Spotting Breakfast - Mushroom, Asparagus, Gruyere and Egg Casserole

I love eggs for breakfast and I always love finding something different to do with them. When I was looking for a few breakfast dish on TasteSpotting I found inn cuisine's egg casserole. One thing I really loved about the dish is that it uses asparagus. Spring is the time to enjoy fresh asparagus, and this is a great way to use up asparagus you may have left over from dinner. I never cook a whole bundle of asparagus since I'm usually only cooking for one or two.

Photo from InnCuisine

Mushroom, Asparagus, Gruyere & Egg Casserole

via InnCuisine

• 8 large eggs
• 1 bunch fresh asparagus (approximately 1 pound), rinsed, trimmed and cut into 1 & 1/2-inch pieces
• 3-4 ounces (about 1/2 cup) sliced mushrooms
• 3 ounces grated Gruyere, divided
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 controlled splash of dry white wine
• 1/4 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

to prepare

Gently steam asparagus pieces for approximately 3 minutes, remove from heat and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F for baking. Spray your favorite casserole dish (approximately 9&1/2″ x 9&1/2″ x 1&1/2″ in size) with non-stick cooking spray.

to make the casserole

In a large bowl, break eggs and whisk gently. Add 2 ounces grated Gruyere (reserve remaining for garnish), minced shallot and garlic, splash of dry white wine, Herbes de Provence, salt and freshly ground black pepper; whisk until ingredients are thoroughly combined. Stir in steamed asparagus and sliced mushrooms. Pour egg mixture into prepared casserole dish and place on center rack of preheated, 350 degree F oven; bake for approximately 30-35 minutes (depending on size and depth of your casserole dish and accuracy of your oven). Casserole is done when eggs are set in the middle, i.e. eggs no longer jiggle when casserole dish is moved back and forth.

When eggs are set, remove casserole dish from oven and and sprinkle with remaining ounce of grated Gruyere. Cut into 4 large wedges (or 6-8 smaller ones) and serve warm.

Pair with warm, crusty bread and a mixed green sald or fruit. Optional—top bread and salad with a slight drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a bit of grated Gruyere if desired. Enjoy!

Serves 4

The great thing about recipes like this is that you can use any kind of vegetables, cheese, or even add meats. Instead of mushroom, asparagus and gruyere you could use cheddar, ham, and red bell pepper. Try mixing this recipe up with your favorite ingredients.

Here's to spring vegetables and full bellies.
- Cait