Monday, September 17, 2012

All Purpose Breakfast Casserole

Perfect Pairing:  Texas Toast
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I recently had about 15 people to my house for breakfast.  No big deal, just get up early and knock it all out.  Right?  Well the night before the breakfast I had a bachelorette party.  I knew I would want to stay in bed as long as I could the next morning.  To accomplish this, I needed to do as much prep as possible the day before the breakfast. 
I was one of the last ones standing at the party.  Make that limping.  Why do we wear such uncomfortable shoes?  Why did I not put flip flops in my purse like some of the other girls?  We ended the night at a packed taco joint in Lincoln Park around 2 AM.  Good stuff.
Needless to say, it was a very good thing I planned ahead.  I loved every last minute in bed that next morning.  The only thing I had to do to these casseroles on the day of the breakfast was top them with cheese and toss them in the oven.
Everyone needs a good breakfast casserole in their recipe arsenal.  I really like this recipe because you can make it to your tastes.  I made two versions, one with sausage and cheddar cheese and a vegetarian version with spinach, mushrooms, and fontina cheese.  While they were both great, I was surprised to find out that the vegetarian version was the favorite!
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The Perfect Pairing for this recipe is Texas Toast, or thick sliced bread.  You could certainly use regular bread in this recipe but I like using thicker variety.  I think it soaks up the egg mixture better than thin bread and adds a nice texture to the casserole.
All Purpose Breakfast Casserole
Lindsay at Perfecting the Pairing

Standard Casserole Ingredients:
·         6 slices of Texas Toast, or other thick sliced bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
·         8 eggs
·         2 cups milk
·         1 ½ tsp dry mustard
·         1 ½ tsp salt
·         ½ tsp pepper
·         1 tsp hot sauce
Vegetarian Version:
·         1 Tb olive oil
·         1 onion, chopped
·         16 oz sliced mushrooms
·         3 cloves of garlic, chopped
·         2, 9 oz, boxes of frozen, chopped spinach, defrosted and all liquid drained/squeezed out
·         8 oz Fontina cheese, shredded
Sausage and Cheddar Version:
·         1 lb breakfast sausage, cooked and drained
·         8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Directions:
Spray a 9x13 dish with cooking spray.  Scatter the bread cubes along the bottom of the pan.  Cover the bread with desired toppings (cooked/drained sausage, or vegetarian toppings noted below).
In a large bowl combine the eggs, milk, dry mustard, salt, pepper, and hot sauce.  Whisk until evenly combined.  Pour over the casserole dish.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Pull the casserole from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature.  Top with desired cheese.  Bake for 50 – 60 minutes, or until the eggs are set and the cheese is melted.
Vegetarian Toppings-
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet.  Add the chopped onions and sauté until softened, add in the sliced mushrooms and chopped garlic.  Stir until evenly combined and sauté until the mushrooms have softened and caramelized.  Break up the drained spinach and stir into the mushroom mixture until evenly distributed.  Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.

3 comments:

  1. I didn't come here to get hungry, now look what you've done! I love cheese and breakfast items.......favorite

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    Replies
    1. Ha! Now all you need is a side of chocolate chip pancakes!

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  2. I made this for breakfast this morning to rave reviews! I have used mostly recipes from this blog for hosting guests this week and more than one of my visiting in-laws has referred to me as "Martha Stewart," which is funny because all of the recipes are so "user-friendly!" Instead of writing down all the recipes I just wrote down this blog address on the recipe cards. I really appreciate the work that goes into this blog.

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