Cheddar-bacon Wake-up Casserole

Total Time: 9 hrs 35 mins Preparation Time: 35 mins Cook Time: 9 hrs

Ingredients

• 4 ounces dry french bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (4 cups)
• 1 3/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 slices bacon (crisp-cooked, drained, crumbled) or 4 slices turkey bacon (crisp-cooked, drained, crumbled) or 1 cup diced cooked ham
• 2 cups milk
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh italian parsley (flat-leaf)
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder

Recipe

• 1 in a large bowl toss together the bread cubes, cheddar cheese, and cooked bacon or ham.
• 2 divide among six 10-ounce individual casseroles or place all of the mixture in one 2-quart rectangular baking dish.
• 3 in a medium bowl whisk together milk, eggs, parsley, mustard, pepper, and onion powder.
• 4 pour over the bread mixture in the casseroles or dish.
• 5 cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
• 6 bake, uncovered, in a 350°f oven for 25 to 30 minutes for individual baking casseroles (about 40 minutes for 2-quart dish) or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean.
• 7 let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
• 8 greek variation:.
• 9 omit bacon or ham and substitute 6 ounces feta cheese and 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese for the cheddar cheese. stir 1 cup drained and chopped canned or marinated artichoke hearts, 1/4 cup chopped green onions, and 2 tablespoons chopped kalamata olives (optional) into the bread mixture before putting into casseroles or baking dish. continue as above.
• 10 mushroom-sweet pepper variation:.
• 11 cook 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms and 1/4 cup chopped onion in 1 tablespoon hot olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally. stir mushroom mixture and 1/4 cup chopped roasted red sweet pepper into bread mixture before putting into casseroles or baking dish. continue as above.
• 12 sausage and provalone variation:.
• 13 substitute 1 1/2 cups shredded provolone or italian cheese blend for the cheddar and 1 1/2 cups chopped fully cooked turkey italian sausage links for the bacon. substitute basil for the parsley.