Egg, Ham & Asparagus Breakfast Bake

Start the day off right with this Egg Ham and Asparagus Breakfast Bake. Potatoes, cheese, ham, asparagus, tomatoes, and sunny-side-up eggs make this a satisfying, hearty dish.

The old adage that bad things come in threes proved true this past weekend. Friday night, my daughter was nearly sideswiped while driving through an intersection. Saturday morning, my husband and I narrowly escaped the same fate at a different intersection. Then, Saturday night, our seventeen-year-old son was injured while working in a restaurant kitchen. Thankfully, we walked away from all three incidents a little shaken but extremely grateful.

Since we’re on the subject of children, let me show you exactly what it feels like to fail your child. Picture this: you’re out to dinner with friends while your son is at work. One of your dinner companions gets a call from YOUR daughter, who happens to be out of town. She says your son has been hurt, and he’s been trying to reach you. He doesn’t know where you are. That’s when you realize the phone in your pocket was never turned on—and your husband left his at home. With few details and every worst-case scenario flashing through your mind, you abruptly end dinner, and everyone rushes out of the restaurant.

In the end, your son suffered only a minor cut from broken glass and didn’t need emergency care. But if you’ve never felt as though you failed your child, you definitely will in that moment when, because of a simple oversight, you weren’t there when he needed you most.

Now, moving on to food—because what didn’t fail this weekend was the casserole I made. I call it a breakfast bake, but it’s really an all-day kind of dish: perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. Instead of the usual bread-custard base, this one starts with potatoes, which give it a much more satisfying bite and chew. The tomatoes add a bright pop of flavor and color that brings everything to life.

This recipe uses quite a few eggs, so I lightened it up a bit with a mix of egg substitute and whole eggs. The substitute goes into the custard layer, while whole eggs bake right on top. To keep them in place, I made DIY aluminum rings—though cookie cutters would have been ideal. Unfortunately, I don’t own four matching ones, so I had to MacGyver it. (If you’re too young to catch that reference… just know I envy you!)

Finally, I added something unconventional to a casserole—instant potato flakes. They help thicken up the custard while the flavor blends in seamlessly with the diced potatoes. I love it when I stumble on a good idea! Enjoy!

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Egg Ham and Asparagus Breakfast Bake

Author: In Good Flavor Cuisine:American Courses:Breakfast Brunch

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 20 minutesCook time:1 hour Rest time: minutesTotal time:1 hour 20 minutesServings:4 ServingCalories:300 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

Start the day off right with this Egg Ham and Asparagus Breakfast Bake. Potatoes, cheese, ham, asparagus, tomatoes, and sunny-side-up eggs make this a satisfying, hearty dish.

Ingredients

• 12 sprigs asparagus
• 12 grape tomatoes
• 1 3/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup egg substitute
• 3/4 rounded tsp. table salt
• 3/4 rounded tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 5 tbsp. instant potato flakes
• 1/3 cup minced onion
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 (20 oz.) pkg. refrigerated diced potatoes (with or without onions)
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup diced cooked ham
• 4 large eggs
• 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp. coarse black pepper

Instructions

1. Note: This recipe requires 4 aluminum rings to mold eggs during baking. Directions are given below.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Wash and dry asparagus and tomatoes. Cut and discard the bottom (flat end) 2 inches of the asparagus. Cut the remaining into 1-inch pieces. Slash each tomato lengthwise, but keep it intact. Working in a large bowl or the kitchen sink, squeeze the juice out of the pulp. This can get messy. Set tomatoes aside.
4. Add milk, egg substitute, table salt, black pepper, and cayenne in a medium bowl. Whisk until frothy. Add potato flakes, onion, and garlic. Whisk to blend.
5. Spray and 9″ x 9″ inch baking dish with cooking spray. Add potatoes. Add half of the cheese. Quickly whisk the milk mixture and pour half over the cheese, making sure to scoop up some of the solids that settled to the bottom of the bowl. Add ham, asparagus, tomatoes, and the remaining cheese. Top with the remaining milk mixture. Bake for 35 minutes.
6. While the casserole bakes, make the aluminum rings: Tear 4 strips of 12″ x 5″ inch wide aluminum foil. Fold each one in half, lengthwise. Repeat fold. Bring the two ends together and make a 1-inch fold onto itself to close the ends. Holding the fold together, make another 1/2 inch fold. Open up the ring. It should be approximately 2 3/4-inch in diameter. Generously grease both sides with oil.
7. Remove the casserole from the oven. Place aluminum rings in each quadrant, pressing down slightly into the surface. Break an egg into each one. Sprinkle with kosher salt and coarse black pepper.
8. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the egg is set but the yolks are still runny. The custard layer should also be firm in the middle. Remove rings immediately using a butter knife to separate them from the casserole if they stick. Allow to set about 15 minutes before serving.
9. Makes 4 servings.

Keywords:Breakfast Casserole, Egg, Ham, Asparagus, Breakfast Bake

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