Breakfast bagel casserole

Got leftover bagels? Use them up this hearty breakfast casserole. Boasting bacon and tomato and dotted with chunks of cream cheese before baking, it's a fantastic dish for sharing. And most of the prep can be done ahead, so it soaks overnight before it goes in the oven.

Breakfast bagel casserole. Credit: Mary Makes It Easy

• serves

  6

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  1:20 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 6 day-old bagels
• 4-6 strips cooked bacon, roughly chopped
• 1 cup (150 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2-3 green onions, thinly sliced
• ½-¾ cup (113–170 g) cream cheese, cut into small cubes
• 9 eggs
• 1½ cups (375 ml) milk
• ½ tsp dry mustard powder
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup (115 g) shredded cheese, cheddar, Swiss, gouda, or whatever good grating cheese you have

Soaking time: overnight or up to 1 day.

Instructions

1. Lightly grease a 23 xm x 33 cm (9 inch x 13 inch) baking dish or casserole pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Split the bagels in half and, if desired, toast until golden brown. Personally, I like toasting the bagels as it gives a nice golden-brown flavour throughout the dish but it’s not necessary so feel free to skip that step. Cut the bagels into bite sized pieces and transfer to the greased dish, mixing the bagels up a bit if you’ve used different flavours. Scatter with the bacon, tomatoes, and green onion. Dot over the cream cheese and set aside
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs. Add in the milk, dry mustard powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper and whisk well to combine. Slowly pour the egg mixture over the bagels, being careful that none of the mixture spills over the side. Scatter with the shredded cheese and cover tightly. Place in the fridge overnight or for up to 1 day.
4. When ready to bake, remove the casserole from the fridge and uncover. Lightly grease the dull side of a piece of aluminum foil and place it greased-side-down over the casserole. Transfer the dish onto a sheet pan in case of any spill over.
5. Heat oven to 190C (375°F) and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and continue to bake for 20 minutes or until the centre is set and the top is golden brown
6. Allow the casserole to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.