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Christmas Morning Casserole

The perfect Christmas morning casserole, filled with pesto challah, black forest bacon, pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers, and lots of cheese!
Cook Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • Butter for greasing
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup finely diced pepperoni 2 ounces
  • 6 ounces Black Forest bacon finely diced (1 1/4 cups)
  • 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms stems discarded and caps cut into 3/4-inch pieces
  • 1 medium onion minced
  • 1 red bell pepper cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more for seasoning
  • 8 large eggs
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon spicy mustard
  • 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 3/4 pound day-old challah sliced 1 inch thick and cut into 1-inch dice (10 cups)
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese 1/4 pound
  • 1 cup shredded aged white cheddar cheese 1/4 pound
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped scallions plus thinly sliced scallions for garnish
  • Hot sauce for serving

Instructions

  1. Butter a large 9 x 13 inch baking dish and set off to the side.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add the pepperoni and bacon. Cook until just about crisp. Add mushrooms, onion, and bell pepper. Cook until tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool while you get the remaining ingredients together.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the salt, eggs, milk, mustard, soy sauce, and pepper. Add the challah to the mixture. Allow to soak for a minute or two. Next, mix in both cheeses and the scallions. Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Let the casserole soak overnight.
  4. In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover the casserole and bake for 50-60 minutes until the top is golden brown and the center is no longer jiggly. If you notice the top is browning too quickly, cover with tin foil and continue to bake. Allow the casserole to cool for at least ten minutes before serving.