Breakfast Casserole with Leeks and Asparagus Recipe

Name: Breakfast Casserole with Leeks and Asparagus
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 3 slices thick-sliced bacon (about 3 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch pieces; 1 pound asparagus, trimmed of woody ends, cut into 1/2-inch diagonal pieces; 6 slices bread, cut into 1 1/2 inch wide square pieces, including crusts; 2 leeks, cleaned, cut in half lengthwise, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces, white and light green parts only, about 2 cups total; 2 tablespoons butter, divided in half; 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese; 8 eggs; 2 cups milk; 1/2 teaspoon dried herbes de provence (can sub dried tarragon or thyme); 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

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Looking for ideas for a special brunch? Why not a warm and welcoming breakfast casserole? Assemble everything the night before and then just pop it in the oven first thing in the morning.

Breakfast casseroles are really quite easy to make. Bread, eggs, milk, and cheese are your base. Where you can get creative is with the seasonings and additions.

In this one, we are celebrating spring with asparagus and leeks. Feta is our cheese of choice, along with some Parmesan for the topping. Bacon makes an important appearance as well. (You can skip the bacon if you must, but I don't recommend it.)

What Are Leeks?

Breakfast Casserole with Leeks and Asparagus

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 90 mins

Total Time 105 mins

Servings 6 to 8 servings

Pro tip: raw bacon is much easier to slice if it is frozen. So keep your bacon chilled until you are ready to cut it, or put it in the freezer for several minutes before slicing.

3 slices thick-sliced bacon (about 3 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound asparagus, trimmed of woody ends, cut into 1/2-inch diagonal pieces
6 slices bread, cut into 1 1/2-inch-wide square pieces, including crusts
2 leeks, cleaned, cut in half lengthwise, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces, white and light green parts only, about 2 cups total
2 tablespoons butter, divided in half
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
8 large eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon dried herbes de provence (can sub dried tarragon or thyme)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Place bacon in a medium skillet on medium heat. Gently cook, turning occasionally, until the bacon pieces are lightly browned and much of the bacon fat has been rendered, about 10-12 minutes. Remove cooked bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon, leaving the rendered bacon fat in the pan.

Elise Bauer
While the bacon is cooking, cut up the bread. If the bread is a little stale, great. If it is fresh, then spread it out on a baking sheet and heat it in a 200°F oven for about 10-15 minutes to help it dry out a bit. This will help the keep the bread from disintegrating when mixed with the eggs later.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the cut asparagus and blanch for 1 minute. Remove the asparagus from the pot to a bowl of ice water. Let cool in the ice water and then drain.

Elise Bauer
Once the bacon is done and removed from the pan add a tablespoon of butter to the pan with the remaining bacon fat. Add the leeks and gently cook on medium to medium low heat for 10-12 minutes until the leeks are softened, but not browned. Do not let brown.

Elise Bauer

Elise Bauer
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, crumbled feta cheese, herbes de provence, salt, and pepper.

Elise Bauer
Place the bread pieces into the egg milk mixture and press down so that the bread becomes completely saturated with the mixture. Add the asparagus and leeks and gently mix to combine, taking care to not break up the bread.

Elise Bauer

Elise Bauer
Preheat oven to 350°F. With the remaining tablespoon of butter, butter the insides of a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Sprinkle the bacon over the bottom of the dish. Gently pour the filling mixture into the casserole. Top with Parmesan cheese. Push the grated Parmesan down a bit into to the top of the casserole so that it gets moistened. (At this point you can make the night before, refrigerate and bake the next morning.)

Elise Bauer

Elise Bauer
Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and the custard is cooked through. If the top is getting too brown before the custard is done, you can tent it with foil. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before cutting to serve.

Breakfast Casserole with Leeks and Asparagus — Elise Bauer

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
304	Calories
16g	Fat
22g	Carbs
18g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories	304
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g	21%
Saturated Fat 8g	38%
Cholesterol 220mg	73%
Sodium 728mg	32%
Total Carbohydrate 22g	8%
Dietary Fiber 2g	8%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 18g
Vitamin C 6mg	32%
Calcium 238mg	18%
Iron 3mg	17%
Potassium 418mg	9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.