Asparagus, egg and cheese casserole recipe {vegetarian, gluten-free}
For some reason, I've gotten out of the brunch habit, but a few Saturday mornings ago I made this casserole for an event for Drop In & Decorate: Cookies for Donation, and it was such a hit (both the casserole and the event) that I can't wait to host another brunch party in the Spring. Egg and cheese casseroles anchor any morning meal; all you need to fill in are some bagels or crusty bread. Add a green salad, and your breakfast casserole morphs into lunch or dinner. Although you can make this a day ahead, it comes together so quickly that you're really better off making it the day you want to serve.
Asparagus, egg and cheese casserole
From the pantry, you'll need: eggs, shredded or grated cheese, dried thyme leaf, onions, kosher salt, fresh black pepper, olive oil, cooking spray.
Inspired by the many breakfast casserole recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen, this dish serves 6.
Ingredients
10 large eggs
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
6 asparagus spears, bottoms trimmed, sliced 1/8-inch thin
2 cups grated or shredded cheese (I use Sargento reduced-fat shredded Cheddar, from the supermarket, or any leftover shredded cheese from my freezer.)
2 Tbsp skim milk
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaf
2 tsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh black pepper
Cooking spray (canola or olive oil)
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare a casserole dish by spraying with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs.
In a small frying pan, heat the oil, and add the onions and asparagus. Sauté until onions are translucent, 2-3 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and set aside to cool for 2 minutes. Then, mix the onions and asparagus into the eggs along with all of the remaining ingredients. Pour the mixture into the casserole dish.
Bake at 375F for 35 minutes, until the casserole is lightly browned and a bit puffy. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before eating.
(Can be made up to one day ahead. Cool, cover and refrigerate. To reheat, uncover and place in a 350F oven for 15-20 minutes.)
More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Asparagus frittata
Corn, green chile, egg and cheese casserole
Albornia de chayote
Egg and cheese breakfast muffins with mushrooms and thyme
Red pepper, asparagus and spinach quiche
Italian style omelet appetizer
Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Smoked salmon egg casserole with potatoes and dill, from Cookin' Canuck
Spinach and cheddar breakfast bake with chicken sausage, from In Good Taste
Gluten-free breakfast muffins with zucchini, feta, and quinoa, from Kalyn's Kitchen
Zucchini ricotta frittata, from Simply Recipes
Spring frittata with peas, leeks and zucchini, from Ms. Adventures in Italy
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I've noticed that in most egg casserole recipes I've come across, nobody uses egg substitutes. Is there a technical reason or is it culinary?
How funny that I just finished eating breakfast. (eggs) I wish I had read this first because I happen to have asparagus (and all the other stuff)in my fridge right now. next time!
Great easy brunch for guests idea!!
You know I would love this! When I have one of these casseroles in the fridge I'm set for breakfast for the week.
Looks gorgeous, I would love to turn this into a main meal with the addition of potatoes and perhaps some chorizo sausage. Mmmm!
That is gorgeous and would be a big hit in our house! Thanks so much for sharing, Lydia. :-)
Shirley
This looks fabulous, Lydia! I will definitely be trying this with all the spring asparagus that's coming our way. At this very moment I'm enjoying a rather similar egg dish - an omelet with asparagus, leeks and Parmesan. Happy spring!
Rike, I'm not an expert on egg substitutes; in fact, I never use them. Sometimes, in a dish like meatloaf, eggs are used for their coagulating properties, to bind ingredients together. But this dish is all about eggs and their flavor, so I'd say that if you can't eat eggs, this probably just isn't the dish for you.
Carol, it's the perfect centerpiece for a brunch. Maybe next week?
Kalyn, I'm the same. This is just the right amount for breakfast for five days.
Catherine, that sounds delicious. You can mix in just about anything with an egg casserole.
Shirley, I hope you try it!
Kathy, I'm so ready for local asparagus, but we are still a couple of months away here in New England. I envy you California girls.
Very delicious looking photos here, Lydia! And with those red tomatoes - wow!
May I answer Rike's question about egg substitute? I used to use egg substitute almost exclusively instead of eggs (until I came to my senses) and I think it would work perfectly fine in this kind of dish. Rike could try making a smaller batch to start with to see how it comes out.
Christine, thanks so much. I'm not tempted to try this with egg substitute, but I know this information will help Rike. (I'm so grateful for readers who are smarter than I am!)
Does anyone remember those quiche-like "Impossible Pies" that we used to make with Bisquick? This is like a much-improved version of that, especially nice when fresh asparagus are coming. Sounds yummy!
I love asparagus and this looks like a great way to enjoy it. So easy to make and pretty enough to serve for company!!
This is the first comment since I visit here!
I love egg and cheese very much.
It looks delicious!!! Yummy!!! @_@
Perfect recipe that I looking for. Thanx! :)
'2 tsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley'
How does one go about storing parsley for later use? plus, can one use one tsp of dry instead of 2 fresh?
Thanks in advance
Donna, the nice thing about these is that there is no flour (i.e., no gluten) in them. But yes, I do remember the Bisquick pie!
Mama Kelly, I'm jumping the gun a bit on asparagus season, but when it looks good in the market, I just cannot resist. This was very popular at brunch. After all, who doesn't love asparagus?
Heeyeong, welcome!
Milton, I never have dried parsley in my pantry, and I just cannot recommend it. (I never have dried basil, either.) There are two ways to store parsley. One, cut off the bottom of the stems and stand them in cold water (as you would do for asparagus spears); the other, roll the whole bunch tightly in plastic (I use the plastic bag from the market), and keep it in the coldest part of your refrigerator. Either way, parsley will keep for a few days.
I love egg casseroles, and I just happened to have some additional asparagus leftover from another recipe. This will be perfect.
The only time I make brunch casseroles is for company. This one with asparagus looks so good, however, I may have to make it for myself.
TW, this is the kind of thing you can make on a Sunday and grab some for breakfast throughout the week. So easy.
Karina, well, you certainly deserve a casserole for yourself! You're much closer to garden-fresh asparagus than I am at this time of year, so this will taste that much better.
Yea! Spring is finally here! Happy Spring. Great recipe!
I made this dish earlier today....very very nice. Thanks.
Stephanie, happy Spring to you, too! I am more than ready for the change of seasons.
Milton, so glad it worked for you. This is such an easy and popular casserole.
This looks wonderful!
This time I need a breakfast casserole recipe that I can make-ahead several days before hand and *FREEZE*, thaw in the fridge the night before, and bake the next morning because of a very full schedule. Has anyone had any experience making and freezing this or any other egg-based casserole? If so, could you please let me know? Thanks so much!!!
Thank you! This is just the type of dish I am looking for! To make it seasonal, what do suggest for a Christmas-time breakfast get together? So take out the asparagus and replace it with...?
THANKS!
Sarah
I'm having a brunch tomorrow and will try this recipe. I love asparagus and anything with cheese. Thanks for this yummy suggestion, Lydia.
As for egg substitute, I have combined liquid egg whites with real eggs to reduce the fat content yet maintain the egg flavor. It works well in an egg casserole.
Hi--I'm trying to find something for my mom who cannot have cheese--can this still be made without the cheese? Do you think I could also add artichokes? thanks.
JD, I'm not sure this is the dish I'd try without cheese, as it is the cheese that holds it together. How about soy cheese (also called vegan cheese)? Yes, you can use artichokes. In fact, I have a recipe for an egg and cheese casserole with artichokes that will post here in a couple of weeks!
Would you double it for 12? 20 eggs sounds like a lot. What size casserole dish was used with 10 eggs?
Marjean, I would make two casseroles instead of doubling the recipe.
Can this be frozen? I need to use up both eggs and asparagus before leaving for a vacation.
Donna, yes, you can freeze, and reheat in the oven or microwave.
What size casserole dish?
Rena, use any 9x13 dish or one with equivalent capacity.
8 years on and this dish is still in being enjoyed on a semi regular basis. THANKS