bagel breakfast casserole

(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Ingredients:

8 cups bagels cut into 1-inch cubes (from approximately 1 1/2 pounds as bagels vary greatly in size)

8 ounces cream cheese, chilled, cut into irregular small cubes

1/4 medium red onion, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced into quarter-moons

1 1/2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half, or quartered if large

8 large eggs

2 1/3 cups whole milk or half- and- half

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons capers

8 ounces smoked salmon, thinly sliced

Directions:

Butter a 9x13 pan. 

Spread a third of the bagel cubes on the bottom. Dot the bagels with a third of the cream cheese cubes. Mix in one-third of the red onion and cherry tomatoes. Repeat two more times alternating layers.

Whisk the eggs with milk, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Pour the egg mixture over bagel- and- cheese mixture. Turn any seedy sides of the bagel croutons faceup. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Remove casserole from refrigerator and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover the casserole and bake on a tray, uncovered, in the middle of the oven until it has puffed, turned golden brown, and cooked through (a knife inserted into the center of the casserole and rotated slightly shouldn’t release any liquid), for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Let it rest 10 minutes before serving. 

Serve on plates in big scoops with folded smoked salmon slices on the side sprinkled with capers.

Serves 8-10

Note: this recipe is easily halved. Use an eight- inch square or 2-quart casserole. Bake time is the same.