The first time I tasted this recipe, we had spent the night at a cousin's house that we were visiting. The next morning as we sipped our coffee, this pre-prepped casserole was simply put in the oven and before long we had a tasty and satisfying breakfast that filled us for our long drive home. While we enjoyed the recipe, what struck me more was the practical simplicity of her making this the day before and simply sticking it in the oven on Sunday morning as her guests were waking up and getting dressed. The work of preparing the breakfast dish was invisible to us since it was done before our arrival.
It was the perfect reminder (as the home cook) of the beauty of having some "make ahead" simple recipes so that the cook doesn't have to stress and can interact more with the guests.
This recipe is hardly unique nor is it a creation of mine. And it doesn't have to be a "breakfast casserole." It could be served for a brunch or even a dinner or lunch.
You can easily search the title below and find an endless number of variations. The ingredients are simple and are made up of items that can easily be found in supermarkets across the country. I followed my cousin's recipe but I also tried some of the variations out there on the Web (including the cottage cheese version!). I blended her recipe with a few others to create this version. I've made it a number of times and the results are consistent. But, this is another recipe that you can tweak to make something that's just "yours."
Oh, and don't buy the bags of pre-shredded cheese. Buy a block and shred it yourself at home. The bags of pre-shredded cheese are treated with an additive to prevent it from clumping. This additive causes the cheese to not melt the same as cheese you shred at home. For this recipe, the melted cheese topping is essential. Plus, whole cheese is less expensive by weight.
Green Chile Egg Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients:
- Eggs - 8
- Green chopped chiles - 7 oz., drained (or try two 4 oz. cans for a bit more spice)
- Monterey Jack cheese - 6 oz., grated
- Sharp Cheddar cheese - 8 oz., grated
- Milk - 1/2 cup
- Flour - 2 Tbsp.
- Baking soda - 1 Tbsp.
- Garlic salt - 1/2 tsp.
- Black pepper - 1/2 tsp.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray some non-stick oil in an 11 x 7 rectangular baking dish.
- Sprinkle a thin layer of the cheeses on the bottom of the baking dish. Use more of the jack cheese but include some cheddar.
- Evenly cover the cheeses with the green chiles.
- In a large bowl, add the flour. Using a whisk, add a tiny bit of the milk and whisk it into a paste. Slowly, add more milk and continue to whisk. The goal is break up any clumps of flour. Whisking constantly, slowly add in the rest of the milk.
- One at a time, break the egg into the same bowl and whisk each one to mix them up before adding the next egg. Continue until all eggs are in and mixed.
- Add the baking soda, black pepper, and garlic salt. Whisk to combine.
- Pour the egg mixture into the casserole covering all of the cheese and chiles.
- Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheeses (heavier on the cheddar) and bake in the middle rack for 30-35 minutes. If this is prepped the night before and kept overnight in the refrigerator, increase cooking time to 40-45 minutes. You want to look for a topping of golden cheese that is ever so slightly browned on top.
- Remove from the oven and let sit for at least 5 minutes.
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