Wednesday

Overnight Breakfast Casserole

Living in a ski resort makes me super popular. The local hotels are ridiculously over-priced, prompting phone calls from people I haven't spoken to in years. They're hoping to score free lodging and I always say yes. Even when I don't want to. :)

'Twas all these overnight guests that inspired me to become a pro at breakfast casseroles. Egg bakes are a great skier's breakfast and super easy on the cook. (That would be me.) Just toss it in the oven and sip coffee until it's done.

That is... IF it ever gets done.

Egg casseroles, baked the normal way ~ in traditional metal or glass pans ~ don't behave very well. The edges cook way too fast. The center cooks way too slow.

That used to drive me nuts until I figured out that baking egg dishes in a bundt pan works like a charm. Evenly distributes the heat. Speeds up the whole baking process. House guests think you're a rock star. Which is great! Unless, of course, you don't want them to return.

Overnight Breakfast Casserole
* You can mix this up in a jiffy, but it should be refrigerated overnight.
  • 1 package Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage crumbles (this stuff is fully cooked.)
  • 1 package zesty Italian croutons (I use Pepperidge Farms.)
  • 1 cup asparagus tips
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 1 tablespoon sweet basil
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions
  • 2 cups liquid eggs (like Better 'n Eggs or Eggbeaters.) Or, a dozen shell eggs.
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup Mozzarella cheese
Stir all these goodies together. Spray the bundt pan with buttery flavored (fat-free) cooking spray. Pour this delightful mess into the bundt pan and refrigerate overnight. Bake @ 350° (F) for 40 to 50 minutes.

* If you're in a hurry, you can buy ingredients that are good to go and prep this in about 5 minutes. The turkey sausage crumbles I listed are fully cooked, which saves a lot of time.  The liquid eggs are not as messy, plus they're half the calories of shell eggs. (So you can add more cheese! :)

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Darn, I wished I had read this before I went to the grocery store. This would be perfect for breakfast tomorrow (Thanksgiving) morning. Wonder if the store will be open tomorrow?

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Hi, Tufa!
Those stores better be open! I'm quite certain I forgot half the things on my shopping list.

FYI... Day old bread is actually tastier than the croutons but that would require pre-planning this dish. :)) Croutons work pretty well in a pinch.

LorrieG said...

Do you chill it overnight right in the Bundt pan? How do you prepare the pan? Thanks ahead! Can't wait to try it! P.S. I'm at 8,000 ft!

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Hi, Lori!
Yes, I chill it in the frig, over night in the bundt pan. I use a buttery flavored (fat-free) cooking spray. Thanks for leaving me this note. I'll go add this info to the recipe as I guess it's a little confusing. Hope it works out for you!