Another Stab at a Breakfast Casserole

Not quite a month ago I made a delicious breakfast casserole to mimic one I had eaten out in Washington at Tweets Cafe. It was really the first breakfast casserole of any kind I had made and while it was completely delicious, it did have some technical issues. I have no problem with posting the recipe, because it came out absolutely wonderful both in flavor and in appearance.

My Christmas Tree

As is usually the case with such things, the thoughts keep percolating somewhere in the back of my mind, and in the last couple of days, things got insistent, so I made a decision last evening that I would give it another try. Not the exact same recipe, because I was missing some key elements, most notably Poblano peppers. But, I did have eggs, and cheese and bacon. And that's where my mind shut off for the night last night. I did go so far as contemplate getting out of bed and putting some black beans to slow cook in the Crock Pot overnight, but nixed that idea. I was too tired from getting my Christmas tree together yesterday!

I got up this morning prepared to get into the kitchen and try out all the ideas I'd had since making that last casserole. Again, I was making this just for my husband and myself, so I was going to once more attempt the use of that same tiny Pyrex loaf pan I'd used last time, despite the difficulties I had then with it sticking. I cleaned that Pyrex and scrubbed it well, in hopes that this would help mitigate sticking. Instead of foil, I opted to use parchment to line the pan, but this time only lining it across the wide sides, with overhang, on the off-chance it would come out easily. I did not allow any parchment to go up the narrow sides. I greased the pan, but not the parchment once it was in place. I set the oven to 350 degrees.

Then the decision of what to put into this casserole. I liked the potatoes in the bottom, so once again I used potato, but a half of one larger potato. I fried it the same as last time, using my method for Pan Potatoes. Once done, those went into the bottom of the prepared casserole. Meanwhile, I fried up some bacon, diced small. After setting the crisp bacon aside to drain, I fried a half of a smaller onion (a larger shallot would also work) until translucent, then added in some garlic, some chopped fresh asparagus and red bell pepper, just until slightly softened, but still retaining their color.
 

Bacon & Egg Casserole

While that was in progress, I whisked together 5 eggs and added in some fresh thyme leaves, which are still alive in a pot in my sun room, despite pretty chilly temperatures. I added in about 3 tablespoons of cream (milk would do) to the eggs and whisked well. A small amount of the eggs got poured over the potatoes in the little pan, and I rapped the pan several times, coaxing the eggs into and around the potatoes. To the remaining eggs I added the drained bacon, all the vegetables in the pan, along with some cheddar cheese, stirred well and poured this over top of the potato-egg mixture already in the pan. 

Bacon & Egg Casserole

This time, I opted to cover the pan while it baked, hoping that the stored heat would help with getting the eggs set. It certainly worked. The last time, it took a solid hour and a bit of finagling to get the eggs set all the way through, but this time it took not quite 45 minutes and the top of the little casserole was beautifully puffed and rounded. I was so very pleased! Now the remaining question was, would it come out of the pan without such a struggle as last time? Why yes, it certainly did. No only did I not have to run a knife around the edges, but by lifting the ends of parchment, it lifted cleanly out, and once I set it on the cutting board, the parchment simply fell away to the sides. I was so happy, and so amazed.

 
One thing I did, because I have seen others do it, is to top the finished casserole with more cheese and pop it back in the oven to melt. I found this completely superfluous, redundant even, especially with all the garnishes that went on top, as well as an extra sprinkling of cheese. I would stick with just the half cup of cheese that went into the casserole.

Now I really want to go back to remake the first casserole, because the Poblanos in that one were just scrumptious. But for now, I could not have asked for a better turnout. And, although I am calling this casserole "Bacon and Egg Casserole," that is so inadequate, with all the great things in it!

Bacon & Egg Casserole

(with potatoes, asparagus, red bell pepper, onion, garlic and cheese 😉)

Bacon & Egg Casserole
(with Sweety Drop Peppers)

Serves 2

4 strips thick sliced bacon, diced
½ large potato, or one small
2 teaspoons olive oil
½ medium onion, or 1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced 
½ red bell pepper, chopped
3 - 4 asparagus spears, chopped (about ¾ cup)
5 eggs, whisked
1½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
3 tablespoons cream or milk
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt, to taste

GARNISHES:

• A small "salad" portion per plate: choose from: lettuce, arugula, spinach, baby greens, cabbage, red cabbage, cilantro, etc. 
• scallions, sliced diagonally
• cilantro or parsley for sprinkling
• Feta or more cheddar cheese for sprinkling over top.
• sour cream or Greek yogurt
• "Sweety Drop Peppers," optional (find them on Amazon), or cherry tomatoes

Fresh from the oven

Prepare a very small loaf pan, 3.5 x 6 x 2.5-inches, approximately: Spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Cut a piece of parchment to fit in and across the widest sides of the pan, with at least an inch of overhang. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a skillet and add olive oil. Add in the potatoes and fry them on medium heat until crisp and browned, keeping a lid on and only occasionally removing the lid to stir until done, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with salt. Remove the potatoes to the prepared loaf pan.

Place the diced bacon into a skillet and fry until crisp. Remove to paper toweling to drain; set aside. In the same pan, with the bacon grease (remove some, if it is too much), saute the onion until translucent and soft. Add in the garlic, red bell pepper and asparagus, sprinkle with salt to taste and saute quickly just to soften, but still retain vibrant color. Remove from heat to cool slightly.

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and add in the cream and thyme leaves. Pour a small amount over the potatoes in the loaf pan. Rap the pan a few times on the counter to settle some of the egg in and around the potatoes. To the remaining eggs in the bowl, add the reserved bacon, the cheese and the onion mixture from the skillet. Stir to combine the ingredients, then pour all of the mixture over the potatoes in the loaf pan. Keeping the parchment overhang on the outside of the pan, cover the pan with foil or a silicone topper. If foil, spray the side of the foil that will touch the eggs. 

Bake the casserole for 40 to 45 minutes, or until it has puffed and is completely set in the center. 

To garnish the plate as I've done, make a small salad portion using greens of your choosing for each plate. Smear a bit of sour cream or Greek yogurt alongside the salad. Once the casserole is done, remove from the pan by using the ends of parchment and set the casserole on a cutting board. With a very sharp knife, trim the edges of the egg straight and cut the casserole in half. Set one half (should be a nice square) onto the sour cream. Sprinkle with more cheddar or with Feta or any cheese preferred. Sprinkle with scallions and cilantro and if available, the Sweety Drop Peppers or halved cherry tomatoes for color.
 

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.