by: Kate McMillan
Cook Time
55 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Yield
8–10 servings
Total Time
55 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Yield
8–10 servings
summary
A must-have during the holiday season, this tasty egg casserole is big on flavor and small on effort. This easy-to-make casserole is chock full of spinach, artichokes and cheese and feeds a crowd. Best of all, the ingredients can be assembled the day before, spending time in the refrigerator so that the bread can absorb the liquid. This baked egg casserole is a great dish to have in your arsenal for brunch, no-fuss family or a simple supper.
ingredients
- 1 French baguette
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 leeks, halved and sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 12 ounces fresh spinach
- 1 (13.75 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained well and chopped
- 10 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 ¼ cups shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
directions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Slice baguette into 1-inch cubes and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Lightly toast in the oven for 12 minutes. Set aside.
- Warm the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and season with salt and pepper. Saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Add the spinach, a few handfuls at a time, to the skillet and stir to combine. Cook just until the spinach is mostly wilted, about 6 minutes total, and then turn off the heat. Stir the artichoke hearts into the spinach. Set aside.
- In a very large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and Dijon mustard, mixing until completely combined. Add the toasted bread, the spinach mixture and 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese, and stir to combine.
- Grease a 10” x 14” baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or butter. Pour the bread and spinach mixture into the prepared pan and sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator for at least two hours and up to 24 hours.
- When ready to bake, remove the dish from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake until the edges are golden brown and crispy and the egg is completely set in the middle, 45–55 minutes. If the edges become too brown during cooking, cover with aluminum foil.
notes
The point of toasting the bread is to ensure that it absorbs the egg and milk mixture.
This is a great way to use up day-old bread. You can use any rustic crusty loaf, including a sourdough baguette or ciabatta loaf.
The best way to clean leeks is to cut them and then run them under cold water in a fine-mesh strainer.
Optional accompaniments to this dish are sour cream, salsa, sliced avocado and/or hot sauce.
You can also make this recipe with individual ramekins. The cooking time will be shorter, around 30 minutes.
