Today, for Sunday Supper, we are bringing you fabulous yet Captivating Casserole recipes! What is a casserole to you? Is it a lasagna? Is it chock full of potatoes? Vegetables? Our family loves a pasta casserole. Casseroles are timeless, dependable and every family tends to have at least one casserole recipe that they turn to for an “easy” and comforting dinner. We don’t often make a breakfast casserole – actually, we rarely do, generally we make savory casseroles for dinner so this was a fun “break from the mold” kind of recipe for us to work on and really enjoyed!
In a recent run of French Fridays with Dorie, we made a salad that included oranges, dates, thinly sliced red onion and olives. Does that sound weird or what? It was weirdly amazing and such an eye-opening combination! We really enjoyed the salty brine of the green olive stuffed with pimentos with a bit of orange, sliver of date and bit of onion. What a truly eye-opening combination! Since we made that little salad, I have been plotting ways to work with those flavors again and I thought a breakfast casserole would really hit the mark! I could combine mandarin orange and date in a tasty spin on a baked french toast casserole since these flavors work so wonderfully together!
One of the things I’ve been doing lately is working through some old recipes from the 1940s-1950s and there’s kind of one constant recipe variation that crops up, and its a breakfast casserole! They – whoever they are, call it a “Wife Saver” because this is a casserole that is prepared the night before then baked the following morning; these are also very simple and frugal dishes. Thus saving the wife of labor and time (and money!), perfect for a busy mom like me! Most recipes have you working with stale bread or something similar and I thought croissants would make a lovely breading to build this recipe on and I can tell you that this didn’t disappoint!
Basically I took a package of freshly baked croissants and tore each one into smaller, irregular bits then tossed them with mandarin slices and bits of date, mixed up the custard, poured it in, let it sit overnight and baked it off for breakfast.
It was perfect! The croissants really soaked up the custard well and the slivers of date shone through in each bite. The only thing missing was something salty which could be easily remedied by crumbling fresh bacon on top of each portion. A little whipped cream would make for an elegant touch to this dish but a drizzle of maple syrup was all it really needed! And it’s a perfect recipe for little hands to help out with since all of the preparation work is right in the wheelhouse for toddlers! Win-win! Wife Saver, indeed!
ORANGE & DATE WIFE SAVER BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
INGREDIENTS: serves approximately 6-8 people
6 -8 Large, Plain Croissants
3 Large Eggs
1 Cup Milk
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
14.5 oz can of Mandarin Oranges, drained
4 Dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
Maple Syrup for serving
First, grease a 9X13 baking pan. Tear the croissants into bite-sized pieces, having irregular sizes is completely fine, the goal is smaller, manageable pieces. Toss these into the baking pan as you tear them up. The custard soaks up the croissants, so I like to add an extra croissant or two to really fill out the pan.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon. Pour this mixture over the top of the croissants.
Pit and chop the dates, leave them on the cutting board while you drain the mandarin oranges. Once the mandarin orange slices are drained, scatter them on top of the torn croissants. Add half of the date pieces to the casserole then using a spoon or your hands, toss the croissants, oranges, dates and custard mixture until the fruit is thoroughly mixed in and all the pieces of croissant are moistened with the custard mixture.
For a pretty presentation, use a spoon to bring a few of the orange slices up to the top of the casserole, then sprinkle the remaining date pieces over the top of the casserole then lightly sprinkle the casserole with a touch more cinnamon.
Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, preheat the oven to 350F and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until the top has turned a lovely golden brown color.
Slice and serve (with a dollop of whipped cream if you like) with maple syrup while hot!
Be sure to have a gander at all these fabulous Captivating Casserole recipes that the Sunday Supper team has brought to the table today, you are sure to find a family favorite (with a little spin!) or a new and interesting “must-make” casserole to try – there is something for everyone!
Have you ever made a casserole for a sick friend, family member or neighbor? Or perhaps someone who just had a baby? What is a qualifies as a casserole?
Lasagna? Something studded with pasta? Chock full of veggies and cheese? Gently stewed meat full of flavor and topped with potatoes? Smothered by toasted marshmallows?
To begin to find the answer for yourself, check out all of these recipes later today at our Twitter chat at 7pm ET to talk about all things Casserole! It’s sure to be a captivating conversation!
Captivating Breakfast Casseroles
Boozy Baked French Toast from Brunch with Joy
Orange & Date Wife Saver Breakfast Casserole from A Mama, Baby & Shar-pei in the Kitchen
Spinach, Sausage and Polenta Breakfast Casserole from The Redhead Baker
Appetizing Casserole Sides
Baked Cauli-Tots Casserole from Cupcake and Kale Chips
Savory Sweet Potato and Sausage Bread Pudding from Nik Snacks
Shredded Brussels Sprouts Casserole from Take A Bite Out of Boca
Main Event Casseroles
Artichoke and Spinach Macaroni and Cheese Casserole from Ruffles & Truffles
Baked Penne with Roasted Cauliflower and Italian Sausage from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Bison Meatloaf Casserole from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
Cheesy Chicken Corkscrew Casserole from Recipes Food and Cooking
Cheesy, Creamy, Cauliflower and Sausage Casserole from Eating In Instead
Chicken Enchiladas from Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
Chicken Parmesan Quinoa Bake from Alida’s Kitchen
Chicken Ramen Mini Casseroles from The Ninja Baker
Chicken with Whole Grains Casserole from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Chinese Noodle Casserole from Momma’s Meals
Crab Casserole for Two from Magnolia Days
Homemade Poppy Seed Chicken from Food Done Light
Fully Loaded Tater Tot Casserole from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
King Ranch Casserole from The Texan New Yorker
King Ranch Mac and Cheese from The Weekend Gourmet
Baked Ziti with Meatballs from Curious Cuisiniere
Mexican Lasagna from MealDiva
Mom’s Taco Casserole from Lifestyle Food Artistry
Moroccan Polenta Casserole from Pancake Warriors
Moussaka from Nosh My Way
Neeps & Tatties Casserole from Happy Baking Days
Quick No Boil Tuna Pasta Bake from Mess Makes Food
Sausage Peppers and Onion Pasta Casserole from Family Foodie
Southwestern Spaghetti Pie from The Messy Baker
Cheesy, Layered Italian Pasta Torta from La Bella Vita Cucina
Stove-top Four Cheese Mac and Cheese from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
Supreme Pizza Strata from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Sweet Corn and Green Chile Chicken Tamale Pie from Simply Healthy Family
Taco Casserole from Peanut Butter and Peppers
Decadent Dessert and Sweet Casseroles
Baked Lemon Dessert from Food Lust People Love
The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls from Pies and Plots
Butterscotch Bread Pudding from The Foodie Army Wife
Classic Apple Crisp from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Ultimate Deep Dish Brownies from Recipe for Perfection
Vegan Oreo Rice Krispie Treats from Killer Bunnies, Inc
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