Easy and versatile breakfast egg casserole you can prepare the day before. Perfect savory casserole for Christmas breakfast or holiday brunch. Sharing both Ham & Cheese and Crab Meat & Artichoke fillings, plus ideas for more options!
Butter a 9X13 oven safe casserole and set aside.
Add two tablespoons of unsalted butter to a skillet over medium heat and cook ½ cup diced onion, an 8-ounce package of small diced ham and ½ cup of red & green diced bell peppers. Cook until the ham begins to crisp around the edges and the vegetables are cooked. Remove from heat and allow to cool in the pan.
Once cooled, transfer ham and vegetable mix to the prepared casserole and spread evenly. Sprinkle 8-ounces of shredded cheese and 1 ½ Tablespoons of parsley over the ham and vegetables. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 8 extra large eggs, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper until smooth. Slowly add 1 cup heavy cream and 3/4 cup whole milk while whisking until completely blended.
Pour egg mixture through a sieve onto the casserole dish. The sieve will collect any egg and flour that didn't blend.
Top with extra cheese as desired and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, place casserole on the counter and preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for about 1 hour or until the center is set and the egg is lightly browned. Garnish with remaining parsley. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Add two tablespoons of unsalted butter to a skillet over medium heat and cook ½ cup diced onion, scallions and 1 12-ounce jar of artichoke hearts that has been drained and halved. Cook until the onion is translucent and begins to crisp around the edges. Add Italian seasonings and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool in the pan.
Once cooled, transfer mix to the prepared casserole and spread evenly. Sprinkle 8-ounces of shredded Asiago cheese and 1 ½ Tablespoons of chopped herbs. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 8 extra large eggs, 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese and until combined. Add ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper until smooth and all the flour has blended. Slowly add 1 cup heavy cream and 3/4 cup whole milk while whisking until completely blended.
Note: Mascarpone cheese is optional, but works well with Asiago cheese.
Pour egg mixture through a sieve onto the casserole dish. The sieve will collect any egg and flour that didn't blend.
Top with extra cheese as desired and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, place casserole on the counter and preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for about 1 hour or until the center is set and the egg is lightly browned. Garnish with remaining herbs. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.
OPTIONAL FILLING IDEAS
Instead of ham with red and green bell peppers, try:
Asparagus and Prosciutto or Crab Meat | Mushrooms with Pancetta or Fried Eggplant | Zucchini and Leeks | Bacon, Broccoli and Caramelized Shallots |Spinach and Artichokes | Ham and Spinach or any other flavor combination of your choice. Remember you can also change the shredded cheese to complement the flavor combinations you are creating.
Just remember to keep the filling ratios about the same so everything fits in the 9X13 baking dish.