Easy Breakfast Bake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you thicken egg casserole? ›

Make a cornstarch slurry for a fast and easy thickener.

Use one tablespoon of cornstarch per cup of liquid you would like to thicken. Stir out all the lumps. A few minutes before your casserole is done, add it a little at a time until you are happy with the thickness. Then, let the casserole finish baking.

(When ready to bake, allow to sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes as oven preheats.) Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C). Bake the casserole, uncovered, until the top is golden, edges are crisp, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40–45 minutes.

Why Is My Breakfast Casserole Runny? The key to a breakfast casserole that is moist and delicious but not runny is to make sure you have the proper ratio of bread, eggs, and milk. If there is too much liquid for the bread to absorb, the result could be a runny casserole.

Bake until the center of the casserole reaches an internal temperature of 160 °F as tested with a food thermometer. After baking, any leftovers must be refrigerated within two hours and can be kept three to four days in the refrigerator or frozen for about three months.

To use flour as a thickening agent: Use two tablespoons flour mixed with ¼ cup cold water for each cup of medium-thick sauce. Thoroughly mix in the water to prevent lumps. After stirring the combined flour and water into the sauce, cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.

It's important to heat a casserole thoroughly before eating it; use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the casserole is at 165 degrees F for safe consumption.

Uncovering the foods promotes browning and crisping, and reduces the amount of liquid in the finished dish. If a casserole looks soupy when it's ready to bake, bake it uncovered unless the ingredients include pasta or rice, which absorb liquid.

The time a casserole takes to cook will vary from 2-2½ hours for chuck, blade and thick flank, up to 4 hours for shin, leg and neck. Pork cuts for braising and casseroling normally take 1½ hours, and lamb much the same.

Be sure to drain ingredients well, squeezing out excess moisture whenever possible. Watery ingredients will create a watery egg bake. Season every layer to achieve a more flavorful egg bake.

Why is my egg casserole spongy? ›

You are probably cooking your egg dishes too hot for too long. Eggs contain a lot of water and also chains of proteins; if you could see them, the proteins would be coiled like little springs.

An egg cooked “sunny-side-up” means that it is fried just on one side and never flipped. The yolk is still completely liquid and the whites on the surface are barely set. You can cover the pan briefly to make sure the whites are cooked or baste them with butter.

Cook or bake until a thermometer inserted at the center shows 160° F or a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. You may find it difficult to tell if a knife shows uncooked egg or melted cheese in some casseroles and other combination dishes that are thick or heavy and contain cheese – lasagna, for example.

Bottom Line

Eggs are a delicious, nutritious protein source. While each carton of eggs is marked with an expiration date, if properly stored at 40°F or lower, they should be safe to eat for longer—usually two to three weeks past the expiration date.

Since the dish is finished in the oven, you should cook the ingredients in an oven-safe, well-seasoned skillet to make it a one-pan meal. Frittatas wind up with a firmer texture compared to egg bakes, though they're still tender. Unlike egg bakes, frittatas can also be prepared with little to no dairy.

These ingredients can help increase moisture while enhancing the flavor of your meal. If you've already cooked your casserole and find out it's too dry, another easy fix is to warm some broth and then pour it over the top of your casserole.

One option is to par-cook watery vegetables such as onions, mushrooms, and squash before tossing them into your baking dish. Cook them just long enough to release excess moisture, drain, and continue assembling your casserole as you normally would. Another option is to sweat vegetables.

If I could offer you only one piece of advice regarding scrambled eggs, it would be “Add cornstarch.” When whisked with a little cream to create a slurry, the common thickening agent produces the most tender, creamy, almost velvety pile of scrambled eggs.