When you have brunch plans in the morning and little time to prep, Overnight Brunch Casserole is here to the rescue! The night before, you whip up the creamy, cheesy filling, sauté the earthy mushrooms and savory green onions, cook the salty ham, and scramble the fluffy eggs. You pour it all into a casserole dish and top with seasoned, buttery bread cubes for that bougie brunch flare. Then, you let all the flavors blend together overnight so you can pop it in the oven first thing in the morning! Overnight Brunch Casserole will be waiting for you to dig in and enjoy a bubbly brunch!
Ingredients
For the casserole:
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups fat-free milk
- 5 slices of reduced-fat American cheese, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 1 cup ham, fully cooked and cubed
- 2 cups egg substitute
- 4 large eggs
For the topping:
- 3 slices of whole-wheat bread, cubed
- 4 teaspoons butter, melted
- 1/8 teaspoon paprika
Directions
Step 1 –Cover a 9×13-inch dish with cooking spray.
Step 2 –In a large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter.
Step 3 –Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper to the butter until smooth; gradually add the milk.
Step 4 –Bring the flour mixture to a boil.
Step 5 –Cook and stir until the flour mixture has slightly thickened, or about 2 minutes.
Step 6 –Stir the cheese into the flour mixture until it is melted.
Step 7 –Transfer the saucepan away from the heat.
Step 8 –In a large nonstick skillet, sauté the mushrooms and the green onions in 1 tablespoon of the butter until tender.
Step 9 –Add the ham to the veggies and cook until it is heated through.
Step 10 –In a small bowl, whisk the egg substitute and the eggs. Add the egg mixture to the skillet.
Step 11 –Cook the veggie and egg mixture until it has almost set.
Step 12 –Stir in the cheese sauce.
Step 13 –Transfer the casserole mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Step 14 –In a small bowl, toss the bread cubes in the remaining 4 teaspoons of the butter.
Step 15 –Arrange the bread cubes over the casserole mixture and sprinkle with the paprika.
Step 16 –Cover the casserole and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to overnight.
Step 17 –Transfer the casserole out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
Step 18 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 19 –Bake, uncovered, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes.
Step 20 –Let the casserole stand for 10 minutes before cutting.
Step 21 –Cut and serve.
