Sweet Potato And Brussels Sprouts Breakfast Casserole Recipe

A casserole is a hot dish that contains multiple ingredients baked in a sturdy dish (which is also called a casserole) that can stand alone as a meal. It usually contains binding or creamy ingredients such as eggs, milk, and cheese along with meat and vegetables. Casseroles are popular and time-saving dinner choices, but some people may not know that they can be made for breakfast, too. Breakfast casseroles include ingredients usually associated with breakfast and are fantastic to start the day on a leisurely weekend morning, to serve to a brunch crowd, or to heat up for busy, weekday breakfasts.

Recipe developer Michelle Bottalico has created a sweet potato and Brussels sprouts breakfast casserole that's not only healthy from these highly nutritious vegetables but is delicious, too. Additional flavor comes from caramelized onions, goat cheese, and fresh rosemary leaves. While some versions include bacon, the caramelized onions called for here contribute a depth of flavor and a rich, buttery taste in a vegetarian setting. Set aside a couple of hours to make this comforting dish, or prep the components for the whole casserole ahead of time and enjoy the flavorful fruits of your labor for several mornings.

To make this casserole, first you'll need a large sweet potato and ¾ pound of Brussels sprouts. Avocado oil is used for roasting because it has a high smoke point that can handle high temperatures. You'll need salt and pepper, too. To make the caramelized onions, grab some Vidalia onions, which are naturally sweet. If you can't find those, you can use any kind of sweet onion or even regular yellow or red onions as an alternative. The casserole also calls for eggs, milk, goat cheese, and, finally, fresh rosemary for flavor.

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Place the sweet potato slices and Brussels sprouts in a large mixing bowl, add the oil and ¼ teaspoon salt, and toss well to coat.

Place the sweet potato and Brussels sprouts in single layers on 2 greased sheet pans (one for each vegetable) and roast them in the oven, flipping halfway through. The sweet potato will take 30 minutes. The Brussels sprouts will take 20, so remove them from the oven earlier.

In the meantime, melt the butter in a large saute pan on medium until bubbly.

Place the onions, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in the pan and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, for about 30 minutes, until browned. Add a tablespoon of water at a time or lower the heat, if necessary, to prevent them from burning.

Taste and adjust for salt, and then remove the caramelized onions from the heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, add the eggs, milk, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper, and whisk well.

Lower the oven temperature to 400 F.

Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with avocado oil.

Layer the sweet potatoes at the bottom of the baking dish, then layer the Brussels sprouts.

Arrange the caramelized onions on top.

Dot spoonfuls of goat cheese evenly across the surface.

Sprinkle rosemary over the top.

Pour the egg mixture evenly over the dish.

Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the center is set and the edges are browned.

Let cool for about 10 minutes, slice, and serve.

Yes, there are several ways to make this breakfast casserole ahead of time in order to enjoy a healthy, filling, and hot breakfast while saving time in the mornings. The first way is to prep the roasted vegetables and the caramelized onions ahead of time, since, apart from baking the assembled casserole, these are the components of the recipe that take the longest to make. You can store the roasted vegetables and caramelized onions in the refrigerator until you're ready to make the dish.

A second way to prep this ahead is to follow the recipe and stop after assembling the casserole in the baking pan. Cover the pan and store the unbaked casserole in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake and serve it. This is a great way to prep breakfast the night before. Finally, you can freeze individual portions of the baked casserole to eat later. Let the casserole cool to room temperature before slicing and wrapping each piece. Reheat a slice in the oven or in the microwave before serving.

This breakfast casserole gets its main flavors from sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, goat cheese, and rosemary. We think this combination is delicious, but if you don't like some of these ingredients or they aren't available, you can switch it up according to your preferences and needs. Regular potatoes can be used instead of sweet potatoes. Broccoli and cauliflower are cruciferous vegetables just like Brussels sprouts are, and they are good substitutions to keep the veggies in the same family as the original. Regular potatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower can all be cooked in the same way as the original ingredients.

Goat cheese and rosemary go well together, as well as with the other ingredients, but if you'd like to make substitutions, choose the cheese and herbs you like the most. Monterey Jack, Swiss, Gouda, feta, cheddar, and fontina are all great options. Fresh herbs are nutritious and add pure flavor to your casserole. Reach for what's available, or try basil, chives, thyme, or tarragon. Lastly, you can substitute milk of other fat percentages if you prefer, or non-dairy milk such as almond milk, and the casserole will turn out well.