I did not mature up having quite a few casseroles, and the major event at my family’s getaway brunch was bagels and lox. So, the very first time I encountered a breakfast casserole at a New Year’s Working day shindig, I was dubious. The place was the Nova and whitefish salad? Or at least the espresso cake and French toast I involved with parties held in advance of noon?
One bite of that golden-topped casserole, while, established me straight. Bits of crunchy melted cheese speckled the area, when the within was creamy, savory cubes of bread strewn with sausages and onions, flavored with sage. It reminded me a little of Thanksgiving stuffing, but cheesier — and better with coffee.
Possibly best of all for our host, it could be assembled solely just before the New Year’s Eve revelries even began. The following early morning, although her early morning espresso brewed, she merely popped the cold pan into a warm oven. An hour later on, it was a bubbly, burnished vision on the desk. So uncomplicated, filling and primarily comforting following a evening of copious Champagne-consuming, it manufactured me a breakfast casserole convert from that minute on.
The basic formula is very forgiving. As long as you keep the backbone of custard-soaked bread, you can embellish it even so you want: sausages, bacon, greens, herbs, different kinds of cheese, you identify it.
For this strata, I went meatless, opting for a combine of browned, earthy mushrooms and carefully sweet butternut squash. Then, I seasoned it all with sage, which will work very well with those people wintry flavors and included a pinch of red-pepper flakes to mimic a warm Italian sausage-like burn. For the cheese, I used a vintage mixture of gentle, milky mozzarella and sharp Parmesan for lushness and depth.
Breakfast casserole recipes contact for a selection of distinct breads, from feathery brioche to crusty sourdoughs. The lighter the bread, the additional puffed and ethereal the casserole the denser the bread, the heartier and richer. Right here, I chose the center ground: a straightforward baguette. But sense free to use what ever bread you have, as very long as it is not too seedy, which can interfere with the creaminess.
Assemble it in advance, then bake it as your guests get there, irrespective of whether which is for a getaway breakfast or brunch, or even a cozy meal. Just rebrand it as a vegetable casserole and serve it as a facet dish — or make this beautiful casserole the star.
