DELICIOUS BREAKFAST CASSEROLE~OVERNIGHT OR NOT

OVERNIGHT BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

This recipe is very versatile.  It also is very forgiving.  I have always been intrigued by breakfast casseroles.  I mean, you just throw some stuff together and bam you have breakfast the next morning.  

Bread is one of the key ingredients involved in a breakfast casserole.  Which means you want a really good tasting bread.  I use my homemade sourdough bread.  Start by slicing your bread and then cube it.

You pretty much mix eggs and milk together.  Some type of breakfast meat.  This one is with ham.  Chop some onion and peppers.  Shred some cheese.  
Mix it all together.  Put it in a casserole dish and cover with foil.  

The next morning take off the foil and cook.

Dish it up and YUM, you have breakfast.

OVERNIGHT BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

Ingredients

• 8 to 10 slices of bread, cubed
• 8 large eggs
• 3 cups milk
• 1 pound ham or cooked sausage
• 6 slices crispy bacon, crumple
• 2 cups shredded cheese, plus another 1/2 cup for topping, your choice of cheese
• 1 onion, chopped (optional)
• 1/2 bell pepper, chopped (optional)
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• If you using homemade bread, slice and cube.  If using pre-sliced bread, cube.
• Mix eggs and milk together.  Blend well.
• Cook breakfast meat (sausage and bacon).  
• Chop onion and pepper.  
• Shred cheese.
• Mix cheese, onion, bacon, sausage or ham, and pepper with egg mixture.
• Spray casserole dish with olive oil. 
• Place bread cubes into a casserole dish and pour egg mixture onto bread.  Cover with foil and keep overnight in fridge.  About 8 hours.
• Next morning take out casserole out of the fridge and allow to come to room temperature.
• Cook for 45 to 55 minutes at 350 degrees.
• Take out and add an addiditonal half cup of cheese and cover with foil.  Put back into the oven and allow to finish cooking for 10 to 15 minutes.  

Each oven cooks differently.  That is the reason why I give an estimated time frame.  This dish needs to cook until the middle is done.  That is why I add foil and cook longer.  Normally the top looks done and the corners are getting nice and golden.  This is when you want to add the foil topping and cook longer.  I add the extra cheese at this time as well.  You can add more crumbled bacon pieces on top as well.  

Remember this dish is going to be similar to bread pudding.  You do not even need to do this overnight.  You can put it all together and let it sit for an hour and then cook.  

The more meat you add the better this is going to taste.  I like using cooked sausage and do a topping of the bacon.  You can add the vegetables or leave them out.  You can add mushrooms and tomatoes and go with a Greek taste.  You might want to use feta if doing the Greek version.

ENJOY!!