April 16th is National Eggs Benedict Day, celebrating the English muffin topped with Canadian bacon, a poached egg, hollandaise sauce, and chopped chives. We’ve got a twist on it: an Eggs Benedict Casserole recipe.

Classic Eggs Benedict, a popular brunch item, was created in the 19th century by a prominent chef for a wealthy lady’s lunch.

Some people love Eggs Benedict, but aren’t great at poaching the eggs that are a key part of the recipe.

Go Bold With Butter has solved that problem with this clever Eggs Benedict Casserole (photo #1).

The recipe was developed for them by Jonathan of The Candid Appetite.

Candidly, we like this recipe a lot. It just might alternate with bagels and lox at our regular Sunday brunch.
 
 
> The History Of Eggs Benedict

> Eggs Benedict Recipe Variations
 
 
RECIPE: EGGS BENEDICT CASSEROLE

This recipe requires some advance preparation, so the casserole rest for 4 hours or overnight.

The finished casserole gets a topping of hollandaise sauce, just like classic Eggs Benedict (photo #2).
 
Ingredients For 8 Servings

For The Casserole

 
For The Hollandaise Sauce

 
Preparation

1. GREASE a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter and set aside.

2. SPLIT open each English muffin and cut each piece in half. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Bake until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

3. PLACE half of the English muffin pieces in the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the Canadian bacon. Repeat with the remaining bread and bacon.

4. WHISK together in a large bowl the milk, eggs, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Pour into the baking dish, over the bread and bacon. Cover with foil and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

5. REMOVE the baking dish from the fridge and allow to sit while you preheat the oven to 375°F.

6. BAKE, covered, for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the casserole is golden brown and a knife comes out clean when inserted in the middle, about 15 to 18 minutes.

7. MAKE the hollandaise sauce. Whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice in a large bowl until pale and doubled in size. Place over a pot of barely simmering water and cook, stirring constantly, until the egg yolks have warmed through, about 5 minutes. Keep the heat low and continue to whisk so as to not cook the eggs.

(If you have a double boiler, this is the time to use it.)

8. SLOWLY WHISK in the melted butter in a slow steady stream, until the mixture comes together smoothly and has doubled and thickened. Season with salt and cayenne pepper. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.

If the sauce thickens too much as it sits, you can whisk in a tablespoon or so of warm water to loosen it up.

9. REMOVE the finished casserole from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Top with the warm hollandaise sauce and garnish with chives and paprika before serving.
 
 
> HOLLANDAISE SAUCE IS ONE OF THE MOTHER SAUCES OF FRANCE. HERE’S MORE ABOUT IT.

[1] This casserole has all of the flavor of classic Eggs Benedict, with an easier preparation (photos #1 and #2 © Go Bold With Butter | The Candid Appetite).

[2] Classic Eggs Benedict is garnished with hollandaise sauce. The casserole does the same.

[3] Canadian bacon is a leaner type of bacon, made from the loin eye—in the pig’s back—which is smoked just like the more familiar streaky “side” bacon (check out the different types of bacon) (photo © Canadian Bacon).

[4] A garnish of fresh chives is adds bright flavor to just about any savory dish (photo © Good Eggs).

[5] It’s easy to grow chives on your windowsill or outside (photo © J. Durham | Morguefile).

 
Plus A Related Recipe:

 
 
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