CHEESY BREAKFAST EGG AND POLENTA CASSEROLE

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Cheesy Breakfast Egg and Polenta Casserole image

If you've had the pleasure of a cheesy polenta dinner, topped with a creamy-yolked egg, you can imagine how good that combination is at breakfast. This quick casserole for a crowd is exactly that, made elegant and easy so you can have a perfectly cooked portion for each person with very little work. Layer your polenta with anything you desire, whether salami or ham - or keep it vegetable-centric with spinach or oven-roasted tomatoes. Make nests between your toppings and the polenta where the eggs will cook slowly, giving you a soft-cooked finish that's loaded with flavor.

Provided by Sarah Copeland

Categories     breakfast, brunch, casseroles, main course

Time 30m

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
1 cup quick-cooking polenta
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup/2 ounces fontina or mozzarella, or a blend, shredded
5 ounces thinly sliced cured meat, such as hot or sweet Italian sausage, salami or ham (optional)
1 packed cup spinach, kale or other leafy green, torn or chopped (optional)
8 large eggs
1/2 cup/2 ounces grated Parmesan
Ground black pepper
1/4 cup packed basil leaves, larger ones roughly torn (optional)

Steps:

  • Heat oven to 400 degrees with the rack in the center. Generously butter a 9-by-13-inch pan and set aside.
  • Bring 4 cups water to a boil. Gradually whisk in the polenta and salt, and cook, stirring constantly until the polenta bubbles and pulls away from the pan, about 3 minutes. Vigorously stir in the milk, butter and cheese until smooth and creamy. (It will seem loose.)
  • Spread the polenta onto the bottom of the prepared pan. Layer with meat, greens or anything else you desire. Use the back of a large spoon to create 8 small wells in the polenta. Crack the eggs inside, sprinkle with Parmesan, and bake 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how set you like your eggs. Let stand for 5 minutes; sprinkle with black pepper and basil and serve warm.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 244, UnsaturatedFat 5 grams, Carbohydrate 18 grams, Fat 13 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 13 grams, SaturatedFat 7 grams, Sodium 275 milligrams, Sugar 2 grams, TransFat 0 grams

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