Recipe

Flexible Bread and Veggie Casserole

Recipe Information

Total Time: 

1 hour, 20 minutes active

Servings: 

6

This tasty casserole is a template for using up stale bread and veggies that are begging to be freed from your vegetable drawer. Four cups of raw, or 3-4 cups of any leftover cooked veggies will do. If you have some leftover cooked chicken or lunchmeat, chop that up and throw it in there (up to 2 cups will fit) and add another egg to make sure it's all covered. It's also a perfect way to utilize those leftover bits of cheese, the more the merrier!

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cups chopped onion, 2 medium
  • 4 cups cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, chopped (or 3 to 4 cups cooked veggies)
  • 1 large carrot, quartered and sliced
  • 2 teaspoons dried herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary)
  • 4 cups cubed bread
  • 4 large eggs, whisked
  • 1 cup milk, cream or buttermilk
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • 2 cups shredded cheese, whatever you have on hand
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley
  • Up to 2 cups of shredded, cubed or chopped leftover chicken, ham or other meats plus one additional egg (optional)

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a 2 quart baking dish. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil and add the onion, veggies and carrot and bring to a sizzle over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium. Stir often until the carrot is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the herbs and cubed bread, turn to mix and transfer to the baking dish.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg with the milk, salt and pepper, and pour over the bread mixture in the dish, use the spatula to move the cubes to allow the egg mixture to seep through it all, then press it down to level the top. Cover with the cheese and sprinkle with parsley.
  3. Bake for 30 minutes, until the cheese is well-browned and a paring knife inserted in the center of the pan comes out with no raw eggs on it. Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information

433 calories, 16 g. fat, 169 mg. cholesterol, 804 mg. sodium, 50 g. carbohydrate, 11 g. fiber, 28 g. protein