Assemble this make-ahead breakfast casserole in the evening, stash it in the refrigerator, and bake it in the morning for an easy breakfast for a crowd.
Take this breakfast casserole from the fridge to the oven on Christmas morning and bake it while the family opens presents. Breakfast will be ready when you are.
Serve the casserole with berries or other fruit, along with juice and coffee... breakfast solved!
You don't even have to wait for a holiday. This breakfast casserole is perfect for any weekend morning. When this casserole is baking, the wonderful aroma coming from your oven will wake up the sleepiest members of your household.
If you have leftovers, they can easily be reheated in the microwave or toaster oven.
Ingredients You Will Need:
Crusty bread, cut into 3/4 inch cubes. A loaf of day old French country bread works well. So would a crusty Italian loaf.
Eggs and milk. After all, this casserole is essentially a savory bread pudding.
Broccolini. This is a great way to sneak in some veggies.
Sharp cheddar cheese, both in the casserole mixture and as a topping.
Bacon... a full pound of bacon, chopped and cooked.
Pantry ingredients: an onion, salt, pepper, and dry mustard.
If you prefer, you can substitute breakfast sausage for the bacon, or prepare this with a combination of the two.
Definitely try to find broccolini, but if you can't find it, you can substitute broccoli rabe, kale, or spinach.
Tips for Making this Breakfast Casserole:
Once you've cooked the bacon, save a tablespoon of the bacon fat for sautéing the onions.
To prepare the broccolini, you can either blanch it or steam it in the microwave it, just enough to slightly soften it. It should be bright green, but still very crunchy.
In the morning, before you place the casserole in the oven, sprinkle the top with the other half of the cheese.
Once you remove the casserole from the oven, let it sit for about 10 to 15 minutes before you slice into it.
Helpful Tools:
To bake the casserole, you will need a three-quart casserole or 9 inch by 13 inch baking pan. You could also use a 12-inch deep dish pie pan or oven proof skillet with high sides so that you can cut the casserole into wedges.
To steam the broccolini in the microwave, I used a shallow round casserole dish with a little water on the bottom. Cover the broccolini loosely with a sheet of wax paper and microwave in 1 minute bursts, tossing the broccolini in between. Mine took only 2 minutes to steam.
This casserole can serve 12 hungry people as a main course, and up to 18 as part of a multi-course breakfast/brunch.
More Breakfast Casseroles You May Also Like:
Mexican Breakfast Casserole (one of my most popular recipes)
Individual Tater Tot Breakfast Casseroles
Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole
Waffle Casserole with Maple Sausage
Breakfast Strata with Corn and Chiles
Make-Ahead French Toast Casserole
Easy Casserole Recipes for Any Time of Day:
- Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Casserole from Palatable Pastime
- Butternut Mac n Cheese with Bacon from Art of Natural Living
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole from That Recipe
- Chicken Parm Pasta Bake from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
- Kiftah bi Seniyeh - Palestinian Baked Meatballs from Pandemonium Noshery
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Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 bunches (about 14 ounces total) broccolini, including stems, leaves, and florets, sliced into 1-inch long pieces
- 1 pound sliced bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces widthwise, cooked and drained, with 1 tablespoon bacon fat reserved
- 1 medium yellow or brown onion, diced
- 1 pound loaf of day old crusty bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 10 ounces (about 2 1/2 cups) grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 6 large eggs
- 3 1/2 cups whole milk
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Spray a 3 quart or 9 inch by 13 inch casserole dish with spray oil.
- Place the broccolini pieces in a casserole dish or bowl and add about 1/4 cup water. Cover loosely with wax paper or a paper towel, and microwave for 1 minutes. Stir, and microwave one minute more, until bright green but still firm. Drain and set aside.
- Heat the reserved bacon fat over medium low heat and add the diced onion. Cook, stirring a couple of times, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Place the bread cubes in a large bowl and stir in the onions, 4 ounces (1 cup) of the cheese, 3/4 of the broccolini, and 3/4 of the cooked bacon.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the milk, salt, mustard, and pepper and whisk. Pour the egg and milk mixture into the bread mixture and stir to moisten all the bread. Transfer everything to the casserole dish and spread it evenly.
- Sprinkle the top with the remaining broccolini and bacon. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate overnight.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the prepared casserole from the refrigerator, uncover, and sprinkle the top with the remaining cheddar cheese. Bake the casserole, uncovered, for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, until golden on top and the internal temperature is about 165 degrees F.
- Let rest, tented with foil, for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
318.83Fat (grams)
18.76Sat. Fat (grams)
7.96Carbs (grams)
17.62Fiber (grams)
1.36Net carbs
16.92Sugar (grams)
4.49Protein (grams)
19.89Sodium (milligrams)
823.46Cholesterol (grams)
109.19Recipe adapted from Sift Magazine, Holiday 2018 (out of print).
Breakfast casseroles are so tasty and practical. Love all the broccolini in this!
ReplyDeleteI love breakfast casseroles! And the make ahead part makes this even better. Along with all those veg. Yum!
ReplyDelete