Overnight Eggs Benedict Casserole Recipe

Eggs Benedict is a classic brunch dish, but it can be pretty labor-intensive to prepare and may require a lot of last-minute fussing. This overnight casserole version, however, is "particularly easy to make and totally fool-proof," according to recipe developer Katie Rosenhouse, and it still includes all the creamy goodness of hollandaise. "If you can brown bacon and whisk eggs, you can whip this up in no time," Rosenhouse assures.

Hence the "overnight" part of this recipe's name, you'll want to assemble this casserole the day before you bake and serve it — 8 hours is the minimum, but Rosenhouse tells us you can go up to 24 hours if need be. As she explains, "The English muffins need time to soak up the custardy base for the right texture." Once baked, this eggs Benedict casserole will have a perfectly golden brown crust and and "a custardy, bread pudding-like center for an indulgent way to start the day," Rosenhouse says.

The casserole comes together with Canadian bacon, eggs, milk, cream, English muffins, and scallions and is flavored with paprika, salt, and pepper. You'll also need a little oil for cooking, as well as extra egg yolks, lemon juice, and butter for the hollandaise.

Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Make the casserole: Add oil to a large pan over medium heat, then cook bacon until browned, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Beat eggs in a large bowl.

Add milk, cream, paprika, salt, and pepper, and whisk to combine.

Scatter English muffin chunks evenly into the prepared baking dish.

Top evenly with bacon and scallions.

Pour egg mixture evenly over the casserole.

Wrap baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours (or up to 24 hours).

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Let casserole sit at room temperature for 15 minutes while the oven preheats.

Unwrap the casserole and bake for 50-55 minutes until golden brown.

Meanwhile, make the hollandaise: Melt butter in a small pot or in the microwave.

Add egg yolks and lemon juice to a blender and process for a few seconds to combine.

Slowly stream the warm melted butter into the egg mixture, blending until thickened and smooth.

Serve casserole warm, with hollandaise on the side for drizzling.

If you've eaten eggs Benedict at a trendy brunch spot in recent years, you may have noticed that they come in all different varieties. Wondering if that might work here? Rosenhouse says yes. As she puts it, "You can absolutely have fun playing with the ingredients in this casserole." Change out the Canadian bacon for another kind of bacon, ham, or sausage, or go with chicken or even crab cakes as the protein. You could also add shredded cheese, if you please, or stir in some vegetables such as onions, mushrooms, or spinach. Yet another option is to spike your hollandaise with chile peppers or hot sauce to give it a little kick.

While Rosenhouse explains that sturdy yet porous English muffins have the perfect texture for this custardy casserole, she does say they can be swapped out for a different type of bread. Among her suggestions are challah or brioche, although chunks of sturdy French, Italian, or sourdough bread should also work. You can also make your casserole sweeter by using Hawaiian bread.

Even though this casserole is much easier than making typical eggs Benedict, there's still one tricky bit: whipping up the hollandaise sauce. Fortunately, "the beauty of making hollandaise in the blender is that there's little risk of it breaking," Rosenhouse tells us. She realizes, however, that not all blenders are capable of operating with the top removed. If this is the case with the appliance you own, Rosenhouse suggests using an immersion blender. 

If you don't have an immersion blender, you can always make hollandaise the traditional way in a double boiler. While making your sauce on the stovetop does increase the risk that it will separate, this doesn't mean you'll need to start all over again with a new batch — as there's a trick to rescuing broken hollandaise. As Rosenhouse advises, "Add up to 1 tablespoon boiling water, a bit at a time and while blending, to bring it back together."