Turn Your Favorite Bagel Into A Savory Breakfast Casserole And Thank Us Later

Casseroles are a sneaky breakfast savior, especially if you're serving a crowd. Prepped in advance, baked in the oven, and ready to eat after you've tackled your morning routine, there are few breakfast dishes as easy to make as they are delicious to eat. Plus, whether you're making a savory strata with sourdough or a sweet French toast casserole with challah or brioche, the best one-dish breakfast bakes are made with the bread going stale on your countertop. 

Like a decadent bread pudding or herb-infused holiday stuffing, stale bread is better for your baking needs. No matter which type of bread you have on hand, pumpernickel or rye, white sourdough or whole wheat, your stale bread's crusty edges and dry interior can withstand a litany of liquids and the heat of the oven. But what about those bagels you bought last week?

Leftover bagels become hard as a rock if you ignore them long enough, which makes them the perfect base for a savory breakfast casserole. By layering your stale bagels with eggs, cheese, and your favorite bagel toppings, you can create a casserole that tastes as comfortingly nostalgic as that delicious bite of fresh bagel. Read on for a few of our favorite bagel breakfast casserole combinations.

How to build a savory bagel bake

We're not here to judge the cinnamon-raisin bagel enthusiasts, but for a savory bagel casserole, saltier flavors like onion, everything, poppy seed, sesame seed, or even plain are best. To fill a 9x13-inch baking dish, you'll likely need around 8 cups of torn bagel pieces (irregular, one-inch sizes are best). Luckily, breakfast casseroles are fairly forgiving so you can eyeball the amounts. Layer your bagel bits with your favorite bagel toppings like dollops of cream cheese (the more chilled the better), capers, tomatoes, and sliced onions.

For aesthetic purposes, try to turn your bagel pieces topping side up, then cover your casserole with a savory custard mixture (basically a seasoned eggs and dairy blend). Cover your casserole and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least a few hours. The next day when you're up and at 'em, bake your casserole for at least an hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until golden brown. Your well-rounded, bagel inspired breakfast will be ready to feed a crowd.

Fun ways to change up your bagel casserole

The formula is simple: If it tastes good on a bagel, it will taste good inside or on top of a bagel breakfast casserole. This rule starts with the cream cheese you choose. If you love an everything bagel with chive and onion schmear, add it! If you prefer plain bagels with jalapeño cream cheese, try that instead. If your go-to order includes cucumbers, red onion, and cracked black pepper, you can still add it, just be conscious about when you add it. For instance, sliced watery cucumber would work better as a fresh topping, rather than one baked into the casserole. 

Other delicious topping/casserole crossover ingredients include freshly chopped chives, dill, sun-dried tomatoes, crumbled sausage, chopped crispy bacon, and even a drizzle of chili crisp. If you'd rather keep your casserole simple, consider baking a plain bagel strata and top with a few satisfying fresh sides, like smoked salmon or sliced avocado. Simply start with your favorites and experiment from there.

If a savory bagel casserole sounds perfect for your next brunch event but you don't have any stale bagels around, don't stress. Fresh bagels will still work in a baked casserole, though your resulting breakfast will have a more custard-like consistency. If you know you prefer a more craggy-edged texture, slice your bagels in half and dry them out in the oven for a few minutes on low heat.

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