There is nothing better than a fresh biscuit. And nothing worse than a stale one.
If there is just one or two of you, it’s unlikely you’ll consume a whole batch of biscuits. What to do with those leftovers? Even the next day, they won’t be as fresh. For Pete’s sake, don’t try to reheat them in the microwave, unless you love a dry and rubbery texture.
Here’s my combine riff on classic Italian stratas and a biscuit casserole idea from Biscuits by Belinda Ellis. Belinda’s recipe calls for bacon and parmesan cheese. I’ve reduce the bacon and substituted blue cheese — how can you deny that blue and bacon combination. My recipe is below and is one that gives you great latitude. Swap out the bacon for ham. Add some diced potatoes, that have already been cooked. Use other spices, more or less garlic. Add bell peppers. Make it richer with cream in place of milk.
And the cheese. Oh, this was lovely with blue but if you swap to another cheese, the dish will be significantly different. If you have biscuits for Saturday breakfast, and chores to do in the yard on Sunday, this is a powerhouse meal to begin the day.
The picture at the top is before baking, on the bottom is the finished product ready for the table.
Brian’s Breakfast Biscuit Casserole
Yield: 8 large servings
Ingredients:
- ¼ pound bacon, diced
- 1 medium onion, chopped into medium pieces
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup milk
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 4 cups baked biscuits, pulled into 1-inch chunks
- ½ cup shredded blue cheese
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
In a cast iron skillet, cook the bacon over low heat until just turning crisp. Remove the bacon and transfer to paper towel to dry. Leave the drippings in the pan and add the onion. Cook over medium heat until just browning. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat.
Crumble the bacon.
Whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
Crumble the biscuits into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Dot with the crumbled bacon, cheese and onion. Pour the egg-milk mixture over the top. Press with a fork to ensure the biscuits absorb the liquid and that every biscuit piece has moisture. Allow to sit for a few moments for the absorption to continue.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a knife. The casserole is ready when the knife comes out clean.
Serve warm with orange juice and coffee.
Source: Brian O’Rourke adapted from Biscuits by Belinda Ellis
Photo Information [top]: Canon T2i, EFS 60mm Macro Lens, F/5 for1/60th second at ISO‑3200
Photo Information [bottom]: Canon T2i, EFS 60mm Macro Lens, F/4.5 for1/50th second at ISO‑640
