Bruschetta and Eggplant

Confession: I’m a ham girl. No offense to Thanksgiving and the turkey, but I prefer ham. That’s why, even though we eat turkey with extended family on Thanksgiving, I always buy a ham and cook it at my house, too. And talk about the leftovers–YUM! We eat ham for days, people, and never get sick of it. My favorite way to use leftover ham is with a Ham, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Casserole. This is basically the same recipe for my Sausage Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Casserole that I make throughout the year, but when I have ham there is no other option that I love as much. Like I said, I’m a ham girl.

We love this Baked Ham and Cheese Omelet so much that I decided to just go ahead and list the Top 5 Reasons that you have to make it ASAP!

This recipe for Baked Ham and Cheese Omelet was originally published in July, 2014. It was updated in April, 2017.

First of all, this Baked Ham and Cheese Omelet tastes amazing. I thought about jazzing it up and making it a “Western Omelet” with peppers, onions, and a bunch of other stuff. But then I just decided that usually simple is best. And that is absolutely true in this case.

There’s nothing better than the combination of ham, cheese, and eggs. Then you bake them together into a puffy, golden casserole and it’s breakfast perfection!

I remember the first time I cooked a ham after getting married. I’d never cooked a ham, but was determined to try it our first Christmas together. My granny-in-law gave me a recipe with several steps of watching a timer, pouring things on the ham, and carving it. While it was juicy and full of flavor, I was determined to find an easier way of cooking ham. That’s when I figured out the secret–spiral sliced ham with glaze packets. Now it’s the only kind of ham I will cook.

This year, while choosing our ham at Walmart, I picked up a Hormel Cure 81 bone-in ham with Cherrywood flavor. This premium ham was so full of flavor, juicy, and just fell off the bone while slicing it. It cooks up beautifully, and the honey glaze mix is perfection. The best part? It is SO easy!

Okay, so I said it’s “breakfast perfection,” but it’s really brunch, lunch, dinner, or snack “perfection” too. I love that this Baked Ham and Cheese Omelet is incredibly versatile. We eat it for breakfast or brunch alongside fruit and muffins, or we make it a dinner with some hash browns and a salad.

I’ve even been known to grab a square of leftover omelet out of the refrigerator and eat it straight up, cold for snack. Trust me, the left-overs will not last long in your house!

INGREDIENTS

• 8 cups Cranberry Walnut Bread or Raisin Bread, cubed
• 1 cup ham cubed
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• butter for greasing

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Butter a 2 quart or 9x13 casserole dish.
2. Spread bread over casserole dish, and top with ham and cheese. 
3. Mix together eggs, milk, cottage cheese, maple syrup, mustard, nutmeg, and salt. Pour over bread and ham.
4. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
5. In the morning, preheat oven to 350.
6. Uncover casserole and bake for 40-45 minutes. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
7. Serve with maple syrup if desired.

NOTES

• If you need this be a gluten-free breakfast casserole, use your favorite Gluten-Free Bread and be sure your ham is gluten-free as well.
• Do you have to make this Overnight Breakfast Casserole the night before? No, by making it the night before, the bread has a chance to soak up the custard, but you can bake it immediately.  If you bake right away, just be sure to press down the bread into the custard to "help" it absorb the egg mixture.
• If you want to have cranberries or raisins in this breakfast casserole without raisin or cranberry bread, sprinkle raisins or cranberries over the ham and bread and add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon to the egg custard.
• Cooked maple sausage would be great in this casserole in place of ham if desired.