This baguette breakfast casserole is one of the most satisfying breakfast dishes I make. Crusty baguette slices hold their shape in the oven. Each one cradles a slice of Canadian bacon and a whole egg. Gruyere and Parmesan melt over the top while the cream soaks into the bread and sets around the eggs. The result is rich, savory, and just a little crispy at the edges.
It feeds 8 to 10 people and comes together in 15 minutes. You can assemble it the night before and bake it in the morning, which makes it ideal for holiday breakfasts, weekend guests, or any morning when you want something impressive without the effort.
What Makes It Special
Most breakfast casseroles use cubed bread that turns soft and uniform in the oven. This one uses whole baguette slices standing upright in the dish, so every serving has its own well of egg and bacon surrounded by crusty bread. The individual portions make serving easy. The Gruyere adds a nutty depth that mild cheeses can’t match. A pinch of nutmeg in the cream ties everything together without announcing itself.
Ingredients
- One full-sized baguette
- 8-10 eggs
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup shredded Gruyere cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 8-10 slices Canadian bacon
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut the baguette into eight to 10 pieces of varying size, so that children can have smaller portions if desired
- Line them up, edge side down in one medium or two small buttered casserole dishes.
- Create a hole in the middle of each slice of baguette by pushing the soft bread in the middle down to the bottom of the casserole dish. Press a slice of Canadian bacon into the hole, then crack an egg on top.
- Gently crack the egg on top of the Canadian bacon-stuffed baguette.
- Whisk the nutmeg into the cream*. Pour in a tiny bit of cream into each baguette to fill, then pour any remaining cream into the cracks between the bread slices. (*Note: If making the night before, wait to add the cream until you are ready to put it in the oven.)
- Sprinkle with chives, salt, and pepper and top with the shredded Gruyere and grated Parmesan.
- Bake at 275 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until the egg is cooked throughout and the top is browned.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
