Did you miss me? I was away the entire summer! My husband and I were the “host couple” at a guest house at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York, a magical place I can’t do justice to in a recipe blog.
Our duties as hosts at the Everett Jewish Life Center included making breakfast for the residents of the five guest rooms. Unlike many B&Bs, Everett has a tradition (which predated our tenure) to serve breakfast over an hour-and-a-half period. People wander in and out, which precludes serving omelets, pancakes or anything similar that would have to be ready at the same time for everyone. So I had to look for casserole-type hot dishes to serve buffet-style. I looked for recipes that I could mix up in the evening and leave in the fridge overnight, so all I had to do in the morning was pop it in the oven.
This one was a real hit. It combines asparagus and mushrooms, of course, but also eggs, milk and cheese, held together with a base layer of toasted English muffins. Try it the next time you need a brunch dish!
Ingredients:
2 Tbs. butter
1¾ cups sliced mushrooms
½ onion, finely chopped
½ cup chopped red or orange pepper
5 English muffins, split and toasted
2 cups shredded cheese
1 lb. fresh asparagus, cut in 1-inch pieces
8 eggs
2 cups milk
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard powder
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
2 cups shredded cheese (Cheddar, Colby, Monterrey Jack)
Directions:
Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the mushrooms for five minutes. Add the onion and pepper and cook another 3 to 5 minutes until the vegetables are soft and the liquid has evaporated. Set aside.
Arrange 8 muffin halves in the baking dish, and stuff the spaces between the halves with pieces of the remaining muffin. Spread 1 cup of the cheese over the muffins, and distribute the asparagus pieces and the mushroom mixture over the cheese.
Whisk the eggs, milk, salt, mustard and black pepper together and pour over the muffins and vegetables. Spread the remaining cup of cheese over the vegetables. Cover the dish and refrigerate overnight.
Take the dish out of the refrigerator while you preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Remove the cover and bake the casserole for about 45 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into squares.
Serves 8 to 10
Bobbie's Best Recipes 