Author Notes
This is another "get most of it ready the night before'"casserole that reminds you a little of an eggy pancake and bacon breakfast. —inpatskitchen
Test Kitchen Notes
This recipe handily satisfies the craving for pancakes, without the hassle of all the pouring and flipping. The apples and candied bacon are key to balance in the dish, so don't skimp on them! I didn't find the optional additional maple syrup necessary, but I bet the flavor would play nicely if it were swapped out for the initial sugar in the recipe. —Jen Barthell
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Ingredients
- For the brown sugared bacon, to be made on the day of serving:
-
1/2 cup
light brown sugar
-
6
slices bacon
- For the pudding, to be made the night before:
-
5 cups
cubed Italian or French bread (stale works well here)
-
1
medium apple, peeled, cored and cut into a fine dice
-
2 tablespoons
butter
-
4
eggs, beaten
-
1 cup
whole milk
-
1 cup
half-and-half
-
1/4 cup
granulated sugar
-
1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
-
8 to 10
gratings of nutmeg
-
1/4 teaspoon
salt
-
Brown sugared bacon
-
Maple syrup, for serving (optional)
Directions
- For the brown sugared bacon, to be made on the day of serving:
-
Place the brown sugar and bacon slices in a plastic bag and shake it around to lightly coat the bacon.
-
Place the bacon strips on a wire rack set over a parchment lined baking sheet (easier clean up) and bake in a 350°F for about 20 minutes. The bacon will brown but won't be too crispy. Do this step just prior to putting the casserole in the oven. Out of the oven tear the bacon slices into small pieces and reserve.
- For the pudding, to be made the night before:
-
Place the bread cubes evenly in a 10-inch round, buttered baking dish (or a dish similar in size).
-
In a medium saute pan, sauté the diced apple in the butter just until the apple begins to soften a bit. Sprinkle the apple bits over the bread cubes.
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In a mixing bowl place the beaten eggs, the milk, the half and half, sugar, vanilla, nut meg and salt and whisk until nice and combined. Pour the mixture over the bread and apple making sure that the bread is submerged.
-
Cover the casserole and refrigerate overnight.
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In the morning, after making the bacon, place the casserole in a 350°F oven and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the center is just set and the top is lightly browned. About 10 minutes before this happens, scatter the bacon pieces over the casserole and continue to bake for that last 10 minutes.
-
Let the casserole rest for about 10 minutes out of the oven. Serve with your favorite maple syrup, if desired.
I think I get my love for food and cooking from my mom, who was an amazing cook. She would start baking and freezing a month before Christmas in order to host our huge open house on Christmas afternoon. I watched and I learned...to this day I try not to procrastinate when it comes to entertaining.
My cooking style is pretty much all over the place, although I'm definitely partial to Greek and Italian cuisine. Oh yes, throw a little Cajun in there too!
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