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Breakfast Casserole
I often feel a bit overloaded with all the sweet stuff at Christmas, and the kids tend to dig into their Christmas stockings first thing and start in on the homemade sweets, so a savoury breakfast/brunch on Christmas day makes a lot of sense to me. (I prefer a savoury breakfast any day, actually.)
This year, we’re having our traditional Christmas dinner of roast turkey and all the trimmings on Christmas Eve. Christmas day we’re having a lazy breakfast after the kids open their presents, then getting together for dinner with friends on Christmas night. So this is the breakfast I’m making for Christmas day – a ‘prepare ahead’ breakfast casserole. Oh, and mum is bringing Monkey Bread too, so that should keep everyone happy!
Christmas Brunch Casserole
(Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free)
Ingredients
1kg potatoes, roughly chopped (I use a mixture of potatoes and orange sweet potatoes)
1 brown onion, halved
2 garlic cloves
3 Tbsp ghee or coconut oil
2 tsp herb salt
Freshly ground black pepper
500g turkey or beef mince
1/8 tsp sage, ground
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
2 Tbsp tamari
2 Tbsp tomato sauce
10 eggs
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 zucchini, quartered
2 tsp savoury yeast flakes
Instructions
1. Place potatoes, onion, garlic, 1 tsp of herb salt and some freshly ground pepper into a Thermomix bowl and chop 30 sec/speed 4.
2. Melt ghee or oil in a large frypan and add potato mixture. Stir and fry until lightly browned and cooked through, approx. 10 mins. Spread over the base of a 34 x 22 cm rectangular baking dish and set aside.
3. Place mince, sage, cayenne, 1/4 tsp oregano, tamari and tomato sauce into the Thermomix bowl and mix 10 sec/reverse/speed 3. Cook 4 mins/Varoma/reverse/speed soft with MC off (until barely cooked). Remove to a bowl and set aside.
4. Place eggs, 1 tsp herb salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and some freshly ground black pepper into the Thermomix bowl and mix 5 sec/speed 4, then drizzle half the mixture over the potatoes.
5. Sprinkle mince over the egg layer.
6. Add zucchini to the remaining egg mixture in the Thermomix bowl and chop 3 sec/speed 5. Spread over the mince layer and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp oregano and yeast flakes.
7. Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 mins, then remove foil and bake for 30 mins, or until set and browned.
GAPS/Paleo-Friendly Variation
1. Instead of potato and sweet potato, chop 1 kg cauliflower into florets, then process in two batches in the Thermomix – 4 sec/reverse/speed 5. Stir fry with coconut oil or ghee then place into casserole dish.
2. Omit cayenne pepper if you can’t have chilli yet. Swap tamari for coconut aminos. Omit tomato sauce if not able to have tomato yet, or use homemade tomato sauce if you can. Swap savoury yeast flakes for a good sprinkle of organic herb salt.
To Prepare Ahead
Cover the casserole with foil and place in the fridge overnight. In the morning, place in a preheated 180°C oven and cook for 45 mins, then remove the foil and cook for 30 mins or until set and browned.
I made this, but unfortunately didn’t have all of the ingredients. Didn’t have sage herbs, garlic and onion powder ( but I did add more garlic and onion ) and I had no yeast flakes……………….was very bland I though. OR was it because I didn’t have those major flavour ingredients ?
Hi Deidre – Yes, the missing ingredients would be why. It really needs some of the herbs in each step. Also – if you don’t have yeast flakes, just be sure to add a good amount of salt – this is what we have done quite a number of times 🙂
Hi Jo
Is it really meant to be 30 seconds for potatoes in step one? It looks chunkier than that – appreciate your advice before I attempt to make this.
Regards
Denise
PS. photo looks good!
Hi Denise – Yes, I believe this is correct. If you would like it chunkier, just do a bit less. You can just peep in the top while it is going 🙂
Thanks Jo for this Breakfast idea. I had to feed 8 adults this morning for late breakfast/brunch so made this yesterday and popped it in the oven this morning. It was a big hit. Even my adult daughter who is a fussy eater, ate the lot. As they were all driving long distances home afterwards all left feeling they had eaten well. Definitely on the ‘will make again’ list.
do you have to use yeast flakes?
No you can use Parmesan or leave out.
Hi Jo,
I don’t eat a lot of potatoes. Could I substitute for other vegies? Would zucchini/parsnip work?
Hi Sharon, have a look at the variation using cauliflower. 🙂
I made this Breakfast Casserole and took it to a races brunch with friends – it was gone in 5 mins. So delicious! I can’t wait to make it again and eat more myself. Thanks Jo
If I don’t have garlic or onion powder, or yeast flakes, could I just add extra garlic, spring onion and herb salt to this layer? Ta.
Yes!
I have been following this page for a while now and literally drool over everything… But today was the first time I actually made a recipe, and it was this one and very impressed!! Took the cauliflower alternative, and added in roasted eggplant to the egg and zucchini mixture – and served with extra Tamari…. In blissland! ????
This is so delicious. I’ve made it twice now and I just love it! Thanks vey much Jo for all of your fabulous recipes and suggestions.
Hi, just wondering if you’ve tried freezing it in individual portions?
Hi Jo, just wondering if you have a suggestion for making this dish vegetarian? Do you think lentils would work as an alternative to the mince? Thank you.
Hi Karinda, maybe use my lentil bolognese recipe instead of the mince – should work fine!
Hi Jo,
I am wanting to make this recipe to add to my freezer meals. How would you go about freezing it? Would you cook it first or freeze it prior to the cooking stage?
Thanks!
Jolie
Either way!
Hi Jo,
How would I go about freezing this? Before cooking?
You can either freeze the whole casserole before cooking, or freeze slices individually after cooking 🙂
What an easy, economical and delicious way to feed a crowd!! Loved it ????????????????
Hi Jo, do you have any inspiration for what I could substitute the egg for? I realise it is a key ingredient so maybe my only option is to leave it out for my little one.
Thanks!
Hello, did you ever try without egg and/or using substitute? Besides gluten and dairy my kids are also egg free.
Please give me recipe instructions for those without a thermo
Thanks
Hi Jo,
This looks delicious and I would love to try it but don’t have a thermy 🙁
Do you have the conventional method available?
Thanks
Could I put this in the slow cooker?
Is this recipe for TM31?
Im scared to put 1 kg of potato in there all at once incase it doesnt chop it all up evenly
Yes, I developed this recipe in the TM31!
Hi – looks great ! but struggling to follow some
Conventional instructions as don’t use Thermomix…
Here’s how to make it without a thermomix: Chop cauliflower in a food processor until rice consistency. Mix and cook mince mixture in a large frying pan over med-low heat, until just cooked through, not well-browned. Whisk eggs by hand, grate zucchini by hand, assemble and cook as above. Hope you enjoy!