Bacon & Egg McMuffin Casserole

 
I spied this Breakfast Casserole on a site called Dinner Then Dessert the other day.  It looked really, really tasty. I adore Breakfast types of casseroles, and I don't think you can ever have too many different recipes for them.  They all come in handy, especially around the holidays! 
 
I also love McDonald's Egg McMuffins.  Usually over here I get the sausage and egg one because I am not fond of the bacon that they use at our local McDonald's.  I do love their English Muffins however.  I don't know how McDonald's get them so soft.  It must be a special brand of English Muffin that they use.  I think they're just lovely.
 
So, anyways  . . .  when I spied this Egg McMuffin Casserole on Pinterest I knew it was something I wanted to make.  I loved everything about it.   I sent Todd to the shops for some English Muffins.  He came back with these  . . .
 
Oven bottom muffins.  It seems that somehow my elderly husband has gotten to the ripe old age without knowing the difference between an English Muffin and an Oven Bottom Muffin. He saw the word muffin and that was that  . . .   I suppose I should be happy he didn't come home with these  . . . 
 
Totally edible of course, but not fit for purpose.  He ended up having to go out again once I showed him what I wanted properly  . . . 
  
We got there in the end (which is what counts!) but he had to go to about 4 different shops to find them, and when he did find them, he got the very last package on the shelf and they were marked down as they were right on their due date.  I wasn't too bothered with freshness for a casserole anyways, so that was alright. Friday is a bad day to buy English muffins I guess! 
 
Back to the casserole.  You cut a thin slice from each side of the muffins and use them to line a baking dish.  Then you butter the main bits of the muffin, cut them into 1 inch cubes and toast them in an oven.  
 
I like to cook my bacon in the oven, so I just cook the bacon at the same time. You won't want the bacon really crisp as you will be cooking it again in the casserole.  So a bit flimsy is what works best, not crisp.
 
The toasted muffin cubes get put into the baking dish and then you pour a mixture of beaten eggs, seasoning and milk over top.  Over that you scatter the crumbled bacon and some crumbled cheddar cheese.
 
You could just grate the cheese, but I like the crumbles best . . .  that way you get little pockets of cheese throughout.  I like the un-dyed cheese best, and I always use a strong cheddar when cooking, for the best flavor. 
 
 I really, really love cheddar cheese.  Todd thinks there is no other cheese but cheddar . . .  that's an Englishman for you!  He was shocked when we went to France and he couldn't get cheddar. Every other cheese in the world, but NO cheddar.  Talk about disappointed!
 
I digress  . . .  I smoosh things down a bit with a fork so all of the muffins get a bit damp, and some of the bacon and cheese fall down into nooks and crannies, and then it gets banged into a moderate oven for about half an hour  . . .
  
Until the top is golden brown and the eggs are set, and everything is gloriously tasty! 
Yield: 6Author: Marie RaynerPrint Recipe
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Bacon & Egg McMuffin Casserole

prep time: 20 minscook time: 40 minstotal time: 60 minsThis is like having your favorite fast food breakfast sandwich in the comfort of your own home.  This is a delicious casserole and is sure to please the whole family!  You can have it for breakfast, but in all honesty, we enjoy it for supper. You can serve it with ketchup if you like or syrup.  I am partial to Maple syrup on this.

ingredients:

6 large free range eggs480ml whole milk (2 cups)1 tsp salt1/4 tsp black pepper1 pound bacon240g strong cheddar cheese (8 ounces)6 large English Muffinssoftened butter
To serve:Tomato Ketchup or Maple syrup (optional)

instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.  Butter a 9 inch square casserole dish.
Cook
 the bacon in the pre-heated oven until 3/4 cooked. You want it to still
 be a bit flimsy as you are going to be cooking it some more in the
casserole dish.
Cut the cheese into chunks and
then blitz in a food processor until crumbly.  (Alternately you can just
 grate it, but I like the crumbles better.)
Cut
 a thin sliver from the tops and the bottoms of each muffin.  Place
these bits overlapping in the bottom of the casserole dish.  Butter the
muffins and cut them into 1 inch cubes.  Place them onto a baking tray
and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes, until crispy. Put them into
the casserole dish.
Beat the eggs and milk
together with the salt and pepper to combine.  Pour this over top of the
 muffin cubes. Chop the bacon and sprinkle it on top of the casserole
dish and scatter on the crumbled cheese.  I like to push down the muffin
 pieces a bit so that they absorb more of the egg/milk mixture and so
that some of the cheese and bacon go down into any spaces.
Bake
 uncovered in the heated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown
and set.  Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into squares to serve.
Serve hot with ketchup or Maple syrup if desired.Created using The Recipes Generator
 
Todd enjoyed his with tomato ketchup, I had mine with Maple Syrup (in true Canadian fashion).  We both enjoyed this very much.  It made a beautiful light supper on the first day and Todd enjoyed the leftovers warmed up on the second day. (I only made half the recipe as there are only two of us.)  All in all I would call this a winner/winner of a dinner!  Bon Appetit!