The season of brunch is upon us. I love these simple egg dishes because they can be made the night before {Christmas Eve I usually make one} and simple popped in the oven in the morning. Give your self plenty of time for cooking these as sometimes the eggs just don’t want to cook {or “set-up”} in the middle. This can also be made at the beginning of a busy week and warmed up for a few days.
Egg Casserole
::Ingredients::
8 slices bread, crusts removed (optional) cubed or torn into bite size pieces (you can butter the bread first if you like)
½ chopped onion
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (or whatever you have on hand such as Colby or Monterey Jack)
8-10 large eggs
2 cups milk
::Directions::
1. Mix bread, onion & cheese. Add salt & pepper to taste.
2. Put mixture in 9×13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray or buttered lightly.
3. Add additional ingredients such as meat, veggies, etc.{see optional addition notes}
4. Whisk eggs and milk and pour over mixture.
5. Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes until set
*You can do steps 1-4 at night and refrigerate over night. Simply cook in the morning allowing a few extra minutes in case the eggs do not “set-up” well. Also, if the edges or top begin to brown but the eggs are not completely cooked {“set-up”} cover with foil.
Optional Egg Casserole Additions:
Country Breakfast– cubed ham, cooked sausage {crumbled} or bacon
Mexican– cooked chorizo sausage, small can of chopped green chilies
Potato– substitute 1 16oz. package of frozen has browns for the bread; breakfast meat such as bacon or cooked sausage
Stuffed French Toast– basic egg casserole recipe omitting the onions and cheese and using cinnamon bread instead plus 8oz. cream cheese, cubed and 1 large apple.
Gluten-Free– sub out gluten-free bread instead of the regular bread {may need some extra liquid if it get’s too dry}
Cheesy Casserole– basic egg recipe with another ½ cup of cheese added to the top (be sure to add foil-removing half way through cooking time)
Veggie Fun– cooked veggies such as butternut squash or cooked bell peppers can also be added or swapped in {great addition to the Country Breakfast version above}
Get creative…there are no limits to how you can make this base recipe!
