Mix-and-Match Brunch Casserole

Customize this favorite for your guests: It's a foolproof crowd-pleaser.

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1. Choose Your Bread

Cut bread into 1-inch cubes to make 6 cups. (Day-old bread works best.)

  • Country white
  • Semolina, crusts removed
  • Sourdough, crusts removed
  • Hot dog buns
  • Croissants
  • Potato bread
  • Challah
  • Baguette

2. Prep Your Cheese

Shred or crumble 2 cups total.

  • Cheddar
  • Swiss
  • Monterey Jack
  • Pepper Jack
  • Goat cheese
  • Muenster
  • Fontina

3. Pick Your Veggies

Prepare 1 1/2 to 3 cups total.

  • Onions, sliced and caramelized
  • Plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • Zucchini, chopped and sauteed
  • Butternut squash, peeled, chopped and roasted
  • Broccoli florets, blanched and chopped
  • Frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and sauteed
  • Bell peppers, chopped and sauteed
  • Kale or spinach, chopped and sauteed
  • Mushrooms, sliced and sauteed

4. Choose Your Meat (Optional)

Prepare 1 to 1 1/2 cups (choose 1).

  • Bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • Sausage, cooked and crumbled
  • Ham, diced
  • Rotisserie chicken, shredded
  • Kielbasa, diced and sauteed

5. Make the Custard

Whisk 10 eggs in a large bowl with 3 cups half-and-half and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt. Whisk in 1/4 to 1/2 cup of any of the following:

  • Grated Parmesan
  • Canned green chiles, drained and diced
  • Olives, chopped and patted dry
  • Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, chopped and patted dry
  • Herbs (basil, chives, cilantro and/or parsley), chopped
  • Scallions, chopped

6. Bake the Casserole

Scatter half of the bread in a buttered 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups cheese, then add the vegetables, meat and remaining bread. Pour the custard on top; cover with plastic wrap and let stand 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight (bring to room temperature before baking). Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Uncover; sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake until slightly puffed and just set, 40 to 50 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Photograph by Kana Okada

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