Happy 2011!

After hosting 50+ people at our house for a New Years Eve bash, not only did I clean up, but I also prepared my trustworthy ham, cheese and egg casserole so that we could have a rejuvenating New Years Day brunch at home today.  It was well worth the 5am effort and much appreciated by all in the house this morning.  It's pretty easy to make and good for a large group of people.

Ham, Egg and Cheese Recipe (thanks to Mom W)

• Cube 15 slices of white bread (I used the Hawaiian bread from Costco and removed the crusts of about half of the slices)
• Cube 1 lb of thick cut ham (also from Costco)
• Grate about 3/4 lb of cheddar and 1/4 lb of comte (recipe called for 1.5 lbs total, but I just used the leftover cheese from the cheese plate from the party and I thought it was plenty)
• Whisk together 6 large eggs, 3 cups of non-fat milk, 1/2 tsp of dijon mustard and 1/2 tsp of salt (recipe calls for 1/2 tsp of onion salt and 1/2 tsp of dry mustard, which I didn't have)
• In a large casserole, layer half of the bread, top with the ham and cheese, layer the rest of the bread and pour over the egg mixture.  Let it sit overnight for the liquid to soak into the bread
• Top with slivered almonds and grated parmigiano reggiano.  The original recipe calls for a topping of corn flakes and butter, but the almonds were a decent substitute for some crunch without the butter.  Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.  I baked it covered with aluminum foil for the first 15 minutes and uncovered for the remaining.  Bake until bubbly and the top starts to brown.