Breakfast Casserole with Chorizo and Pepper Jack

By mz0926

From Cook's Country

October/November 2009
Why this recipe works:
Even when staled in the oven overnight, the white bread in our Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole soaked up too much custard and turned to mush. Toasted Italian bread greatly improved the texture. Using whole milk instead of half-and-half or cream kept the casserole light and fluffy, while incorporating a minimal amount ensured the dish remained firm.

We used enough cheese and chorizo to flavor the dish, but not so much that we were left with a greasy, soggy mess. Pepper Jack cheese added a spicy kick that made up for the flavor lost from using less chorizo. Some Breakfast Casserole with Chorizo and Pepper Jack recipes we tasted contained pockets where certain ingredients tended to congregate. To solve this, we staggered the bread, chorizo, and cheese mixtures in multiple layers. Building the casserole with care helped ensure every bite had flavor.

Ingredients

• Serves 8 to 10
• You can find unsliced loaves of Italian bread in the bakery section of your supermarket. Frank’s RedHot is the test kitchen’s top-rated hot sauce. If using a spicier sauce such as Tabasco, reduce amount to 1 1/2 teaspoons.
• Ingredients1 (14-inch) loaf italian bread (see note), ends trimmed
• 1 pound chorizo sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
• 1 small onion, chopped fine
• 3 cups shredded pepper Jack cheese
• 12 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 4 cups whole milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce (see note)

Preparation

Step 1

Instructions
1. TOAST BREAD Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 400 degrees. Slice bread in half lengthwise, then slice each half crosswise into ½-inch-thick pieces. Spread bread in single layers on 2 rimmed baking sheets and bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes, flipping bread and switching and rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool 15 minutes.


2. BROWN SAUSAGE Cook sausage in large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add onion and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro to sausage mixture.


3. ASSEMBLE CASSEROLE Grease 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Shingle half of bread in prepared pan so that edges overlap slightly. Top with half of sausage mixture and 1 cup cheese. Repeat with remaining bread, remaining sausage mixture, and remaining cheese.


4. SOAK AND WEIGHT Whisk eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and hot sauce in large bowl. Pour evenly over casserole. Wrap casserole with plastic and weight according to photos below. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24.


5. BAKE CASSEROLE Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Let casserole stand at room temperature while oven is heating. Remove weights, unwrap casserole, and bake until the edges and center have puffed and top is golden brown, about 1 hour. Let cool 10 minutes. Serve.



Weight While You Wait


To make sure the toasted bread fully absorbs the custard, we weight our casserole, first covering the assembled casserole with plastic wrap. Both of the following methods ensure a uniform casserole.


BOXES OF BROTH
Haven't got a spare 13- by 9-inch pan? Wrap the casserole, then carefully place boxes of broth (or boxes of sugar) on top.



CANNED GOODS
Place a spare 13- by 9-inch pan on top of the wrapped casserole and set canned goods on top for extra weight.