breakfast

APPLE COMPOTE

November 13, 2021 by Sarah Baade Leave a Comment

Apple Season

Fall is prime apple season and I’m taking full advantage. If you live near an orchard, I highly encourage you to get out there and pick your own. You can’t beat the pricing or the freshness. That being said, your local grocers will likely have a wide variety of apples to choose from. For this Apple Compote recipe, I have used Empire apples and Cortland apples. My personal preference is the Empire variety as they hold their shape a bit better as they cook. The Cortlands were still delicious but break down a bit more as they cook. With either variety, you will still end up with a delicious and sweet compote.

Black bowl of apple compote on a tray with a spoon and an apple.

Six Ingredients

Yes, this Apple Compote comes together with just six ingredients (plus a pinch of salt). If you do even semi-frequent baking, I’m confident you’ll already have everything but the fresh produce on hand. For me the longest part of this recipe is peeling and chopping the apples. I peeled them with a knife but you could also use an apple peeler. As you chop the apples, go ahead and put them directly into a medium sauce pan. with all of the other ingredients. Stir over medium low heat – the sugar, butter, and spices will simmer into a sauce and coat the apples with warm Fall flavors. Once the apples are fork tender, you are ready to serve up this Apple Compote.

Versatility

What I love most about this easy Apple Compote recipe is how versatile it is. Feel free to eat it by the spoonful – I won’t judge you, I’ll join you. Or, use it in a more traditional sense as a topping for other dishes. I’m daydreaming about these apples on pancakes, waffles, or french toast. This would make a fantastic topping over ice cream or vanilla yogurt. I’m also looking forward to pairing this recipe with my favorite homemade granola. Let me know how you end up eating this cozy Apple Compote.

Apple Compote

Sarah Baade

Warm spices and sweet apples – this apple compote makes the perfect topping on a variety of dishes.

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Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Ingredients

4 Empire apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
⅓ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch salt

Instructions

Place all ingredients n a medium saucepan.
While stirring, bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
When apples are fork tender, remove from heat.
Serve hot or warm.
Serving suggestions: Serve over pancakes, waffles, french toast, ice cream, yogurt, or as desired.

Keyword Apple Compote, Apple Spice, Apples, Compote, Fruit, Fruit Compote

BACON SPINACH QUICHE

June 11, 2021 by Sarah Baade Leave a Comment

Brunch

Let’s talk favorite meals. I love any meal gathered with good friends and family. Most of my favorite dishes are home cooked recipes from my family. More specifically, most of these favorite recipes are for dinner. And yet, I have to admit that my favorite meal is actually brunch. I know, everyone loves brunch… but hear me out. I’ve never been much of a breakfast eater. Even as a young child, I just wasn’t hungry first thing in the morning. Give me a couple of hours to wake up and get going for the day and then I’m more than happy to grab a snack or a full on meal. The other thing I love about brunch is that you get to combine breakfast foods, salads, sweet pastries, and even savory casseroles. You can essentially mix and match all of your favorite recipes into one big, beautiful meal. For me, the centerpiece of brunch is almost always quiche. So, today I’m giving you my Bacon Spinach Quiche recipe.

No Shame

Let me start by talking about crust. I will never EVER shame anyone for buying a pre-made crust. In fact, that is exactly what this Bacon Spinach Quiche calls for. Do you have pre-made, homemade crust in your freezer? Fantastic! Put that dough to good use here! Personally, I have a love hate relationship with homemade pie dough. I love the taste, I hate making it myself. So for this recipe, I used a store bought, deep dish, frozen pie crust. I always blind bake (some folks call it pre-bake) the crust so as to avoid having a soggy bottom. The filling is exactly as the name says, bacon and spinach along with some cheese. Yes, you’re reading the recipe correctly, I use a blender to mix the eggs and cream. I’ve found that it gives the quiche a lighter texture compared to whisking it by hand. However, if you don’t own a blender, feel free to bust out the whisk and work it until the mixture starts to get frothy. Whatever crust you use or regardless of how you mix the eggs, I know you’re going to enjoy this Bacon Spinach Quiche.

Slice of quiche on a plate below a pan of the rest of the quiche.

Pan of quiche with a slice cut out of it.

Bacon Spinach Quiche

Sarah Baade

This rich and hearty bacon spinach quiche is the perfect centerpiece for any brunch gathering.

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Course Breakfast, Brunch

Servings 6 Servings

Ingredients

1 9" pre-made, deep dish pie crust, (thawed if frozen)
4 slices bacon, chopped into ½" pieces
1 shallot, diced
6 oz baby spinach, roughly chopped
½ cup shredded gruyere cheese
¼ cup shredded Romano cheese
5 large eggs
1 cup half & half
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
If not already in a tin, place pie crust in a deep 9" pie dish. Pierce several holes in the crust with a fork along the bottom and sides.
Place a layer of parchment paper over pie crust and fill with dry beans or pie weights. Place on a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, remove beans and parchment paper, and let cool as you prepare remaining ingredients.
Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until fully cooked. Remove bacon and excess grease from pan.
Add shallot and spinach to skillet and cook until spinach is wilted.
Add bacon back into the skillet and stir in with spinach. Remove from heat.
In a bowl, combine gruyere and Romano cheeses.
Place half of the spinach mixture into the pie crust followed by half of the cheese. Repeat with remaining spinach and cheese mixtures.
In a blender, mix eggs, half & half, salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Pour into pie crust over spinach and cheese.
Bake 25 minutes or until center of quiche is set.

Keyword Bacon, Bacon Spinach Quiche, Quiche, Savory Spinach Turnovers

Looking for more brunch ideas?

Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping

Orange Spiced Monkey Bread

Rainbow Fruit Salad

Turmeric Granola

August 29, 2020 by Sarah Baade Leave a Comment

I always have a running list of recipe ideas. Some ideas get tested and some don’t. Some recipes become “blog worthy” after just a couple of trials and others are still getting fine tuned after several revisions. But this week I experienced a first. I was thinking about creating a new granola (because I looooooooove granola) when I suddenly realized I created a turmeric granola several months ago but never posted it. I started digging through my usual notebooks of recipes and couldn’t find it anywhere. Then it dawned on me that I texted the recipe to a friend when I came up with it. Thank goodness! Copy, paste and here we are today!

I came up with this recipe out of a lack of options at the grocery store. More specifically, a lack of savory notes in granola. I see tons of options for fruit, vanilla or chocolate flavored granolas but that is pretty much it. Surprising since there are more brands and packages there than I would have guessed for this breakfast option. I wanted something different so I created it. Yes, there is still a bit of sweetness here with the honey and coconut. But, the savory spices in this turmeric granola give you something new and interesting to put in your breakfast bowl.

My preferred way of eating granola is over vanilla yogurt with a few frozen raspberries in the mix. However, you can get nice chunks of granola from this recipe which are perfect for snacking on as is. If you prefer a looser granola, more crumbly, just shake it up in your storage container before eating. To date, I’ve found the best way to store granola is in the freezer. It stays fresh longer and doesn’t get sticky or soft as it can after being stored at room temperature for a few days.

Turmeric Granola

Sarah Baade

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 1

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Ingredients

2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup sliced raw almonds
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon chia seeds
2 teaspoons turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup honey

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300°F.
In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients.
Spread mixture out on a parchment lined sheet pan.
Bake for 1 hour.
Let cool completely before breaking into pieces and serving.

Keyword Granola, Turmeric

I think you’ll also enjoy my other granola recipes. Click the links below for full recipes.

Pumpkin Spice Granola

Vanilla Almond Granola

BAKED OATMEAL

March 26, 2020 by Sarah Baade 1 Comment

Three Years!

This week is the 3rd anniversary of Slice Of Honey! As I look back over all of my posts, I find myself filling up with joy and pride. When I started, I wasn’t sure how long I would last or if I was capable of making the progress I knew I needed. Here I am. Three years in and I almost can’t believe the improvements I have made in my recipes, my photography, and my writing. There is still plenty of room for improvement (believe me, I’m aware of this). But still… Go ahead, look back at my first few posts back in 2017 and you’ll see what I’m talking about. I haven’t updated very many of those original posts because they are such a strong reminder of how far I’ve come. And yes, I am absolutely giving myself a pat on the back! I’m also celebrating with this new baked oatmeal recipe.

Adapting & Getting Creative

While I’m celebrating this blog, I also find myself in a tornado of other emotions. The world is trying to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. We are all learning how to isolate while trying to remain social at a healthy distance. Thank you modern technology!!! We are learning to adapt to new work and education environments. We are also learning how to be more creative. That is my angle with this baked oatmeal recipe – you can adapt and get creative with this one! I’m giving you the recipe as I created it. However, I’m also giving you some alternate ingredients in case you haven’t been able to acquire the exact ones I used. When you make this, I would love to hear how you changed it to make it your own! Leave comments at the bottom of this post or hit me up on Instagram or Facebook and share a pic of what you ended up with.

Baked Oatmeal

A very adaptable oatmeal recipe for when you have limited ingredients in your kitchen.

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Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 9 servings

Ingredients

2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons melted butter, slightly cooled
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries

Optional Toppings:

vanilla yogurt
whipped cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F and grease a 9×9 baking pan.
In a medium bowl, stir together oats, pecans, brown sugar, salt,cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and baking powder. Set aside.
In a second medium bowl, whisk together egg, vanilla, milk, and butter.
Place dry ingredients and frozen blueberries in baking pan, gently stirring berries into mixture.
Pour liquid ingredients over oats and berries. Let liquid begin to set into dry ingredients for about 1 minute then bake for 35-40 minutes or until center is set and top is slightly golden brown.
Serve warm or cold with toppings as desired.

Notes

Substitutions:

No pecans? Use walnuts or sliced almonds.
No brown sugar? You can use an equal amount of honey or maple syrup.
No eggs? You can use 3 tablespoons of aquafaba (the liquid in a can of chickpeas).
No vanilla extract? Try almond extract.
No cow’s milk? You can use almond, soy, or coconut milk.
No butter? Try margarine or a butter flavored shortening.
No blueberries? Use blackberries, raspberries, banana slices or peaches.

Keyword Baked Oatmeal, Blueberry Oatmeal, Breakfast, Easy Breakfast, Oatmeal, Oatmeal Recipe

Looking for more breakfast options? Try these Blueberry Muffins With Streusel Topping or Savory Spinach Turnovers.

PUMPKIN SPICE GRANOLA

October 9, 2019 by Sarah Baade 3 Comments

I’ve Been Holding Back

I’m going to tell you a secret. This is something I’ve been holding back from you for fear of judgement. Are you ready for it? I don’t like pumpkin spice lattes. I know, it seems almost un-American but I’m hoping you won’t judge me. Seriously though, what I’ve learned over the years is that I very much enjoy pumpkin spice in all sorts of other foods. Pumpkin bread? Sign me up! (In fact, I’m working on my own recipe for a loaf right now.) Scones? Score! Cheesecake? Yes! Just please keep it out of my coffee.

Spoonful of granola over a bowl of granola. — Warm flavors make this pumpkin spice granola an all time favorite.

Pumpkin Spiced Granola

My foodie brain has been stuck on pumpkin spice for weeks. That being said, I’ve also been trying not to overindulge in baked goods. I mean, we haven’t even hit Halloween yet, let alone the major baking holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas. So, I’m easing into this craving with pumpkin spice granola. Eat it as cereal or add it to yogurt for a parfait. For next level breakfast, mix in some dark chocolate chunks and sprinkle it over some toast with peanut butter or even over French toast. Get creative and let me know how you use this delicious pumpkin spice granola!

Tips

You can substitute the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice for 1 tablespoon of pumpkin spice blend.
Store granola in the freezer to keep it fresh and crunchy longer.

Pumpkin Spice Granola

Warm flavors make this the perfect granola for Fall.

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Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Ingredients

2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup raw, unsalted pecan halves
1/2 cup pepitas
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup
Optional: 1/4 cup dark chocolate chunks

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300°F.
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. Spread mixture out on a parchment lined sheet pan. Bake 1 hour.
Let cool before serving. If adding in dark chocolate, stir in after granola has cooled.

Keyword Granola, Pumpkin Spice, Pumpkin Spice Granola

Looking for more granola recipes? Try these out!

Turmeric Granola

Vanilla Almond Granola

TURMERIC SPICE MUFFINS

September 10, 2019 by Sarah Baade 3 Comments

My daughter loves muffins. Like REALLY loves them. I think she’d eat muffins for every meal if we let her. Unfortunately, she’s not into having fruit or grated veggies in her muffins right now – I think it’s a texture issue. So, I won’t be making my favorite, blueberry muffins, any time soon. I don’t want to fill her muffins with chocolate chips every time either so I’ve started experimenting with flavors and spices. To my surprise, and delight, my girl gave me her stamp of approval on these turmeric muffins. “Mama, I like your muffins” is pretty high culinary praise when your critic is only two years old.

Do you remember that episode of Seinfeld where Elaine wants to donate all the muffin stumps? My brain goes to that show every time I make muffins. To be clear, I do eat my muffin stumps and I enjoy them. This particular recipe did something amazing inside the stumps. I tried various amounts of turmeric with each revision of the recipe. The flavor would change slightly but the color ended up with an ombre type of effect regardless of how much turmeric I added. Cut one of your muffins in half before biting in and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Maybe Elaine wouldn’t have been ditching all those muffin stumps if they had been this pretty inside.

Tips

You can freeze these muffins and then reheat as needed – about 45 seconds in the microwave should do it.
The sugar topping is completely optional but it does add a nice texture and sweetness.

Turmeric Muffins

Turmeric gives a balance between sweet and savory in these ombre shaded muffins.

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Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup milk
Optional: course sugar such as turbinado or demerara for sprinkling on top.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F and line muffin pan with paper liners.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Stir half of the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture. Add milk then remaining dry ingredients.
Scoop batter into muffin pan, filling each cup two thirds full. Lightly sprinkle each muffin with course sugar. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Keyword Breakfast, Muffins, Turmeric, Turmeric Muffins

Looking for other breakfast ideas?

Savory Spinach Turnovers

Farm-Style Biscuits

Vanilla Almond Granola

SOUTHWESTERN HASH BROWN WAFFLES

August 4, 2019 by Sarah Baade Leave a Comment

I went to the grocery store today and came across a group of volunteers asking for donations of school supplies. They handed me a list of what they were needing. I can’t lie, it took everything I had to not start crying. Guys, there are families in your very own town who can NOT afford school supplies for their kids! I’ve been aware of this for a long time but I suppose I’ve never really known what to do or how to help. These volunteers made it so easy for me to help. With tears welled up in my eyes, I gathered notebooks, dividers, highlighters and a backpack. It doesn’t even feel like enough but I’m hopeful the volunteers will receive enough to make a difference in my community.

When kids don’t have school supplies, learning becomes more challenging. Similarly, when kids don’t start the day with a good meal, they have a hard time focusing. With school starting later this month, I wanted to create a breakfast recipe that is easy to freeze and reheat. Furthermore, I wanted to create a recipe that isn’t bread based – I love pancakes, muffins, etc. but we can do better. Let’s start our day with some protein and vegetables! I’ve taken the ingredients of an omelet, scrambled them together and cooked them in a waffle iron. Once they are cooked, you can easily freeze them and reheat as needed.

Tips:

Depending on the size of your family, you might want to double this recipe.
No waffle iron? Feel free to scoop some of the mixture onto a skillet and cook these like you would a pancake.

Southwestern Hash Brown Waffles

A hearty breakfast dish that is easy to freeze and reheat as needed.

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Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 8 wedges

Equipment

Waffle Iron

Ingredients

2 large eggs
1 cup frozen hash browns
1/4 cup black beans
1/4 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup red bell pepper
1/4 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese
1 Tablespoon yellow onion, chopped
2 teaspoons jalapeño, stemmed, cored and finely chopped (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Optional Toppings

avocado
salsa
sour cream

Instructions

Preheat waffle iron on medium high setting.
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs together. Stir all remaining ingredients into eggs.
Spray heated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Scoop ¾ cup of the mixture onto the waffle iron (amount will vary based on the size of your waffle iron). Close iron and cook until golden brown (approximately 5 minutes).
Let waffles cool completely. Cut into wedges and freeze in freezer bags. To reheat, remove from freezer bag and microwave 30 seconds.

Notes

Depending on the size of your family, you might want to double this recipe.
No waffle iron? Feel free to scoop some of the mixture onto a skillet and cook these like you would a pancake.

Keyword Back to school, Back to school recipe, Breakfast, Easy Breakfast, Easy Recipe, Eggs, Hash browns, Meal Prep

VANILLA ALMOND GRANOLA

April 14, 2019 by Sarah Baade Leave a Comment

I currently have two food obsessions. First, popcorn. My daughter and I have been sharing a bowl of popcorn after school lately. We sit on the front porch and snack while we wait for my husband to get home. She isn’t old enough for this to become a long-term memory for her but I’m holding it dear to my heart. When I look back at my own childhood memories, it is the simple moments of quality time with my parents that are my favorites. I am trying to be fully present in these little moments with my daughter so that eventually they become memories for both of us.

My second food obsession of the moment is homemade granola. I’ll eat it as a bowl of cereal or mixed in with some yogurt. If nothing else is available, I’ll just eat it by the handful. I have rarely bought granola in recent years simply because of the frequently high sugar content. One of the things I love most about cooking is knowing exactly what is in my food. Granola incredibly easy to make, my daughter was able to put it together with me helping her with measuring ingredients. Granola is also easy to customize. You can keep it simple or add in all sorts of nuts or dried fruit. I’ve been making a batch every week over the past month and this particular recipe is too good not to share with you.

Tips:

If you like a chunkier granola, let it cool completely before stirring it.
I like to store my granola in the freezer to keep it fresh and crunchy longer.

VANILLA ALMOND GRANOLA

This lightly sweetened granola is easy to make and easy to customize.

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 5

Servings 7 servings (1/2 cup)

Calories 383 kcal

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup crisp rice cereal
1 Tablespoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300F.
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together.
Spread mixture out on a parchment lined sheet pan.
Bake for 1 hour. Let cool before serving.

CELEBRATION PANCAKES

March 28, 2019 by Sarah Baade 3 Comments

When I was a kid, my dad would get up early and make a hot breakfast for us every day. I didn’t realize how lucky I was until I talked to a friend at school who said her mom just had a variety of cereal to choose from each morning. Here’s the thing though, I rarely ate it. It was always delicious but I’ve never been much of an early morning breakfast person. I just didn’t wake up hungry; I needed to be up for a couple of hours before I was ready to eat. Now that I’m a mom myself, I have an extra appreciation for Dad’s cooking. He could whip up biscuits and sausage gravy, scrambled eggs, pancakes… all the traditional breakfast items. He also taught me that pancakes freeze really well. He would make a huge batch all at once and freeze half of them for us to eat later on. I still do this every time I make pancakes. I love being able to heat up homemade pancakes from the freezer whenever I’m craving breakfast or just don’t have the energy to cook.

Let me start by saying there is a special place in my culinary heart for pancake mixes – “just add water”. However, there are days when I have run out of pancake mix and don’t want to run to the store for that one single item. The beauty of homemade pancakes is that you probably already have all of the ingredients in your kitchen. We only need the basics here and you can still end up with super fluffy pancakes. On an extra special day such as a birthday or your kid aced a test or maybe your spouse got a promotion, take things up a notch and add sprinkles. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, sprinkles bring joy! And yes, in my house, sprinkles are just as much a pantry staple as flour or sugar. You never know when you’ll want to spark a little extra joy so just keep those rainbow sprinkles stocked at all times!

Tips:

Definitely melt the butter before you start mixing any ingredients. This will allow it to cool before you add the eggs so that you don’t end up with a scrambled egg batter.
Keep the heat on medium to medium low. I know it is tempting to crank it up to get things cooking faster but you’ll just end up with pancakes that are burnt on the outside and raw on the inside.

CELEBRATION PANCAKES

Homemade pancakes with a little extra joy.

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Servings 12 pancakes

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup rainbow jimmies/sprinkles
Optional toppings: butter, maple syrup, whipped cream, more sprinkles

Instructions

Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium heat.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Stir in the melted butter, milk and vanilla. Stir in the egg and then the sprinkles.
Scoop about a ¼ cup of batter onto the heated griddle. Depending on the size of your griddle, you can make more than one pancake at a time. Cook until batter starts to bubble on top and bottom is golden brown. Flip and continue cooking until the second side is also golden brown (about 1 minute). Remove from griddle and continue this process until all batter is used.

24-HOUR BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

January 14, 2019 by Sarah Baade Leave a Comment

Every year it seems like the holiday season comes and goes at a faster pace than it did the year before. This year we traveled to the Dallas, TX area to celebrate Christmas with family. We had an amazing visit with lots of food, plenty of gifts and we made beautiful new memories. As my siblings and I have gotten older, we have started creating traditions with our own families. My husband and I generally keep things simple; Santa fills our stockings but no other gifts are exchanged between us. Our daughter is still too young to fully understand what is happening with gifts under the tree but her older cousins gave her a full introduction to it this year. For New Year’s Eve, we go to bed at our usual time. However, on New Year’s Day, we have friends come over for board games and sandwiches. This is a new tradition but one that I really enjoy. The day is filled with so much laughter and I really can’t think of a better way to start a new year.

As I think about traditions I can’t help but think of family favorite recipes. The first one that comes to mind is my grandmother’s egg casserole. The cheese sauce alone will have you begging for more! Unfortunately, the recipe is time consuming enough that I rarely make it. Maybe this is why our family typically only ate it for holidays or special occasions. As I was going through my grandmother’s recipe box I came across the “24 Hour Omelet.” Cheese? Check. Bread? Check. Eggs? Check. Easier than the traditional egg casserole? CHECK! So, I put this recipe together with some modifications (nobody needs their breakfast to swim in butter). I also changed the name because it honestly did not remind me of an omelet at all but more of a casserole that borders on being a savory bread pudding. This 24-hour breakfast casserole is not like the old family favorite but it is definitely delicious, easy to make, easy to customize and gets put together the night before.

Tips:

Have fun with this! You can change this recipe up by using any variety of vegetables or you could even add ham or cooked sausage for the meat lovers in your life.
You could also make this into a sweet version by skipping the cheddar and monterey jack cheeses and adding berries of your choosing. If you go this route, consider serving with syrup.

24-HOUR BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

Delicious, easy to make and easy to customize breakfast

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Ingredients

1 loaf sourdough bread
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
8 oz cream cheese, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped (optional)
1 cup mushrooms, sliced (optional)
1 cup loosely packed fresh baby spinach (optional)
8 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon chives, chopped

Instructions

Tear bread into chunks and place evenly into a greased 9×13” casserole dish (this will be approximately 9 cups of bread chunks). Sprinkle half of the shredded cheeses over the bread. Spread vegetables evenly over bread then cover with remaining shredded cheeses and cream cheese. Beat eggs with milk, ground mustard, salt, chives and cayenne pepper. Pour egg mixture over cheeses. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 350F. Bake dish, covered with foil, for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.