With a season of holidays, colder weather, and time home with our families upon us, it seems only natural that we'd lean into some of our favorite creature comforts. Whether you're piling extra blankets on the bed or aiming for cocoa by the fire, most of us really love a good breakfast ... especially if it's after we've gotten to sleep in! So for the next few posts, we'll be sharing some fun and festive breakfast suggestions and trying to start our days right!
We begin with a morning casserole inspired by Eggs Benedict. For many of us, making more than a couple servings of this multi-step meal is just a bit too much. However, if you take the basics and combine them in a casserole, suddenly you've got a meal that will have everyone around your table cheering ... particularly you! Skip the egg poaching and muffin toasting and you'll have a casserole that takes about 20-30 minutes of hands on time (depending on what kind of hollandaise sauce you make) with a fair bit of relaxation time available while it bakes.
If you opt to tear English muffins to make the bread base, you may wish to add another egg or two to the egg and cream mixture to give more liquid to soak into those heavier bread variations. I like using my odds and ends bag from the freezer in which an extra hamburger bun, that last slice of bread, or a stray dinner roll get stored for a recipe exactly like this. Enjoy helping a fancy morning favorite find a less fussy approach to your breakfast table and we'll be here with another morning treat next time!
Eggs Benedict Casserole
- 6 c. lightly packed torn bread (I like saving loaf ends and small bits in the freezer until I have enough for this)
- 2 c. diced ham
- 8 eggs
- 2 c. heavy cream
- 1 T. grainy mustard
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- ¾ tsp. ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp. ground smoked paprika
- Hollandaise sauce, for serving
- Chopped chives or scallions, for serving
Preheat the oven to 375°F (if baking right away - otherwise, preheat in the morning) and spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
Toss the torn bread and diced ham evenly in the prepared baking dish.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, cream, mustard, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and ham. At this point, you could cover the casserole dish and refrigerate it overnight if you wish.
When ready to bake, cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes at 375°F. Remove the foil and bake another 25-30 minutes, or until the eggs are set in the middle.
Drizzle with hollandaise sauce (you can make it while the casserole bakes) and chopped chives or scallions before serving.
- Yields: 6-8 servings
- Preparation Time:75 minutes