Fresh Egg Breakfast Burritos & Casseroles for Busy Mornings

Some mornings I go out to collect eggs, and the nesting boxes look like they multiplied overnight. Longer daylight hours push egg production up, and by early summer I'm gathering more than we can eat fresh in a normal week. If you keep chickens, you know the feeling. The basket fills up faster than you planned for, and you start looking for ways to use them before you're tempted to just give dozens away.

Mornings on the farm don't leave much time for cooking, so this is the time of year I lean on two make-ahead breakfasts that both use a lot of eggs and hold up well in the freezer.

Breakfast Burritos 1. Scramble the eggs and put them in a separate bowl.

2. Take leftover taco meat or sausage sautéed them with the peppers and onions first in the pan you scrambled the eggs. Roll the filling into tortillas 3. Roll the scramble eggs, meat and vegetables with some cheese into tortillas. 4. Place the burritos back into the pan with butter or leftover bacon grease until brown and crispy. Flip over to the other side until brown and crispy. 5. You can eat them right away or wrap in parchment paper and then in foil and freeze. 6. Reheat straight from frozen in the microwave for about 90 seconds, or in the air fryer at 350°F for 8-10 minutes if you want the tortilla crisp again.

A dozen burritos us es six to eight eggs and keeps in the freezer about two months. They also travel well. Grab one frozen on your way out the door and reheat it at work once you get there.

Breakfast Casserole This is what I make for brunch or when there's a crowd to feed. It’s an easy make-ahead breakfast that uses a lot of eggs and freezes well.

1. Prepare the ingredients. Cook your choice of meat: sausage, bacon, or ham. Prepare your hash browns using either shredded or cubed hash browns. You can also add vegetables like peppers, onions, or spinach if you like.
   

2. Layer the casserole dish. Grease an 8x13 or 9x13 casserole dish. Add a layer of hash browns, followed by the cooked meat, vegetables, and cheese.
   

3. Add the egg mixture. Whisk a dozen eggs with a splash of milk, then pour the mixture evenly over the layers in the casserole dish.
   

4. Refrigerate overnight. Cover and let the casserole sit in the refrigerator overnight so the eggs soak into the layers and the flavors come together.
   

5. Bake until set. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the center is fully set and the top is lightly golden.
   

6. Freeze for later. You can also freeze the casserole unbaked. Thaw it in the refrigerator before baking. It may not rise quite as evenly, but it still makes a convenient freezer breakfast.
   

Fresh eggs from hens in full lay have thicker whites and firmer yolks than store-bought eggs, which is part of why both recipes hold together so well right now. Surplus doesn't have to mean waste. A little planning turns an overflowing egg basket into a stocked freezer.