Rachel Campos-Duffy's Christmas Breakfast

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Cooking with 'Friends': Campos-Duffy's Christmas breakfast

Rachel Campos-Duffy explains how she prepares some family favorites.

RACHEL CAMPOS-DUFFY’S CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST

EGG & SAUSAGE CASSEROLE
Ingredients:
7 slices white sandwich bread
1 lb. bulk breakfast sausage
Softened unsalted butter or nonstick vegetable cooking spray (for pan)
4 scallions, white and pale green and dark green parts separated, thinly sliced
1 (10-oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
8 large eggs
1½ c. milk
½ c. full-fat Greek yogurt
1 tsp. mustard powder
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Toast bread on a rimmed baking sheet until dry, 8–10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add sausage and cook, breaking into pieces with a spatula, until browned, about 7 minutes.
Butter a 3-quart baking dish then arrange 6 bread slices in dish in one layer to cover bottom of pan
Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to baking dish, scattering over bread.
Heat skillet over medium and add white and pale green scallion parts.
Cook, stirring, until softened and just starting to take on color, about 3 minutes. Add spinach, stir to combine, and cook until warmed through, 1–2 minutes more.
Top sausage with spinach mixture, then top spinach mixture with cheese.
Whisk eggs, milk, yogurt, mustard powder, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
Gently pour over casserole. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
Uncover dish and transfer to a cold oven. Heat oven to 375°F and bake casserole until eggs are puffed and cheese is browned, or about 40 minutes.
Let casserole cool then top with dark green scallion parts.

Do Ahead: Casserole can be assembled 1 day ahead. Tightly cover and chill.

QUICHE
Ingredients:
1 9-inch pie crust
1 – 2 c. filling ingredients like bacon, mushrooms, onions, and spinach
3 – 6 oz. grated cheese (Gruyere, Swiss, or cheddar recommended)
3 large eggs
1 c. milk
½ c. cream
1 tsp. salt

Instructions:
Line a 9-inch cake tin with parchment and spray the sides with nonstick spray. Roll out the pie crust and fit it into the tin. Trim away any overhang
Freeze the crust for 30 minutes
Blind bake the crust: Heat the oven to 350°F. Line the pie crust with parchment and fill with pie weights or beans. Make sure the weights are snug against the sides of the pan.
Bake for 20 minutes and remove the weights and parchment. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until just starting to brown. Cool while you prepare the filling.
Cook the filling ingredients while the crust is baking, prepare your quiche filling.
Make sure all ingredients are cooked through and fairly dry (i.e., make sure spinach has wilted and that cooked mushrooms have released all their moisture).
Line the crust with cheese: Sprinkle half the cheese over the bottom of the pie crust and top with the fillings. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top.
Prepare the custard filling: Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, and salt until frothy.
Bake the quiche: Pour the custard into the pie crust. Bake the quiche at 350°F for 30 to 40 minutes, until the edges are set but the quiche still jiggles a little in the center.
Cool the quiche: Cool for at least 20 minutes, but ideally overnight.
Slice and serve: Quiche can be served cold, room temperature, or warmed. If serving warm, heat in a 300°F oven until just warm to the touch.

Make ahead: The crust can be blind baked up to two days in advance and stored wrapped at room temperature. Quiche can be baked and cooled up to 3 days in advance; bring to room temperature or reheat in a low oven before serving.
Storage: Leftover baked and cooled quiche can be stored wrapped in the fridge for up to 5 days.