As December flies by, many of us are eagerly anticipating the holidays. Food, family, and community are some of the most important parts of what makes the holidays so special. If you are already thinking ahead for the perfect Christmas recipe, then you will really enjoy this article. What better way to start Christmas morning than with a Christmas breakfast casserole for the whole family. It’s the perfect dish – warm, comforting, and cozy. The great thing about a casserole is that it’s versatile as it can be savory or sweet. Here are a few recipes with unique Christmas casserole ideas.
Christmas Breakfast Sausage Casserole
This recipe serves 8 people. Preparation time: 20 minutes. Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes.
What you will need:
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 pound ground pork sausage
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 6 slices of white bread (toasted and cut into cubes)
- 2 cups of milk
- 8 ounces of mild Cheddar cheese, shredded
How to make it:
- Begin crumbling sausage into a medium skillet. Cook the pork over medium heat until it is evenly brown; then drain it.
- In a medium sized bowl, begin mixing together the salt, mustard powder, milk and eggs. Then add the cooked sausage, cheese and bread cubes and stir it all up to coat it evenly.
- Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish, and pour the mixture inside. Cover, and then chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.
- Once the mixture has marinated overnight, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and cover to then bake for 45 to 60 minutes.
- Finally uncover and reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake the casserole for an additional 30 minutes or until set.
- Remove from oven and enjoy!
Bacon, Potato & Egg Breakfast Casserole
Serves 6
What you will need:
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 4 slices thick bacon; cut into ½ inch wide strips
- 1 yellow bell pepper; cleaned out and diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 8 large eggs
- 1 cup milk, fat content between 1% and 4%
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon fresh-cracked bell pepper
- 3 cups frozen diced potatoes, unthawed
How to make it:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish with olive oil or baking spray.
- Place bacon slices in a large skillet and turn heat to medium. Cook the bacon until crisp, stirring occasionally. Then, add the yellow bell pepper, garlic, onion, sun-dried tomatoes and salt, and cook over medium heat until all veggies are soft and fragrant (about five minutes). Then turn off heat and let cool.
- In separate bowl, beat the eggs thoroughly and whisk in the milk. Then whisk the remainder of the salt and the black pepper. Stir in the cheddar cheese, bacon, and veggies from skillet as well as the frozen potatoes. Pour the entire mixture into the prepared baking dish. You can now cover the casserole and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- When ready to bake the casserole, keep it in the oven for 40 minutes or until the eggs are firm and the top is slightly golden. A knife should come out clean when it’s ready.
- Serve immediately with toast and fruit. Enjoy!
Serve immediately with fruit and rolls or toast.
Here is a take on a sweet breakfast casserole:
Eggnog Breakfast Bread Pudding
Adapted from Marion Cunningham’s The Breakfast Book
Serves 8 to 10
What you will need:
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 (12 ounces) loaf of French bread, sliced
- 3 cups eggnog
- 5 large eggs
- 2 cups whole or 2% milk
- 4 egg yolks
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp. bourbon or 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- Confectioners’ sugar and warm maple syrup, for serving
How to make it:
- Butter the bread slices generously and then cut the buttered slices into 1 inch cubes and pile into 2-quart baking dish.
- Heat up the eggnog and milk in a large saucepan over medium heat until bubbling gently but not at a full boil.
- Combine eggs, sugar, egg yolks and salt into a large mixing bowl and whisk vigorously until light and frothy. Then, whisk one cup of the eggnog mixture into the eggs to warm them. Then slowly whisk in the remaining eggnog mixture as well as the bourbon.
- Pour the custard over the bread cubes and gently mash them down with your hands to ensure all the bread is coated and saturated. Set this aside for one hour or chill it overnight in your refrigerator.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and bring a large pot of water to a boil. Put the casserole dish inside a large roasting pan and transfer to oven. Then, carefully pour the boiling water into the roasting pan up until the halfway mark on the sides of the baking dish.
- Bake for approximately 45 to 50 minutes or until custard is set and the top is golden brown.
- Remove roasting pan from oven and carefully life casserole dish out of the water (you may use a large metal spatula to assist you). Allow the casserole to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving or at room temperature.
- Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and serve with warm maple syrup. Enjoy!
Christmas 2016 is all about the casserole! Boy, do we love Christmas food!
Sources:
Foster, K., “20 Crowd-Pleasing Breakfast Casseroles for Christmas Morning” kitchn website; December,14, 2015; http://www.thekitchn.com/20-crowd-pleasing-breakfast-casseroles-for-christmas-morning-226191; last accessed November 28, 2016.
Meredith, M.K., “Christmas Breakfast Sausage Casserole” All Recipes website; http://allrecipes.com/recipe/9247/christmas-breakfast-sausage-casserole/; last accessed November 28, 2016.
