An overnight egg casserole stuffed with bacon, asparagus, tomatoes, and hash browns. Easy to throw together ahead of time and impress the socks off your guests. It’s easy to make this vegetarian if you want by leaving out the bacon. I mean. If you want. I guess. Originally published December 13, 2014.
Table of Contents
- You’re gonna love this Asparagus and Egg Casserole
- Gluten Free Egg Casserole ingredients
- Asparagus Egg Casserole variations
- How to make Gluten Free Breakfast Casserole with Asparagus and Egg
- Troubleshooting Asparagus and Egg Casserole
- What can you serve with a breakfast casserole?
- How to store overnight Asparagus Egg Bake
- Asparagus Breakfast Casserole FAQs
- Overnight Bacon Asparagus Egg Bake Recipe
Charlotte: “Mom, your phone is wet.”
Me: “WHAT! Why is my phone wet??
“Oh, Truman dipped it in the toilet.”
“He WHAT?”
“He just dipped it Mom, it’s no big deal.”
“Char, you need to put the lid down after you go.”
Eric, from the other room: “She was using it.”
“WHAT?? Is my phone covered in pee??”
Char, nonchalantly: “Yup.”
In other news, Eric ran a marathon last week. NBD:
Photo cred: Sarah from Snixy Kitchen
Doesn’t he look so jolly? This is at the halfway point. If I had just run 14 miles there is no way in heck my face would look even remotely chipper. I think my face would look more like that of a wounded cow’s…or maybe a walrus in labor? I don’t know. It will never happen. Major props, Eric.
My brother Nathan ran this race too (and Sarah‘s husband Lucas! Party!). We all had brunch after the race with my family, and I served this breakfast casserole. Nathan told me after eating it how much he loved it: “I gotta tell you Karen, when you described this to me a couple days ago I thought it sounded kinda gross. But this stuff is amazing.” And he proceeded to take half the leftovers home with him.
Calling my food gross: -1. Calling my food amazing: +1. Taking leftovers: +1. Total score: +1. You’re safe Nate.
You’re gonna love this Asparagus and Egg Casserole
This recipe is a mashup of my 2 favorite savory breakfast dishes: Asparagus, Tomato, and Goat Cheese Quiche and Easy Breakfast Casserole with Potatoes and Ham. Both of them are crazy delicious by themselves, so I decided to throw them together. This would be a great breakfast for Christmas morning! It can be assembled the night before, or cooked right away. So you can plan ahead…or not. NICE.
Gluten Free Egg Casserole ingredients
Here’s a quick shopping list to help you gather your ingredients. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions!
- Frozen shredded hash browns (30 oz. package)
- Salted butter
- Bacon
- Asparagus
- Tomatoes
- Green onions
- Goat cheese
- Eggs
- Half and half
- Seasoned salt
- Cheddar cheese
Asparagus Egg Casserole variations
Here are a few suggestions for making this casserole exactly to your liking.
- Vegetarian? Just leave out the bacon.
- Not a fan of asparagus? You can totally sub steamed broccoli or sauteed spinach.
- If you can’t find shredded hash browns, you can use a 30 oz. package of cubed hash browns instead.
- Don’t like (or don’t have) goat cheese? Try a cup of crumbled feta instead.
- Try switching it up and using chopped roasted red peppers instead of tomatoes.
How to make Gluten Free Breakfast Casserole with Asparagus and Egg
Here’s a quick overview of how to make this recipe. Full instructions can be found in the recipe card below!
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch casserole dish.
- Spread the potatoes in the dish and pour the melted butter evenly over the top.
- Bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Lower the oven temperature to 350.
- Cook the bacon in a frying pan until crispy. Save 1 teaspoon of the bacon grease.
- Chop the asparagus and add to the bacon grease. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes, While the asparagus cooks, chop the tomatoes and green onions.
- Layer the asparagus, tomatoes, green onions, and crumbled bacon on top of the potatoes, then layer on the crumbled goat cheese.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, half and half, salt, seasoned salt, and pepper.
- Pour the egg mixture evenly over the dish. Sprinkle with 2 cups of cheddar cheese.
- Bake at 350 for about 40-45 minutes, or until the cheese starts getting brown on top.
Troubleshooting Asparagus and Egg Casserole
How do you fix a dry breakfast casserole?
If you leave a breakfast casserole in the fridge for too long or don’t cover it well, it can definitely dry out. No judgment here, we’ve all forgotten about food in the fridge before (I do this way too often). If your breakfast casserole is already dry, you can make some hollandaise sauce (I make it in the blender, it only takes 5 minutes) to drizzle/pour on top.
To prevent it from drying out next time, make sure to cover it well and eat or freeze it within the first 3-5 days of making it.
Why is my egg casserole rubbery?
Rubbery casserole, no thank you!! Here’s what can happen: if you put uncooked vegetable or meats into a casserole, they’ll release moisture as the casserole cooks and it’ll negatively affect the texture. This recipe avoids that issue by cooking the bacon and asparagus before adding them to the casserole. While this recipe does include uncooked tomatoes, the amount of moisture they add has already been accounted for. It’s all about ratios, so if you do decide to make vegetable substitutions, make sure that you cook the veggies and use a similar amount to what is called for in the recipe.
Why is my breakfast casserole soupy?
Breakfast casserole can be soupy for a few reasons:
- The recipe you’re using calls for too much liquid (eggs, milk, cream).
- You put in your hash browns frozen instead of thawed.
- You add uncooked veggies or meats, which will release water as they cook.
- You haven’t cooked the breakfast casserole long enough.
That’s why I work so hard to test all this stuff for you guys! Kitchen failures are so depressing. This recipe includes the proper ratio of liquid to solid ingredients, calls for cooked veggies and meat and thawed hashbrowns, and has the proper baking time. No soup(-y breakfast casserole) for you :-)
What can you serve with a breakfast casserole?
Breakfast casseroles are great because they’re already a finished meal. Pour the orange juice and you’re set. But I would be the last person to stop you from going totally overboard and throwing a breakfast feast. Here are some of my favorite sweet recipes to serve with this casserole at a brunch, baby shower, or when you have guests in town.
One Hour Almond Rolls << don’t sleep on these rolls! They are like if Honey Nut Cheerios and a pan of cinnamon rolls had a beautiful baby.
The Best Scone Recipe I’ve Ever Made << perfect for adding whatever mix-ins you like.
Best Cinnamon Roll Recipe I’ve Ever Made << “It’s so fluffy I’m gonna die!!” Name that movie.
Raspberry Pull-Apart Buns with Coconut Glaze << these taste as incredible as they look.
Sour Cream Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake << soft, fluffy, a cinnamon-lover’s paradise.
Cinnamon Sugar Dipped Muffins << remember these classics?? They’re still going strong for a reason (and it’s probably got something to do with melted butter).
How to store overnight Asparagus Egg Bake
You can keep this finished casserole in the fridge for 3-5 days. Just warm individual slices up in the microwave when you’re ready for an easy breakfast.
How long can you keep a breakfast casserole in fridge before baking?
I recommend making this breakfast casserole no sooner than a day before. The ingredients will change texture as they sit together, which is fine for 12-24 hours, but might throw off your finished dish if you wait too long to bake it.
Can you freeze gluten free breakfast casserole?
Yes, you definitely can. It’s fine to freeze the baked casserole, BUT you can also assemble and freeze the casserole before you bake it! This is a great idea if you want to take it to someone who has a new baby, just had surgery, etc. Then they can bake it fresh. You will want to give them instructions to allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge before they bake it for the same time and temperature as usual.
Asparagus Breakfast Casserole FAQs
This casserole is obviously a great place to start, but there’s so much more. If you’re gluten free, I’m sure you’ve already thought about simple basics like yogurt, fruit, eggs, and gluten free cold cereal, but sometimes you want something a little fancier.
Here are some of my favorite recipes to make for my gluten free friends!
Spinach and Bacon Frittata << like quiche without the crust.
Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Frittata << perfect for using leftover ham from a holiday!
Creamy Scrambled Eggs for a Crowd << your solution to warm, cheesy eggs for your guests.
Cheesy Overnight Breakfast Egg Casserole with Bacon << I love me a good egg casserole.
Cheesy Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole with Ham << potatoes for president.
Banana Blueberry Overnight Oats << kids love these, and you can use whatever fruit you want.
Pizza Egg Muffins << ok, these I love to make for ME. It’s a protein packed way to eat pizza for breakfast any day of the week.
Green Orange Julius Smoothie << packed with creamy orange flavor and so healthy!
Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie << here’s your excuse to drink peanut butter.
Stratas are always breakfast casseroles, but not all breakfast casseroles are stratas. A strata is mainly composed of bread, eggs, a little dairy, and cheese (and maybe meat and/or veggies). Breakfast casseroles could have potatoes, biscuits, or eggs as their base ingredient, so there’s a ton of variety.
A frittata is like a crustless quiche–it’s an egg and veggie based dish that’s made in a skillet. It can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. So a frittata can sometimes be considered a type of breakfast casserole, because although it’s usually made entirely on the stovetop, sometimes you can bake it (or finish it in the oven). Breakfast casseroles are baked dishes (always) and can include a huge variety of ingredients (thought they almost always include eggs).
More savory breakfast!
Asparagus, Tomato, and Goat Cheese Quiche
Easy Breakfast Casserole with Potatoes and Ham
Egg Benedict Casserole (Overnight)
Savory Parmesan French Toast with Hollandaise Sauce
Farmer’s Market Overnight Breakfast Egg Casserole from Two Healthy Kitchens
Crock-Pot Tater Tot Egg Bake from Julie’s Eats and Treats
Overnight Breakfast Strata from Chef in Training
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Overnight Bacon Asparagus Egg Bake
Ingredients
- 1 30-oz package shredded hash browns, frozen, thawed*
- 1/2 cup salted butter, melted
- 8 strips bacon, chopped
- 1 bunch asparagus, chopped
- 1 & 1/2 cups tomatoes, fresh, chopped (I used 4 romas)
- 1 bunch green onions, chopped
- 8 ounces goat cheese, cold, crumbled with a fork
- 7 eggs
- 1 & 1/2 cups half and half
- 1 & 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch casserole dish.
- Spread the potatoes in the dish and pour the melted butter evenly over the top.
- Bake at 400 for 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are getting brown on the edges.
- Remove from the oven and set aside to cool while you assemble everything else. Lower the oven temperature to 350.
- While the potatoes bake, cook the bacon in a frying pan until crispy. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate. Drain all but 1 teaspoon of the bacon grease.
- Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus, discard, and chop the rest into bite-size pieces. Add the chopped asparagus to the bacon grease. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes, until the asparagus is fork tender. Don’t let it get mushy.
- While the asparagus cooks, chop the tomatoes and green onions.
- Layer the asparagus, tomatoes, green onions, and crumbled bacon on top of the potatoes.
- Layer on the crumbled goat cheese.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, half and half, salt, seasoned salt, pepper. Whisk for at least 1 minute.
- Pour the egg mixture evenly over the dish. Sprinkle with 2 cups of cheddar cheese. At this point, you can cover the casserole tightly and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- Bake at 350 for about 40-45 minutes, or until the cheese starts getting brown on top.
This is an absolutely wonderful recipe! My family truly enjoyed it!
I’m so glad you loved it Pamela! It’s nice having something a little different, right? Thanks so much for leaving a comment!
A WALRUS IN LABOR. I do believe you’ve accurately captured the perfect description of my race face. ;)
Sarah mentioned the marathon — TOTALLY hardcore! I couldn’t imagine running a half, let alone a whole. Absolutely crazy. I’d last for about the 5-10K, then shovel chocolate in my face as fast as I could while cheering on everyone else. Or just say I was on photo duty the entire time. ;) But hey, if I won a piece or two of this casserole, I’d definitely try to run as far as I could! Pinned!
Oh no! Your poor phone! Did it survive the toilet dunk? I’ve ruined so many phones in the toilet. Like, seriously 3. They slip out of my back pocket to easily. I finally learned my lesson after incident #3. And way to go Eric! Running a marathon is SUPER impressive to me. This casserole sounds amazing!
3 phones Natalie??? hahahaha!!! I’m sorry, that is so sad, and so, so funny. My phone was totally fine, I just wiped it down (with a clorox lol) and it was good to go.
Micah enjoys chewing on my phone, but having your phone dipped in pee sounds infinitely worse. I pinned this as soon as I saw it, but now I have to find some guests because my hubby won’t eat anything egg casserole-ish or tomatoes haha.
Oh no! Yeah I think you better find some guests, because I don’t know if you could finish this one by yourself! Thanks for pinning Claire!
Congrats to your hubby and brother on the marathon–that is quite an accomplishment! Especially since my idea of a marathon includes watching people run while eating this casserole (with bacony goodness of course). It looks great! Pinned
Congrats to your husband and brother! This casserole definitely looks impressive and delicious!!
Props to your husband! I can’t believe how chipper and nonchalant he looks in that picture. And no way does this casserole sound gross!
Thanks Julia! In Eric’s defense, this photo was shot at the moment when Eric saw our 20 month old son on the side line. My face usually looks like Eric’s when i see that kid too.
I cannot even imagine a world where people are breathing after running fourteen miles. Can. Not. Fathom. It.
However, I can completely imagine eating this gorgeous breakfast casserole. Gluttony, yes. Exercise, no.
I want to put that on a T-shirt: “Gluttony, yes. Exercise, no.” I would wear it every day.
This looks incredible, Karen and anything with goat cheese definitely has my interest!
This looks like it would rock my morning. Your phone is in my prayers because my phone has also seen number one thanks to my 4 year old :)
Oh children…are you SO amazed that hasn’t happened to me yet? Me too. Jinxed myself now.
Yeah, i am kind of amazed actually.
Congrats to your husband!! mine also ran a marathon . . like 10 years ago! :P I’m trying to get him back into shape and running again. . we’ll see. . and oh my gawd, I also dropped my phone into the toilet. . thankfully nothing was in there but you know what you’re supposed to do right? place the phone into a baggie with either dry rice or beans. This is supposed to help get all the wetness out I think. anyway, that’s what we did and almost 8 months later the iphone is still working fine. And you’re not supposed to use it for like 24 hrs (like you place it in that dry bag with the rice for 24 hrs). I did not do that part. I can’t live without my phone for that long! :) anyway, love love love this breakfast casserole. Total tradition for me and my fam on Christmas morning!!!
That’s awesome that you saved your phone Alice! Fortunately mine didn;t get that wet. He just “dipped it” after all :) I have heard the rice trick and plan to use it if it ever gets fully dunked!!
He DOES look so jolly. I looked like my face was about to explode after just running 3 miles at a 14 minute/mile pace, so I’d probably look like a dead walrus (aka, not moving) at the 14 mile mark. The goat cheese and the asparagus in this casserole made the dish – I love how you so easily prepared to feed SO MANY PEOPLE at 2am the night before. You win hosting. I’m not so great at feeding more than 4 people – teach me your ways!
Hey, at least you ATTEMPTED a race. Every time someone even talks about paying fees to run at unholy hours of the morning I eat a bag of cheetos. Oh and PS I think you’ve picked up on the only hosting tip I’ve got: Don’t sleep. That way you can impress them with your wit in the morning too.