Cooktop Cove: How to make vegetarian breakfast casserole
By Robin Donovan
It's easy to love a make-ahead breakfast casserole on a lazy weekend morning. The recipe below combines eggs with bright and flavorful vegetables and some creamy, sharp cheddar for a late-morning feast that will make your whole day. All you need is a big cup of coffee and a splash of OJ to make it a complete meal, but a side of fresh fruit never hurts.
You can use any vegetables you like – either in addition to what’s listed or in place of any you don’t care for. A red and an orange bell pepper, for instance, makes it especially colorful. And after eating this, you might just lounge around in your jammies for the rest of the day.
Vegetarian Breakfast Casserole
6 to 8
2 hours 15 minutes
45
3 hours
2 tablespoons olive oil
Half an onion, diced
2 bell peppers (any color), diced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup fresh spinach
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Butter for greasing
4 slices day-old sourdough bread, cut into cubes
10 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil.
Add the onion, peppers, mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the veggies have softened, about 8 minutes.
Add the spinach and cook a couple of minutes more, until wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Remove from the heat and let cool for several minutes.
Generously grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter. Arrange the bread cubes in the bottom of the baking dish in an even layer.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Stir in the vegetable mixture and pour the whole thing over the bread in the baking dish.
Season with a bit more salt and pepper, if desired. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese over the top.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or as long as overnight) before baking.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Let the dish come to room temperature while the oven heats.
Bake the casserole, uncovered, for about 45 minutes, until the center is set and the top is golden brown.
Serve warm out of the oven or at room temperature.
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