I have been making some variation of this breakfast casserole since this past Christmas morning, when I made Andrew Feinberg’s broccoli frittata , which was very well received (by the four adults sitting at the table).
Like many frittata recipes, Andrew’s starts on the stovetop and finishes in the oven. In the recipe included below, the eggs cook entirely in the oven, moving it out of the frittata territory, making it more of an egg bake or a casserole.
This recipe should be used as a guide and tailored to your tastes and preferences. I like a little bit of greens, a little bit of cheese, a little bit of onion, and a little bit of sausage, which makes the casserole feel a bit more substantial and precludes the need for cooking other breakfast meat on the side, which is especially nice when entertaining.
Here’s a rough framework:
The Makings of A Very Nice Breakfast Casserole
- Eggs : Estimate about 2 per person.
- Salt : A good rule of thumb: 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt for every 4 eggs.
- Something green . I like spinach, because it’s so low maintenance. No need to cook it — simply toss it with the hot sausage and onions, the heat of which will gently wilt it. Other options: roasted asparagus or broccoli, finely chopped Swiss chard or kale, etc.
- Cheese: I like Gruyère or Fontina. For 12 eggs, 4 ounces of grated cheese is about right.
- Onions: If you have the time to caramelize or near-caramelize an onion, do it. Otherwise, chopped scallions or chives will add that nice allium flavor, while also providing more green color.
- Sausage : I love hot Italian sausage here. The spices in the sausage flavor the custard, and the subtle spiciness is nice. Also: spinach + sausage is always a good match.
Breakfast casseroles or egg bakes are great for — wait for it — breakfast or brunch, especially when entertaining. But they also make great, low-key dinners, and the format can be used to clean out the odds and ends in your vegetable bins. Cold or re-heated, the leftover casserole makes a fine lunch on subsequent days, too.
This is how I like to make this breakfast casserole: Start by browning the sausage.
Pour it over a heap of spinach in a colander — this serves to both gently wilt the spinach and drain off excess fat and moisture.
Caramelize or nearly caramelize an onion, if you wish.
Transfer the onion to the colander as well.
Toss to combine and further wilt the spinach.
Transfer to a 9×13-inch pan and cover with grated cheese. (Love this 9×13-inch USA Pan. )
Beat 12 eggs.
Pour the eggs over top.
Bake until custard is just set.
Description
Use the proportions below as a guide. You can omit the sausage to make it vegetarian — I almost always make it without sausage these days. If you want to scale it up or down, a good rule of thumb is 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal brand) for every 4 eggs… use even less if using Morton’s Kosher salt.
Update: I’ve increased the oven temperature from 250ºF to 325ºF — when I made this most recently at the lower temperature it took way too long to cook, though my oven has been acting up. If you’ve had success at the lower temperature, go for it. Otherwise, try 325ºF, which will have this casserole done in just about 30 minutes.
Also: I now add a cup of half and half. I think including some sort of milk product — milk, cream or half and half — makes the eggs more forgiving. When you overcook this casserole when it is eggs alone, it can be a bit rubbery tasting. When dairy is added, I find it remains more custardy. When I think about my favorite egg custard dish, Tartine’s Quiche , which calls for 2 cups of dairy (milk and crème fraîche) for 5 eggs, it makes me want to try this with yet another cup of half and half. I will be sure to report back when I do.
Finally: When I make it vegetarian, I simply sauté the onions for about 10 minutes; then fold in the spinach just until it wilts. Then I proceed with the recipe as usual.
- 2 – to 4-oz baby spinach (I typically use 4 ounces )
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more as needed
- 0.5 – 0.75 lb. hot Italian sausage, optional
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced or diced
- 1 to 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 4 oz . grated cheese, I like Gruyère or Fontina
- 12 eggs
- 1 cup half and half
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
- Heat oven to 325ºF. Place spinach in a large colander and set it in the sink. Grease a 9×13-inch pan lightly with butter or with nonstick spray.
- In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil till it shimmers. Cook the sausage till it browns and is nearly cooked through, about 5 minutes. Break it up with a spoon or a spatula as it cooks. Spoon the sausage over the spinach in the colander in the sink. Return the skillet to the stovetop, add a little bit more oil to the pan if necessary, and set it over medium heat. Add the onions. Season with salt. Cook the onions till they begin to caramelize, 7 to 10 minutes. Spoon the onions over the sausage and toss with a spatula or large spoon to gently wilt the spinach. Transfer the spinach-sausage mixture to the prepared pan. Spread the cheese over top.
- Break the eggs into a large bowl, season with 1 to 1.5 teaspoons salt (when I am using Morton’s kosher salt, I use 1 teaspoon; when I use Diamond Crystal, I use 1.5 teaspoons) and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Add the half and half, and beat with a whisk until the mixture is well blended. Pour the eggs into the pan. Season with more pepper to taste. (Note: You can strategically pull leaves of the spinach from the custard so they are at the very top, where they will stay during the baking process — this is purely for visual effect.) Transfer pan to the oven and bake for 25-40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Start checking at 25 minutes, then every 5 minutes thereafter till it’s done — depending on your oven and the material of the pan you are using, it may take more or less time to cook.
- Remove pan from the oven, and let it cool for 5 minutes before serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Use the proportions below as a guide. You can omit the sausage to make it vegetarian — I almost always make it without sausage these days. If you want to scale it up or down, a good rule of thumb is 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal brand) for every 4 eggs… use even less if using Morton’s Kosher salt.
Update: I’ve increased the oven temperature from 250ºF to 325ºF — when I made this most recently at the lower temperature it took way too long to cook, though my oven has been acting up. If you’ve had success at the lower temperature, go for it. Otherwise, try 325ºF, which will have this casserole done in just about 30 minutes.
Also: I now add a cup of half and half. I think including some sort of milk product — milk, cream or half and half — makes the eggs more forgiving. When you overcook this casserole when it is eggs alone, it can be a bit rubbery tasting. When dairy is added, I find it remains more custardy. When I think about my favorite egg custard dish, Tartine’s Quiche , which calls for 2 cups of dairy (milk and crème fraîche) for 5 eggs, it makes me want to try this with yet another cup of half and half. I will be sure to report back when I do.
Finally: When I make it vegetarian, I simply sauté the onions for about 10 minutes; then fold in the spinach just until it wilts. Then I proceed with the recipe as usual.
- 2 - to 4-oz baby spinach (I typically use 4 ounces )
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more as needed
- 0.5 – 0.75 lb. hot Italian sausage, optional
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced or diced
- 1 to 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 4 oz . grated cheese, I like Gruyère or Fontina
- 12 eggs
- 1 cup half and half
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
- Heat oven to 325ºF. Place spinach in a large colander and set it in the sink. Grease a 9×13-inch pan lightly with butter or with nonstick spray.
- In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil till it shimmers. Cook the sausage till it browns and is nearly cooked through, about 5 minutes. Break it up with a spoon or a spatula as it cooks. Spoon the sausage over the spinach in the colander in the sink. Return the skillet to the stovetop, add a little bit more oil to the pan if necessary, and set it over medium heat. Add the onions. Season with salt. Cook the onions till they begin to caramelize, 7 to 10 minutes. Spoon the onions over the sausage and toss with a spatula or large spoon to gently wilt the spinach. Transfer the spinach-sausage mixture to the prepared pan. Spread the cheese over top.
- Break the eggs into a large bowl, season with 1 to 1.5 teaspoons salt (when I am using Morton’s kosher salt, I use 1 teaspoon; when I use Diamond Crystal, I use 1.5 teaspoons) and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Add the half and half, and beat with a whisk until the mixture is well blended. Pour the eggs into the pan. Season with more pepper to taste. (Note: You can strategically pull leaves of the spinach from the custard so they are at the very top, where they will stay during the baking process — this is purely for visual effect.) Transfer pan to the oven and bake for 25-40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Start checking at 25 minutes, then every 5 minutes thereafter till it’s done — depending on your oven and the material of the pan you are using, it may take more or less time to cook.
- Remove pan from the oven, and let it cool for 5 minutes before serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2019/05/10/sausage-egg-and-cheese-casserole-with-spinach/
At the first sighting of rhubarb last week at the market, I loaded up my cart with two visions in mind: 1. Rhubarb Schnapps , a spring tradition. 2. Bon Appetit’s Rhubarb Custard Cake, one of the most delicious things I made last summer.
I discovered the recipe last July, late-ish as far as rhubarb season goes, and managed to make it a few times before summer ended and my attention turned to Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, and all the winter squashes. But I dreamed about this cake all winter, contemplating many a variation with apple or pear or quince, none of which materialized.
When I made this cake last week for the first time in months, I was reminded why I love it so much: its custardy texture, its sugary crust, its perfect sweet-tart flavor profile. Plus: rhubarb. Is there anything better?
This cake comes together relatively quickly, too, requiring three basic steps: 1. Mixing the dry ingredients. 2. Beating eggs with sugar. 3. Whisking wet ingredients. After you combine these three elements, you arrange rhubarb slices on top and pop it to the oven. Forty-five minutes later it’s done, emerging with sugary rhubarb slices bobbing in a custardy but cake-y base.
I find this cake tastes best the day it is made, though it makes a fine breakfast on day two. With that in mind, I wouldn’t hesitate to serve this as part of a festive spring brunch.
A Few Tips
If you’ve seen the BA photo of this cake , you may feel inspired to arrange your rhubarb slices artfully atop the cake batter, perhaps in a chevron or herringbone motif. I encourage you mostly not to bother — most of the slices will sink below the surface of the batter, rendering your efforts fruitless. But if you are eager to try, here are a few things I have found helpful for keeping those rhubarb slices afloat:
- Chill the batter longer than the recommended 10 minutes.
- Let the butter cool to room temperature — not so that it begins to firm up, but so that it is in fact cool to the touch.
- Cut wide slices of rhubarb lengthwise in half or into thirds before cutting them crosswise to ensure the pieces are as light as possible.
- Use all 13 oz. of rhubarb, laying the pieces of rhubarb that do not fit in a single layer on top of the first layer.
That’s it! I hope you make and love this one.
PS: Rhubarb-Frangipane Galette | Rhubarb Schnapps | Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Rhubarb Compote
Here’s the play-by-play: Steel yourself for a three-bowl job — don’t worry; it comes together quickly.
The batter needs to rest for at least 10 minutes in the fridge before receiving its rhubarb topping.
Description
Notes:
It is not recommended to mix the batter for this cake in a mixer, and there is no need — with about a minute of vigorous beating with a whisk, the eggs and sugar become lemony in color and thick and ribbony in texture.
If you are avoiding alcohol, substitute a tablespoon of vanilla for the rum.
Your rhubarb slices, no matter how lightly you place them atop the batter, will mostly sink. A few things I have found that help keep them afloat: 1. Chill the batter for longer than the recommended 10 minutes. 2. Let the butter cool to room temperature. 3. Use all 13 oz. of rhubarb, laying the pieces of rhubarb that do not fit in a single layer on top of the first layer.
Original recipe calls for buttering and flouring the pan, but I like to use sugar — it creates an irresistible crust.
4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, cooled, plus more room-temperature for pan
1 cup (128 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1½ cups (328 g) sugar, plus more for sprinkling
¼ cup sour cream
2 tablespoons dark rum or Brandy, see notes
zest from one lemon
13 oz. rhubarb stalks, cut in half or thirds lengthwise if thick, then cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and sugar (see notes above) a 9-inch springform pan — (to sugar: sprinkle about a tablespoon of sugar into the buttered pan, shake it all around to distribute the sugar evenly, tap out excess.)
- Whisk the baking powder, salt, and 1 cup all-purpose flour in a medium bowl. Whisk the eggs, egg yolk, and 1½ cups sugar in a large bowl until very pale and thick, about 1 minute. Whisk melted butter, sour cream, rum, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Whisk butter mixture into egg mixture just to combine. Add dry ingredients and fold in until batter is smooth; scrape into prepared pan. Chill 10 minutes (or longer) to let batter set.
- Arrange rhubarb over batter however you like, trimming as needed. Don’t press fruit into batter—just place over top and let it rest on the surface. Don’t fuss too much about how you arrange the rhubarb on top because most of it will sink into the batter. Sprinkle with more sugar — I use a tablespoon — and bake until cake is golden on top and browned around the sides, about 45 minutes. If you have an instant read thermometer, it should register at least 210ºF. This make take more or less time depending on your oven temperature and material of your pan.
- Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool in pan 10 minutes. Slide a knife around sides of cake to loosen and unmold. Slide directly onto rack and let cool completely.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
