What’s Cooking? with Jan D’Atri

What’s Cooking? with Jan D’Atri Brunch Croissant Casserole D o you love casseroles? Do you love croissants? When I made this beautiful, simple and super  avorful sou é, the phrase that came to mind was “a casserole game changer.” For Easter brunch, a Sunday special or for any occasion, any time of day, this dish absolutely delights!

Ingredients: - 12 croissants (medium size, about 3 inch wide) - 12 large eggs - 2 cups milk - 1 teaspoon salt - 1/2 teaspoon pepper - Butter, for the dish For the Veggies: (Any combination) - 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter per veggie portion - 1 bunch fresh spinach plus 2 cloves garlic, minced - 1 red pepper and 1 green pepper, diced - 2 zucchinis, sliced thin - 1 (8 ounce) container white or cremini mushrooms, sliced - 1 bunch asparagus tips - 1 small package hash brown potatoes or 1 large russet potato - Shredded cheese

(I used 4-cheese blend plus parmesan) - 6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and rough chopped - 2 to 3 Roma tomatoes, diced;

or 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half - 1 small package (approximately 8 ounces) shredded white cheese (I used 4-cheese blend plus parmesan) Directions:

Butter a 9-inch by 13-inch casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice croissants 3/4 of the way through. Place them in buttered casserole dish, cut side up. Heat olive oil in skillet. Sauté any and all veggies, either separate or together. Set aside. Fill croissants with your favorite veggies.

Whisk together 12 eggs, 2 cups of milk, salt and pepper until well blended. Pour over casserole.

Sprinkle with hash browns (see directions below), tomatoes and bacon. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for about 1 hour or until egg mixture has set and is cooked through. Remove foil for the last 5 minutes. Sprinkle cheese over casserole and remove from oven when cheese has melted. Serve hot. (Serves approximately 6 if portioning 2 croissants per person.) HASH BROWN TIPS If you try to grate hash browns and put them into a pan with hot oil, they will usually gum up into a gooey mess. Here are some great tips! • Peel potatoes. Shred with a box grater or food processor with grater attachment. • Immediately place shredded potatoes in a colander and pour cold water over potatoes, stirring well to get all the starch out. You can also soak potatoes in water and strain in colander. It’s important to rinse long enough to remove all starch. • Place potatoes in a clean kitchen towel or in several layers of paper towels and squeeze all the water out. It’s important to get potatoes as dry as possible. • Heat vegetable oil (about 3 tablespoons) in a skillet. When hot, sprinkle hash browns in skillet and do not mix or touch potatoes for a few minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Lift the sides to see if they are browning. When brown, fl ip and cook on the other side until browned and crisp. Brunch Croissant Casserole

Check out my how-to video here: jandatri.com/recipe/brunch-croissant-casserole