Recipe Easy Healthy Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole

December 15, 2021

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Silver Hills Bakery

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This is the perfect meal to make in bulk—load up a baking dish with Silver Hills Bakery sprouted whole grain bread (we used Big 16), non-dairy milk, vegan cheese, JUST Egg plant egg scramble, and any other plant-based ingredients you have lying around your fridge and pantry. The result? The ultimate grab-and-go breakfast for busy weekday mornings or family brunch on the weekends—our Easy Healthy Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole. Make a big batch and store any leftovers in the fridge or freezer for an easy healthy breakfast that can be ready in minutes.

Don’t be alarmed by the large number of ingredients listed for this dish! This is definitely a use–what–you–have type of recipe. Think of the first 5 ingredients as a simple base to build a make-ahead breakfast casserole with your favourite sprouted whole grain bread, and the remaining ingredients as suggestions to add flavour and make a good thing even better.

Use what you have and use what you like. From extra veg and savoury add-ins to your own special blend of seasonings, this recipe begs to be customized to fit your family’s taste.

Let’s dig in!

Recipe Details

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Ingredients

  • 8 slices Silver Hills Sprouted Bakery The Big 16™ bread (or half a loaf of your favourite Silver Hills sprouted bread), cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 340g bottle JUST Egg plant egg scramble
  • 2 cups non-dairy milk, unsweetened
  • 2 cups vegan cheddar cheese , grated (we used 1 bag (200g) Daiya Cheddar Flavour Cutting Board Collection Shreds)
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 6 slices plant-based bacon (we used ½ package LightLife Smart Bacon), chopped
  • 2 links vegan sausage (we used ½ package Big Mountain Superfood Brekkie Links, or use your favourite Italian-style plant-based sausage), chopped or crumbled
  • ½ – 1 cup broccoli fresh or frozen (see tip), chopped
  • ½ – 1 cup mushrooms , sliced or chopped (see tip)
  • 3 – 4 green onions , chopped
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning (or dried herbs like thyme, basil, rosemary, or oregano)
  • ½ – 1 tsp garlic powder (or granulated garlic), optional
  • ½ – 1 tsp mild smoked paprika (optional)
  • to taste salt and pepper
  • 1 Tbsp non-dairy buttery spread  (for the baking dish)
  • 1 tsp olive oil

Featured Product The Big 16®

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease a 9-inch x 11-inch baking dish with non-dairy butter and set aside.
  2. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes. Spread on a cookie sheet and bake for 5 minutes while the oven preheats to dry it out. (Or save yourself some washing and toast in two batches in your 9-inch x 11-inch baking dish before you grease it!). Add bread cubes to greased baking dish.
  3. In a medium-sized bowl, combine JUST Egg liquid plant egg scramble with non-dairy milk, grated vegan cheese, dried herbs, salt, pepper, and optional seasonings if using. (Have a large measuring cup? Save another dish—measure the non-dairy milk first, then add JUST Egg, cheese, and seasonings). Set aside.
  4. Chop broccoli and green onions. Add with frozen corn to the baking dish with bread cubes.
  5. Slice or crumble plant-based sausage (if pre-cooked/heat-and-eat, add to baking dish with veggies and bread cubes once chopped, or prepare per packaging directions first).
  6. Slice mushrooms and chop vegan bacon. In a small frying pan over medium high heat, add olive oil and fry bacon until crisp. Add mushrooms and sauté until they start to soften. Add to baking dish with bread cubes and veggies.
  7. Pour JUST Egg, milk and cheese mixture over your bread cubes in the baking pan. Use clean hands (or a wooden spoon) to gently mix everything together until bread cubes are evenly moist and ingredients are well distributed throughout.
  8. If making ahead, cover dish and keep in the fridge overnight or until ready to bake.
  9. Bake for 50 – 60 minutes. Cover with foil after 40 minutes to keep the top from getting too crisp. The casserole is done when you can insert a spoon or spatula in the centre and no liquid pools when you make a small gap in the bread cubes. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Try these handy tips!

Save the heels! - If your family aren’t fans of the end slices, don’t waste them! Croutons and breadcrumbs aren’t the only way to use up leftover bread heels and the odd-slices-out with no sandwich match. This recipe is a scrumptiously savvy way to squeeze all the sprouted whole grain value out of every loaf! Simply freeze them until you have 10 – 12 heels, thaw, then use as you would full-size slices in this recipe. (Why 10 – 12? Bread heels are often thinner than full slices—especially if your freezer collection includes bread leftovers from a mix of regular and wide slice loaves).##### Save time, reduce food waste, and sneak some extra veggies onto picky kids’ plates! - Keep a bag of frozen broccoli next to the frozen corn and peas you probably already keep stocked in your freezer. Frozen broccoli makes it easy to use only what you need without leaving the rest to wilt in the crisper. Pop a handful in the microwave for 60 – 90 seconds before chopping and toss it into this recipe. Leftover steamed broccoli from last night’s dinner works, too. (Or cut a 2- or 3-inch slice up straight off a block of frozen spinach and chop roughly before you toss it in).- Kids don’t like mushrooms? Make them disappear! Chop sliced mushrooms into smaller pieces and sauté them in the pan after you crisp your vegan bacon.##### Serving suggestions:- Spice it up! This recipe is a crowd-pleasing savoury recipe the whole family will love. Grown-ups who enjoy things a little spicier may find this healthy breakfast casserole pairs will with a splash of their favourite hot sauce.- Make it extra cheesy! Sprinkle an extra cup (or more!) of shredded vegan cheese over the top, and cover with foil at the 30-minute mark so it stays melty and doesn’t get crisp.##### Keep scrolling for complete freeze and reheat instructions !

To Freeze

Can you freeze it? Yes you can! Whether you have a smaller family and find yourself with a half a casserole left after filling your bellies, or you need “make-ahead” to mean “earlier than the night before,” this dish can be baked then frozen.

To Reheat

  • For a full or half-size casserole: Our tests suggest reheating large portions from frozen is best done in the oven, rather than microwaving to keep the bread from getting soggy. To reheat a full-size casserole from frozen, cover with foil and bake at 375℉ for 45 minutes to an hour, or until casserole is warm throughout. (Poke the middle with a fork to make sure it’s not still frozen in the middle).- Safety first! We froze ours in a plastic container with a lid, then transferred it as a frozen block to an oven-safe casserole dish. If you freeze yours in the bakeware you plan to reheat it in, choose one that is freezer-to-oven safe (e.g., aluminum, metal, or pyrex), or allow glass or ceramic bakeware to warm up on the counter first.- For single-serve portions: Perfect for weekday mornings, freeze single-serve portions in microwaveable containers. Then either let them defrost in the fridge overnight and microwave in the morning for 45 – 60 seconds, or microwave from frozen. (Heating times from frozen may vary. Start with 60 seconds, then repeat on 30-second intervals until portion is warm in the middle).

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