The Best Christmas Morning Egg Casserole Recipe

Like many kids growing up, I looked forward to Christmas morning. There was so much to look forward to: gifts, hugs, joy and, of course, food.

In my house, the annual ritual of unwrapping presents under the tree took place early after first light, followed by a hearty Christmas breakfast at Grandma’s across town – a small -quite late lunch at this point.

Call it brunch, call it the after-party, call it whatever you want—This has always been a big problem for me.

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There were festive cookies of all kinds and steamy cups of hot chocolate, freshly baked cookies and jam, my mother’s glorious cream cheese braid, and the main course: egg casserole. grandmother.

We hear a lot about “Christmas joy”. To me, this casserole represents the aroma and flavor of the holidays: rich and flavorful, warm and satisfying – pure comfort. It’s like a frittata or a quiche, filled with a lot more carbs: a meal in itself and then some.

It was such a success that she often made two. There were many mouths to feed: uncles, aunts, cousins, in-laws—not to mention grandfather (we called him “Grandy”)—good-hearted people, all of them. And I, nicknamed then “the kid with the hollow leg”, could almost take apart an entire casserole dish myself.

What made it so good? I don’t know. Stardust? My grandmother, Bonnie, was a charming 20th-century American queen, and the casserole, as a thing, was very of her time: economical, communal, and practical. Your own mother, grandmother or great-grandmother probably has a similar recipe.

Like much of his cooking, the egg casserole was nothing fancy, but it was prepared with care.—the delicious embodiment of beauty in simplicity.

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Grandma’s Christmas Egg Casserole Recipe

The entire recipe boils down to five supermarket staples: a loaf of white bread, a quart of milk, a pound of pork sausage, a half-dozen eggs and a half-pound of grated cheese. Add a pinch of common seasonings, like salt, pepper, dry mustard, and Worcestershire sauce, which you probably already have on hand. Now you are in business.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

It’s hard to imagine what these ingredients must have cost in his day. I probably don’t want to know this, but even today they’re still relatively affordable.

A dozen eggs currently cost an average of $3.65. A basic loaf of white bread costs $1.92. A gallon of milk costs $4.14. Pork costs $3.77 and cheddar cheese costs $5.68 per pound. In total, you can make the entire dish for around $20 or less if you already have the right spices.

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Grandma liked to cut the crust off the bread first, then cut each slice into eighths. This will become the base of the dish. Layer the greased casserole dish with pieces of bread, add pieces of cooked sausage, then top with cheese. Build a second layer in the same order.

Whisk together eggs, milk and seasonings, then pour over the starch and protein layers. Place it in the refrigerator to chill overnight, then transfer it to the oven in the morning. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour until golden brown.

You will know when it is ready.

This smell, my friends, is Christmas.