Bacon Spinach Breakfast Casserole

At some point in time I became a sleep wimp.

I’m not exactly sure when it happened, I just know that it did and I CANNOT hang.

I’ve always been a morning person (I know. Annoying!), but more than that I’ve always been able to survive on little to no sleep.

5-6 hours on the regular and I’m good to go. When I was just a few years younger it was nothing for me to work all day and then all night on maybe 4 hours of sleep and then go again! None of it phased me. But NOW, I am eyeballing the clock at 9:30 when I send the kids to bed, totally jealous that they get a bedtime and I still have at least an hour and a half worth of things to do. And then I negotiate with myself in these ridiculous ways and think, “ohh I’ll just close my eyes for 15 minutes…,” and then 15 turns into 20 and then I halfway eyeball the clock and think, “I’ll just get up 20 minutes earlier…” and on and on and on.

What I’m saying is… I need sleep. I am sleep wimpy.

With holidays looming and endless hours in the kitchen on the schedule, I am happy to have a handful of recipes I can make ahead and then stick in the oven and not worry. This breakfast casserole is PERFECT. Make ahead, stick it in the fridge, and then pretend you have it all together when you overslept and haven’t had enough coffee in the morning. This dish is Sunday breakfast/brunch awesomeness. Or Saturday mornings. Or Christmas. You can smack me now for saying that.

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Yield: serves 8

Bacon Spinach Breakfast Casserole

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

A delicious breakfast casserole you can make ahead! Perfect for brunches and holiday morning get-togethers. This can rest in the fridge overnight before baking or can be placed in the oven right away.

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Ingredients

• 8-10 slices (about 1" thick) French bread
• butter
• 6 slices bacon
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 5 ounces fresh spinach
• 6 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups sharp white cheddar
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Lay the bread in a single layer and toast it in the oven until it's golden brown - about 5 minutes. Turn off the oven (see note) and spread with the butter. Cut into cubes. Set aside.
2. Cook the bacon. Lay it on paper towels to drain the grease. Coarsely chop when cool. Remove all the bacon grease from the pan except a couple teaspoons.
3. Add the onion to the pan and cook until soft, 4-5 minutes. Place a few handfuls of fresh spinach on top of the onions. Stir to coat them with the oil in the pan. Let the spinach cook until wilted, adding the rest as you have more room. When it's all wilted, remove it from the heat.
4. Butter a 9 X 13 casserole dish. In a medium bowl beat the eggs with the milk. In a large bowl toss the bread cubes with the spinach, onions, and bacon.
5. Add the bread mixture to the prepared baking dish. Pour the eggs and milk over the bread. add the cheese and stir so it's in the middle as well as on top. Cover and refrigerate overnight (you can bake the same day - see note).
6. Pre-heat the oven to 350. Bake for about 45-50 mins, until the cheese is melty and the casserole is bubbly. The eggs will be cooked. Serve warm.

Notes

#1- If you are baking this the same day, leave the oven on in step one and bake the strata after assembling. Just note that the consistency will not be custardy like a typical strata.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 329Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 178mgSodium: 613mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 18g