apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

The appeal is this: You throw everything in the dish the night before, allow the bread to soak up the egg-and-milk mixture overnight, and bake it in the morning. Breakfast casserole is perfect for a brunch party, since you don't have to stand at the stove making individual omelettes or batches of pancakes. And it beats waiting outside in the cold at a crowded restaurant.

This recipe is an updated version of the gooey, sausage-and-cheddar casseroles of our youth, and it was inspired by a fancy ham and cheese sandwich. We used pancetta and Gruyère (although you could try an even more sophisticated cheese, with challah bread and caramelized onions for a touch of sweetness. Then we added nutmeg and thyme to brighten things up.

The best part: we got to sleep in (and even crawled back to bed while it was in the oven).

"Ham and Cheese" Breakfast Casserole
serves 6-8

4 cups (loosely packed) day-old challah bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 pound pancetta (thickly sliced), diced
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 cup grated gruyere cheese (about 4 ounces)

Grease an 8-inch square baking dish and throw in the cubed challah.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a skillet over medium to low heat. Add the onions, salt, and sugar. Sauté until they are lightly caramelized (a medium golden brown color), about 15 minutes.

In another heavy saucepan, heat the other tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and sauté the pancetta until the fat is almost all rendered and it begins to get crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Set on a paper towel to drain.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, dry mustard, nutmeg, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle pancetta over the bread cubes, then layer onions on top. Sprinkle grated Gruyère on next, and then pour the egg mixture over the entire thing.

Press down on the top gently, so that all of the bread cubes get soaked a bit with the egg mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (take the casserole out of the fridge while the oven is preheating). Bake, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes, or until the edges are bubbling and the top begins to brown.

Serve with a green salad, some asparagus, or just a tall bloody mary.

This is by Elizabeth, who is up for one of our new writer positions. Welcome Elizabeth!