Dixie-Style Dining: Mimi’s Christmas Breakfast

Happy Labor Day!  I know lots of people celebrated today by cooking (and eating!) barbecue.  And I did eat BBQ at lunch today.  But my special meal of today was breakfast.  If you’ve been reading for a while, then you know I have a thing for breakfast and I also love eggs, no matter the meal!  So I decided that a Monday off of work was special enough to celebrate with Mimi’s Christmas Breakfast!

This breakfast is so special to all of our family.  Every Christmas morning, for as long as I can remember, my grandmother made this for us.  We would all wake up and spend the first part of the morning playing with all the surprises that Santa brought us.  Before we started the family gift exchange, we all would sit down at my grandparents’ dining room table and enjoy this breakfast casserole.  It was the only time during the year that we had it, so it made it extra special. 

A few years ago, we were visiting my grandparents, and I went through my grandmother’s recipe box and copied down this recipe.  I’ve made it for friends and family on my own, and it is always a raving success.  It is definitely the best breakfast casserole that I have ever had… and you know I have sampled lots of egg dishes!

This breakfast is called Mimi’s Christmas Breakfast, because this recipe was passed to my grandmother by one of her friend’s daughters: Mimi.  I recently saw Mimi on our trip to Philadelphia and I asked her if she still makes this breakfast dish.  She replied, “I made it last week!” 

I hope you enjoy this casserole.  Even though it’s special enough for holidays, it’s also the best cure for a drab Monday morning and reheats well in the microwave, too!  Take a piece to work and enjoy it with coffee as you’re checking emails in the morning. :)

Mimi’s Christmas Breakfast

The original recipe serves about 8 people, so I have reduced the size of the recipe to make it serve about 4 people.  My grandmother used to fry the bacon and then crumble it for the top.  I have taken a shortcut and use the bagged real bacon pieces.  I think it works great and did not change the flavor.  Another bonus of this recipe is the fact that you can make it the night before and the next morning just pop it in the oven!

Ingredients:

• 3-4 slices of bread (she calls for white, but I used whole wheat and it works fine) with crusts removed
• 2-3 oz. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
• 2-3 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1.5 –2 oz of Crumbled Bacon Pieces (found in a bag on the salad aisle—NOT the fake orange bacon bits—real crumbled bacon)

Preparation:

Spray a 9 by 9 baking dish with nonstick spray.  Cover the bottom of the dish with the bread slices.  Spread the cheeses evenly over the bread.  Mix the eggs and the milk well.  Pour slowly and evenly over the bread and cheese.  Sprinkle the bacon pieces evenly over the top.  Refrigerate overnight.  In the morning, bake at 35- degrees for 45-60 minutes, or until cooked through and “fluffy.”  (The top will rise.)  Serve hot with hot coffee! 

Can you look at this picture and not drool?  The bacon and melty cheese is heavenly. 

 

Happy Labor Day!