Barry’s Breakfast Casserole

Written by Barry Garton

Diner lovers already know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and one of the best ways to get that start is to make Barry Garton’s breakfast casserole. Barry used to make this when he and his wife Nancy ran the Miss Adams Diner in Adams, Massachusetts. Note that if you make it at home, this recipe can be halved for fewer servings. Once cooked, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Ingredients

• 12 cups diced sweet peppers
• 6 cups diced Bermuda onions
• 1 ¹⁄₂ sticks unsalted butter
• 4 cloves of garlic, pressed
• 1 ¹⁄₂ tbsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• ¹⁄₄ cayenne pepper
• 17 – 18 cups bread ends, cut into one-​inch cubes;
• 3 slices tiny cubed bread ends
• 8 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 24 ounces diced ham
• 15 eggs
• 9 cups half-​and-​half

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Melt the butter in a large pan and sauté the vegetables until soft.
3. Add the spices, stir.
4. Butter a 4″ deep hotel pan, then line it with 17 to 18 cups of bread cubes.
5. Sprinkle half the grated cheese (4 cups) over the bread.
6. Sprinkle on the diced ham.
7. Then, add the layer of sauteed vegetables.
8. Make another layer of cheese on top of all that (the final 4 cups of cheese).
9. Sprinkle a thin layer of the tiny cubed bread ends.
10. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and half and half together.
11. Pour the liquid over the casserole as evenly as possible.
12. Cover with foil.
13. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Then, uncover and cook a little longer, until the casserole is set in the center (it should shake uniformly).