This delicious Breakfast Casserole, packed with eggs, bacon, milk and Comté cheese, is perfect for a special breakfast or brunch. An excellent make-ahead recipe that's delicious hot or cold. Prepare the night before and bake in the morning!
2tbspmelted butterplus extra to grease the tin/pan
2tspmustard powder
1tspgarlic granules
½tspsalt
¼tspground black pepper
350g(1 ½ cups) grated Comté cheese
450g(approx. 6 cups) white breadcubed
To top
1large egg
60ml(¼ cup) whole milk
1tbspbutter, cubed
A little extra grated cheese
Chopped chives to garnish
Instructions
Slice your bread into even small cubes. I used a slightly stale sourdough loaf – if the crust is really hard then remove it.
Cook the bacon until slightly crispy and transfer to a bowl to cool slightly.
Add the eggs, milk, melted butter, chopped parsley salt, garlic and mustard powder in a large bowl and mix together using a balloon whisk.
Stir in the grated cheese and bacon.
Add the bread, stirring a few times so that it starts to absorb the eggs/milk. Cover and chill overnight or for a couple of hours at least (you can transfer to your cake tin or oven dish now if you wish so it's ready to bake in the morning).
Preheat the oven to 180C /350F. Transfer to a greased and lined 20cm/8 inch cake tin and pack down. If you are using a springform cake tin, place on a roasting tray in case it leaks!
Mix the egg and milk and pour over the strata. Dot with butter and add some extra grated cheese on top.
Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 20-25 minutes or until golden and crunchy at the top.
Cool in the tin for five minutes then run the blade of a knife around the edge of the cake tin to loosen the strata. Carefully turn out of the tin onto a platter.
Serve warm with a little Hollandaise sauce for the ultimate breakfast /brunch/ lunch/ snack!
Video
Notes
VEGETARIAN BREAKFAST CASSEROLE: leave out the bacon and replace with sautéd mushrooms. KETO BREAKFAST CASSEROLE: I know it sounds unlikely (all those carbs!) but you CAN make a Keto version if you replace the bread with my Keto bread!KITCHEN SINK BREAKFAST CASSEROLE: add whatever leftovers you have such as roasted vegetables, sausages, turkey etc making sure to cut them fairly small.Which pan should I use?You can bake this breakfast casserole in a ceramic or glass dish or in a cake tin as I have done here. Make sure to grease your chosen dish liberally with butter.You can use a springform cake tin as long as it allows for a tight seal. Whenever I tried with mine they tended to leak so make sure you place a tray underneath just in case!