Breakfast Egg Casserole Bake Made With Leftovers

My absolute pet peeve, when it comes to cooking, is random leftovers. Half a chicken breast, handful of cooked mushrooms, one potato, three asparagus spears and one slice of ham. It happens a lot in my house and while it drives me crazy, it actually gives me an opportunity to make this breakfast casserole. It's a little bit like an omelet, except you can make it ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for a few days. No need for chopping, frying or washing up, the only thing you have to do is to heat it up. Perfect for busy mornings or even lazy evenings if you don't mind eating breakfast food for dinner.

Choice of filling is completely up to you, it's also easy to make substitutions and turn this recipe gluten-free and/or lactose free.

This dish doesn't really have a clean-cut recipe, it's more of a rough estimation and going with the gut and your preferences, as well as product availability.

For a medium size pan (7x10inch) you will need:

1. 1/4 cup flour
2. 1/2 cup milk
3. spices and herbs, salt and pepper - to taste (I added 2 tsp salt, 1tsp pepper, 2tbs chives, 1tbs oregano, 1 tsp cayenne)
4. 6 large eggs
5. 2-3 cups leftover veggies and meat cut into small pieces
6. 100g grated cheddar cheese

This is enough for 6 portions.

Meat and hard veggies have to be at least precooked before using. I only ever use already cooked meats, like leftover chicken or minced beef, cooked and sliced sausage, Korean BBQ pork, ham etc. You can also use firm tofu instead of meat, it has to be squeezed thoroughly and crumbled.

Hard vegges like potatoes, carrots, broccoli, green beans, aubergine as well as mushrooms have to be partially cooked. Frozen spinach has to be thawed and squeezed, fresh spinach has to be sauteed.

I highly recommend adding flour to the mix, it helps to bind moisture in eggs, especially if you make a large batch and plan on heating it up over the next few days. If you don't consume regular flour, you can use gluten-free or vegan alternative such as rice flour or almond flour.

1. Start by whisking flour, milk and seasoning until your flour paste is smooth.
2. Add eggs and whisk only until combined. Don't use electric mixers, you don't want to aerate the eggs too much.

Add anywhere between 1.5-3 cups of veggies and meat. The more you add, the denser the casserole will be. Don't add more than 3 cups per 6 eggs, otherwise it won't hold together once cooked.

At this point you can also add half the cheddar to the mix, about 50g, it's optional, you can skip it if you prefer lighter version.

Transfer the mixture into a square/rectangular-ish dish, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake.

180C fan oven, 200C regular oven or 400F for 45min. To ensure eggs are cooked throughout, stick a knife in the middle of the casserole and check if it comes out clean and egg-free.

Once cooked, casserole can be refrigerated for 3-4 days. All you have to do is microwave it.
It cuts easily and can be enjoyed on it's own or with bread.