I have always heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. We are not breakfast eaters at my house. Of course, my husband recently made the statement that we weren’t breakfast eaters because no one prepares breakfast. If they did, we would eat it.
As a child, my parents insisted that I eat something before school. Mama would fix me a piece of toast. I would tear it into pieces and look like I had eaten something. After I left for school, you could put the pieces back together and make a perfect slice of toast.
There is just something about getting up in the morning and preparing a meal while getting ready for work. It is just too much, and time is also a big factor. Now on the weekends, I enjoy a leisurely brunch in the middle of the morning. That also means I don’t have to prepare lunch.
I like the idea of having breakfast foods for dinner in the winter when the days are short and it is cold outside. Scrambled eggs, biscuits, and bacon or sausage are the perfect combination.
I probably had the only child in the world who did not eat cereal. His dad is the same way. My friends would give their children a bowl of cereal sometimes at night for dinner. Not at my house. I can’t imagine the look on their faces if I had put down a bowl of cereal for dinner. There is no cereal in my house unless I’m making Rice Krispy Treats or Chex Party Mix.
We have a tradition of having breakfast casserole on Christmas Day when we open our presents. It is the basic one with slices of bread, eggs, cheese, milk and sausage. You make it the day before and refrigerate overnight to cook the next day.
Recently I have tried other breakfast casseroles that vary a bit. They can all be prepared the day before and refrigerated overnight and are ready to pop in the oven the next day.
Today I have three breakfast casserole dishes that are a little different from the traditional one. I hope you will give them a try. Thanks for reading.
BREAKFAST CASSEROLE with HASH BROWNS
9 large eggs
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup milk
1½ tablespoons salt
1½ tablespoons black pepper
9 cups frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
3 cups diced ham
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
Mix eggs, sour cream, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl and set aside. Mix hash browns, ham, cheese, green onions, and bell peppers in another bowl; transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pour egg mixture on top; it may appear a bit watery, but the potatoes will absorb moisture by morning. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Bake at 400 degrees for about an hour or until top is browned and eggs are set.
CHEESY SAUSAGE and CROISSANT CASSEROLE.
1 pound hot sausage
1¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
6 green onions, sliced
1 (13-ounce) package mini croissants (about 24), torn into pieces
3 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
5 large eggs, beaten
2 cups shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese
Brown sausage and drain well; toss with Parmesan, salt, green onions, and croissants. Arrange in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Whisk together milk, cream and eggs; pour over sausage mixture. Cover and chill overnight. Uncover casserole and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
EVERYTHING BAGEL CASSEROLE
1 pound sausage
1 tablespoon butter
4 Everything Seasoned bagels, torn into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup milk
8 large eggs
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoons black pepper
6 green onions, sliced
8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)
1 tablespoon everything bagel seasoning
Brown sausage until cooked through; using a slotted spoon transfer sausage to a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Add butter to the sausage drippings in the skillet and melt; add bagel pieces and cook, tossing often until pieces are coated and lightly toasted. Add the bagel pieces to the sausage.
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and milk until combined. Add eggs, hot sauce, salt, pepper, green onion, and 1½ cups of the cheese; whisk to combine. Pour over the mixture in the baking dish; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bring casserole to room temperature. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until cheese melts and eggs are set. Sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning and let stand 10 minutes before serving.
- Contact Lee Ann Flemming at lafkitchen@hughes.net.
