Okay, so this is not a healthy recipe per se, but it’s pretty easy, you can make it ahead of time, and it’s delicious! This is one of those recipes I pull out when hosting company for brunch. I recently made it when hosting my first meal at my new home – Mother’s Day with both of my grandmothers and my mom – and everyone seemed to love this casserole!
The secret is.. I cook the veggies in the bacon grease. Don’t tell your guests, but it’s a sure fire way to make anything taste more delicious! Find my tips for the best way to cook bacon here. The ciabatta bread soaks up the egg mixture almost like a savory bread pudding. And of course there’s a lot of cheese.
The best thing about this recipe is that it can be made ahead and kept in the fridge before baking. It also keeps well, so you can enjoy the leftovers for breakfast all week long!
- 10 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk of choice (I use almond)
- 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 pound center cut bacon
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 1 medium zucchini, sliced quarter-inch think then cut in half
- 1 cup mushrooms, quartered
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- small ciabatta loaf (about 1 cup cubed)
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Cook bacon. When bacon is done, crumble and reserve bacon grease.
- Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Add garlic to onions and let saute until fragrant.
- Add zucchini, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes to the pan. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add 3 tablespoons or so of bacon grease to pan to coat the vegetables, but not drown them.. it is bacon grease after all.
- Add fresh basil and stir to combine.
- Cook 5-7 minutes until vegetables have softened and begin to brown. Set aside and let cool.
- Combine eggs, milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Whisk until combined.
- Stir in 1 cup of the cheese, crumbled bacon and cubed bread.
- Add veggie mixture and stir to combine.
- Spray 9x9 cooking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Fill with egg mixture.
- Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.
- Cover casserole and let sit in fridge for 2 hours or preferably overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375 and cook for 45 minutes or until eggs are set.
Who doesn’t love breakfast casserole! I love that you can customize it with whatever ingredients you have on hand. Sometimes instead of ciabatta, I’ll use roasted sweet potatoes in this recipe. You can also sub out the bacon for sausage or chorizo. Or just skip the meat all together and load up on veggies!
Biscuits & blessings,
Leels
