Christmas Morning Wifesaver
This Christmas morning wifesaver casserole is just that, a wife saver (lifesaver). It’s perfect for Christmas morning when there is so much going on in the house. Layers of bread, ham and cheese topped with crushed cornflakes or Special K cereal then baked to perfection and enjoy! Most of the prep is done the night before so you really don’t have to do much to it in the morning, just add some melted butter and the cereal then bake for about an hour.
I love sharing my recipes but this is not a recipe that I created, I know that there are many versions of it and I am not exactly sure where it originated from. Either way it has been a tradition in my home for many years. I have often been asked for the recipe by guests so sharing the joy is always a pleasure.
Whether you have this casserole for breakfast or brunch doesn’t matter. Whether it is for Christmas morning or any other day, that’s up to you too. You just have to plan ahead as the prep is done the night before you want to serve it.
This recipe is also very versatile. You can customize the ingredients to suit your tastes. We have a vegetarian in the house, so I made a small one and just omit the ham. I am not a fan of green peppers so I always use red, orange or yellow. The red green combination of peppers I must say adds a Christmassy look to the casserole, so if you like green peppers and are making this for Christmas morning, I recommend the red and green!
Leftovers: what do I do with the leftover Christmas morning wifesaver?
Well, firstly in my house there rarely are leftovers. It seems those who love this casserole like to go in for seconds, and dare I say thirds! However, I started making a double batch a few years ago because I have a vegetarian in the house, so I make 1 large and 2 small (9×9″) pans full and THEN I have leftovers.
The leftovers keep well in the refrigerator covered, for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing it however.
Can I make this recipe Gluten Free?
The simple answer is yes. Just use gluten free bread then follow the recipe as written. If you don’t have gluten free bread you can always substitute frozen hash browns for the bread entirely.
What add-ins can I add to this casserole?
You can pretty much add anything you can think of to this casserole. If you want a spicy version, add some diced jalapenos in place of some of the diced peppers. If you prefer bacon or sausage instead of ham (or in addition to) then go ahead and substitute them, just make sure they are cooked before you add them. I would suggest a crumbled sausage rather than sausages. Just remove them from any casing and pan fry, then remove the grease and add as you would the ham. To make it a meat forward casserole use two or three of them! just put the ham down first, then the bacon then the sausage meat bake and enjoy!
Christmas Morning Wifesaver
Equipment
- 1 9×13" baking dish or lasagna pan I prefer glass
Ingredients
- 16 slices Bread, crusts removed you can use your favorite bread
- 8 slices sharp or strong cheddar cheese. (sliced or shredded) * enough to cover the bread about 1/8" thick
- 8 slices ham, enough to cover the bread pre sliced or slice your own
- 6 lg Eggs
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp dry mustard
- 1/2 cup red, orange or green pepper, diced small use your favorite
- 1/4 cup onion, minced small
- 2 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 3 cups whole milk
- dash Tabasco or other hot sauce such as Frank's
- 1/4 lb butter, melted
- 2-3 cups Special K or Corn Flake cereal, crushed enough to cover the casserole 1/2" thickness
Instructions
- Butter a 9×13" baking dish
- Slice the crusts off of all of the bread, then place half of the bread on the bottom of the casserole dish, cutting pieces of extra slices to patch if needed.
- Cover the bread slices with the meat, then the cheese. Make sure it is fully covered.
- Cover the meat and cheese layers with another layer of bread slices, again patch as needed.
- In a large bowl, beat 6 eggs then add the salt, pepper, dry mustard, onion, peppers, worcestershire, milk and hot sauce.
- Pour mixture evenly over the the bread, try to get the peppers and onions evenly distributed.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight
- In the morning, preheat oven to 350℉
- Melt the butter and pour over the entire casserole. Top with the cereal crumbs in an even layer
- Bake at 350℉ uncovered for 1 hour or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean (it can take an extra 15 minutes or so depending on your oven).
- When done, remove from oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes. It will deflate a bit, that is normal.
- Slice into 8 large or 12 smaller servings. Serve with hash browns or a fruit salad for a nice holiday breakfast
Notes
