Healthier Breakfast Casserole

For many, the go-to dish for Thanksgiving and Christmas morning is a breakfast casserole. They are easy, mostly made the night before, and tasty, but they are also usually full of sausage and white bread making them not very healthy. Now, you may be thinking that you will be eating the rest of the day anyway, so why does it matter. Well, for  me, it matters for two reasons. First, every calorie counts, and I would rather use mine for the day’s main meal. Second, I want to enjoy that main meal. If I have already over indulged, then the main meal just isn’t as good. So, I have created a healthier breakfast casserole. And, the best part about it is that it is really delicious and definitely won’t have you thinking healthy.

So, just how is it healthy? Well, it uses whole wheat bread instead of white and vegetables instead of sausage. I think every recipe I have seen for breakfast casserole specifically calls for white bread, but let me tell you, I couldn’t tell the difference. My son even asked if there were bread in it because he wasn’t sure, so there is truly no need for the white stuff. As for the vegetabes, you could choose just about any you liked, but I chose spinach and red pepper because it look holidayish (apparently not a word), and they were super delicious.

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Healthier Breakfast Casserole

Cook 1 hour, 15 mins

Total 1 hour, 15 mins

Author Michelle

Yield 6

Ingredients

• 1 9 ounce package fresh baby spinach
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt for the egg mixture plus more to taste for the vegetables
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 6 slices whole wheat bread, toasted and cut into cubes
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions

1. Grease a 9″ x 13″ baking dish. I just brush mine with a little olive oil.
2. Saute spinach and bell pepper in olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until spinach is wilted an pepper is tender. Season with salt to taste.
3. In a large bowl, mix together remaining salt, eggs and milk. Add the vegetables, bread cubes, and cheese, and toss to coat.
4. Pour into prepared baking dish.
5. Cover, and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes uncovered.
7. Reduce heat to 325 degrees, cover with foil (Be careful, the dish is hot!) and bake for 30 to 45 more minutes or until set in the middle.