Monday, April 29, 2013

Ham and Cheese Egg Bake

Oooops!  It's been a month since I last posted!  Life seems to have a way of taking over...but I am back!

This is a yummy breakfast dish when you are looking for a change of pace.  It's not difficult to make, although it does take a little time to prepare.  Note that you need to prepare this recipe in advance and allow it to refrigerate overnight before baking it.  It's worth it! ;)


12 slices of bread
butter
1 lb. Colby cheese
1 lb. ham, cubed
6 eggs
3 c. milk
3/4 tsp. dry mustard (optional)

Oven: 350 degrees      
Bake time: 1 hour

Start out by cubing your ham and cheese.


I love Colby cheese.  One of my kids used to call it "cloud" cheese because of the white portions. :)


Next you butter one side of your bread slices (optional, but it always tastes better with butter!).




Cube the bread--I start out doing the first 6 slices and leave the last 6 for when I finish up the casserole and need it for the top layer.


Place half of the bread in the bottom of a greased 9x13" pan.


Add your cubed ham and cheese.


Then add the other half of the bread on top of the ham and cheese layer.


Now it's time to mix up the eggs, milk, and mustard.  Again, for the sake of convenience, I use a large measuring cup for everything so that I have fewer dishes to wash at the end.



Pour the egg mixture evenly over the top of the bread pieces.


When you are finished, it will look something like this:


Now is when you cover the dish with plastic wrap and allow it to sit in the fridge overnight.  The bread will soak up some of the egg mixture, but not much of it.  Here is what it looks like after sitting overnight.


Once your oven is preheated to 350 degrees, uncover the dish and allow it to bake for approximately one hour.  The top will turn golden-brown, and the cheese will be nice and melty.


Allow it to cool and set for about 5 minutes before cutting into it.  Serve it up warm and enjoy!