Thursday, December 16, 2010

Mediterranean Breakfast Casserole


I have a confession to make: I've never been a huge 'breakfast casserole' fan. There's just something about loads of cheese and pre-made hashbrowns combined with sausage and eggs that just doesn't make me drool with anticipation. But a friend of mine made a breakfast casserole with feta and tomatoes and spinach that I actually liked, and it inspired me to try my own. Here's the result. Shannon said it was the best breakfast casserole he's ever had. I think it's pretty great myself, but I'd recommend it for breakfast-for-dinner as opposed to actual breakfast (as I'm not a big fan of broccoli in the mornings).

yield: 6 servings

1/2 loaf French bread, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup crumbled feta
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup milk
4 eggs
4 egg whites
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 tomatoes, chopped
3 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 cups broccoli florets
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. In large bowl, stir together French bread, feta, and mozzarella. In a separate small bowl, combine milk, eggs, and egg whites.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, broccoli, and onions; sauté 5 minutes or until veggies are tender. Stir in basil, oregano, pepper, and salt. Add to French bread mixture, stirring well to combine.
4. Pour French bread mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour egg mixture evenly over the top. Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Remove foil and return to oven, baking 15-20 more minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

2 comments:

Erica said...

ummm going to have to try this version, glad my variation of breakfast casserole broke the mold of what it had to be. I'm always up for a new brinner idea. Why is it that making breakfast for dinner always takes so much less work than making it for breakfast? (I guess that just shows I am not a morning person.)

Michelle said...

It's because we're so used to preparing hard-to-prepare meals for dinner that it just seems easy, whereas when we usually have cereal for breakfast, ANY preparation seems like a TON of work!