Breakfast casserole

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A Breakfast Casserole – in cake form! All the morning essentials present – bacon, eggs, milk, bread and cheese – it’s a breakfast strata that tastes like a cross between quiche, omelette and savoury French toast with cheesy custardy insides, and a golden crusty surface.

Excellent way to make use of leftover bread. Make it now or leave it overnight, then just pop it in the oven the next day!

And rather than baking it the traditional way in a casserole dish, I’ve used a cake pan – so you also get golden sides and the fun factor of being able to serve slices of it like cake!

Something different – but you know it’s going to be tasty – right?! I like the way you sort of get “swirls” throughout the “cake”, which are really just the crust of the potato buns I tore up to make this breakfast “cake”!

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Absolutely any bread is fine – breadsticks / baguette-type or white or wholemeal, loaves. You can also easily switch salami for smoked turkey .Also, bonus if it’s stale bread because it holds its form better once soaked in the egg mixture. However fresh works just fine too.

It’s so easy you can do it even when you’re still half asleep. Though to make your mornings even more relaxing, mix it up the night before then just pop it in the oven the next morning!

Customisation options

A very appealing feature of this recipe is that it’s highly customisable. I’ve gone with the breakfast staple of sausages and salami here, but there’s plenty of other options – including adding things like chicken to make it lunch or even dinner worthy:

  • Garlic butter roasted mushrooms would be particular great and also fitting for breakfast. Halve or quarter so they incorporate better (whole will be too large);

  • Any chargrilled or roasted vegetables

  • Feta or goat’s cheese – crumbled

  • Chicken – cooked, chopped or shredded.

  • Sautéed Spinach

  • Olives, sun dried tomatoes and other antipasto-type things.

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Ingredients

  • 300g salami

  • 1 cup chopped sauasge

  • 6 large eggs

  • 1 1/4 cups milk (full cream or low fat)

  • 1/4 tsp salt

  • Black pepper

  • 5 cups any stale bread — I used 6 potato buns from spinneys , roughly torn apart

  • 1 cup cheese , shredded

OPTIONAL GARNISH

  • parsley , finely chopped (garnish – optional)



Instructions

  • Cut the bacon and salami to small pieces.

  • Whisk eggs and milk: Whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a large bowl (or container, if leaving overnight).

  • Soak bread: Add the bread, cheese and the chopped salami and sausage to the egg mixture. Mix well. Cover and set aside in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (until all the egg is soaked into the bread).

TO COOK:

  • Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types).

  • Grease cake tin: Generously grease a 20cm/8" springform cake tin with butter (cake pan without loose sides also ok) Do not make this in a sandwich pan with a loose base (ie not springform) – egg will leak.

  • Fill: Pour the bread mixture into the cake tin, pat down to compress. Scatter with some extra cheese. Cover loosely with foil.

  • Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for a further 15 – 20 minutes until golden on top and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (no raw egg).

  • Rest & slice: Allow to rest for 5 minutes before removing the springform or turning out. Garnish with parsley if using. Cut into slices to serve. Be civil and eat it on a plate with a fork, or just use your hands!



BreakfastAmna Tabba1 Comment