Sesame Bagel Casserole

Amarante

Fri, Jul 03 2020, 11:56 am

This type of dish is traditionally served for brunch but it makes a great dinner meal.

It needs to be assembled ahead of time so that the liquid gets adequately absorbed which makes it super easy because you just need to pop it in the oven. That's why these "strata" or breakfast casseroles are used for brunch since they are prepped the night before and there is nothing that needs to be done when ready to cook. They puff up beautiful when done and are almost like a soufflé without any of the worry about folding egg whites and praying that the souffle doesn't collapse because someone bangs the oven door. LOL

Most of the recipes use bread but the bagels make it a fun variant.

Sesame Bagel Breakfast Casserole

FOOD & WINE Best Potluck Recipes

Active 45 min

Total 6 hr 30 min

Makes 8 to 10 servings

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil plus more for greasing
10 large eggs
2½ cups half-and-half
6 oil-packed Calabrian chiles—drained, seeded and minced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 lb. day-old sesame bagels (3 large), cut into 1-inch pieces (9 cups)
10 oz. button mushrooms, stemmed and sliced ¼ inch thick
1 small bunch of curly kale, stemmed and chopped (5 cups)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
¼ cup finely chopped basil leaves
2 Tbsp. minced rosemary
2 scallions, thinly sliced
8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (2 oz.)

1. Lightly grease a 3-quart oval baking pan. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the half-and-half, chiles, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Stir in the bagel pieces and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the mushrooms and kale and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and wilted, about 7 minutes. Stir in the cherry tomatoes, basil and rosemary and cook until the tomatoes start to soften, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the scallions; season with salt and pepper. Let cool slightly.

3. Fold the vegetables and shredded cheeses into the bagel mixture, then transfer to the prepared baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°. Remove the plastic wrap and cover the baking pan with foil. Bake for 40 minutes, remove the foil and bake for 45 minutes longer, or until the top is puffed and golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 20 minutes before serving. —Anna Painter

MAKE AHEAD The casserole can be prepared through Step 3 and refrigerated overnight.