil for crisp edges.
3. Place your slices in the air fryer, keeping them in a single layer.
4. Heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until heated through.

If you’re worried about your breakfast casserole drying out, wrap it in foil. However, it’s heating for such a short period of time that drying out isn’t too much of a danger.

One of the air fryers’ limitations is space. Allow for plenty of air circulation around your slice of casserole to ensure effective heating.

Results: The air fryer is a good, quick method for smaller slices. But I found with a thicker slice, the outside dried out before the middle was hot. It’s a fine line between a crispy edge and an overcooked egg.

Reheatingegg casserole in a toaster

Time: 1-2 minutes
Rating: 8/10

1. Make a makeshift toastie pocket using a cut piece of parchment paper (or use an actual toastie pocket).
2. Wrap the parchment paper around a slice of egg casserole and gently place it in the toaster.
3. Toast for 1-2 minutes.

Results: This is a really quick and easy method, as long as your egg casserole slices aren’t too thick. Why didn’t anyone think of this sooner?!

How to store egg casserole

To store egg casserole, cut it into slices and let cool it to room temperature. Place the slices in an airtight container lined with a paper towel. If you need more than one layer, separate the layers with parchment paper. Keep the egg casserole in the fridge for 3-4 days.

The paper towel in the bottom of the container will absorb any moisture that might leak out and make your casserole soggy. If you don’t want to separate the casserole into slices first, simply wrap the whole thing in plastic wrap or foil.

You can also wrap individual slices in plastic wrap if you want – this will make it super easy to grab one and head out the door to work.

Can you freeze egg casserole?

Egg casserole freezes well. The dish freezes best when there aren’t a lot of watery vegetables in it. Stick to meats, cheese, potatoes, and more sturdy vegetables like sweetcorn or peppers. If you’re prepping in advance, undercook your eggs slightly to prevent overcooking when you reheat the casserole.

How to freeze egg casserole:

1. Cool the egg casserole to room temperature and slice it into portions.
2. Flash freeze the slices by putting them in a single layer on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and freezing them uncovered for one hour.
3. Once frozen solid, put the slices in a freezer bag and remove as much of the air as possible. This helps avoid freezer burn.
4. If freezing a whole casserole, wrap the dish in a layer of plastic wrap, then in foil.
5. Store for up to 2 months.

Flash freezing will prevent the slices from sticking together in the freezer bag.If you don’t want to flash-freeze them, separate the layers with parchment paper.

Make sure you’ve cooled the egg casserole to room temperature before freezing. Putting a hot egg casserole in the freezer will lead to ice crystals forming in the egg and ruin the texture.

If you want to freeze a whole casserole, I recommend freezing it in a foil baking dish. Then you can easily transfer it straight from the freezer to the oven.

How to reheat frozen egg casserole

You can reheat egg casserole straight from frozen in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and wrap the casserole in foil. Heat a slice for 20 minutes or a whole casserole for 40-60 minutes. You can also blast the egg casserole in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, but you risk ending up with rubbery eggs.

Alternatively, thaw the egg casserole in the fridge overnight. Then reheat it using any of the options above.