I love a lazy start to the day. A morning spent lounging in PJs, sipping cups of coffee or tea. Perhaps reading the newspaper or relaxing on the couch knitting. I work so hard during the week that I need to take a weekend morning to slow down and just enjoy life. Don’t you agree?
Even when I’m having a relaxing morning, I put a little effort into a delicious breakfast. Nothing starts the day better than a tasty meal. It’s quite simple to assemble this breakfast casserole, and then into the oven it goes. Leftovers are a delightful treat for the next day and it even packs well with a side salad for lunch.
One such serene morning I was crocheting—putting the final touches on my daughter’s Minion toque—when my brother and sister-in-law knocked on the door. Cups of coffee were poured and I reluctantly moved my PJ-clad body from under my cozy blanket to sit at the breakfast table.
As luck would have it, this delicious ham and egg casserole was minutes away from making an appearance. Bread was toasted, fresh fruit cut up, and the star attraction was announced by the oven timer just as coffee cups needed to be refilled. I think my company timed their visit perfectly.
What started as a nice quiet morning was soon filled with laughter and good conversation. What a perfect way to start the day.
Yield: 4-6 people
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup ham steak (or other cooked ham), diced
- 1/2 white onion, finely diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 8 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 tsp pepper (or to taste)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Cooking Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F.
- In a small frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the onion and chopped red pepper. Cook until just tender. Add in the ham at the end to brown a bit.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Add in the salt and pepper.
- Prepare a deep dish pie plate (or 9x9” casserole dish) by cutting a piece of parchment paper larger than the plate.
- Crumple the parchment paper and run it under water. This will make the paper pliable and will easily form along the pie plate.
- Layer the cooked onions, peppers and ham on top of the parchment paper, inside the pie plate. Sprinkle the cheese over top. Pour the scrambled egg mixture over top. Gently stir the mixture together to ensure there are no air pockets and the mixture is evenly distributed.
- Bake in the preheated oven for at least 25 minutes until the eggs are well set and the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.