Wrapping Up a Casserole...(Breakfast Casserole Recipe and Wrap Up Casserole Carrier Pattern Review)

I wonder how many of you do this....

At about 6:00 pm on Wednesday night, you think about the meeting you have at 8:30 tomorrow morning....the one to which one of your colleagues very often brings a yummy warm egg dish of some sort to share.  And you feel like a schlep because you never bring anything to share--you're too stinking busy during the academic year to be that thoughtful.

This thought pops in your head...."I should bring the food tomorrow morning."

So, you say to your husband (who does all the cooking), "Would you be willing to help me make a nice egg strata of some sort for tomorrow morning?"

If you're lucky, he loves to cook, and eagerly says, "Sure!" and gets his recipe book out.  "I need these things, however:  eggs, bacon...."  You get the idea.   Someone needs to go to the grocery store.  And it's already 7 pm by this time.

So you go.  Because your hubby is kind enough to cook it for you.  You get home around 8:15 pm.  He mixes it all up so all you have to do is stick it in the oven in the morning.  You put your cute kid to bed.

So, then you say to yourself, "I really wish I had one of those cool warmer things to carry this hot egg dish to the meeting in tomorrow morning.  I have a pattern and the fabric downstairs to make one.  I should really sew that up one of these days....Well, there is no time like the present."

And at 9:00 pm, you go downstairs and start cutting and sewing.

So, does it sound familiar?  Or do you think I'm totally loony?  Well, this was my story on Wednesday night this past week!

The breakfast casserole turned out fantastic.  It was a huge hit at my meeting.  I really liked it a lot.  One of my favorites of all egg casseroles.  Even the secretary at our meeting, who is a really picky eater, went back for seconds.

You want the recipe, don't you?  Papa Pea gave me permission to share it with you!

Breakfast Casserole

1 lb. sliced bacon, diced  (we used the thick sliced bacon)

1 sweet onion, chopped

¼ - ½ C. green or red pepper, chopped (optional)

1 clove garlic, crushed (optional)

4 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed

9 eggs, lightly beaten     

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 ½ Cups small curd cottage cheese

1 ¼ Cups shredded Swiss cheese

1. Cook bacon and onion (peppers and garlic) over medium-high heat until bacon is browned
2. Drain and put into large bowl
3. Stir in potatoes, eggs, and cheeses (add seasoning to taste)
4. Pour into a greased 9X13-inch baking dish
5. Bake in pre-heated oven (350 degrees) for 45-50 minutes
6. Let stand approximately 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

And here is how my casserole dish carrier turned out.  It's cute, I think!

It opens up like this.  The first flaps are held shut with velcro.

The other flaps fold over like this, and the wooden spoons are the handles.  (It's hard to hold something in one hand and take a photo of it in your other hand....especially when you want to show someone how it is held!)

I made this from a pattern and fabric kit I bought at Nancy's Notions a LONG time ago.  I looked at the pattern, and it said it was last edited in 2006.  That sounds about right, in terms of when I probably bought it.  The kit came with the fabric you see on the outside (enough for the outside and inside), the wooden spoons, the Insulbright, and the pattern.  I had purchased the darker fabric, because I wanted my lining to be a different color.  So, I now have enough of both fabrics to make another.  (Boy, my taste in fabric sure has changed over the years.  I would not choose this now.  But I don't dislike it.  At least I'll use it, because I won't be afraid to wreck it!)

The pattern was really easy to follow, and the carrier is fairly easy to create.  It is a good beginner/easy project.  It would make a great gift.  I couldn't find this exact pattern on Nancy's Notions' website.  But I did find a similar one.  I think they have updated it again.  You can see it here, if you are interested.

One thing I would change....The pattern tells you to start the end of the velcro (which you can't see in any of my photos, but you can in the photo on the Nancy's Notions website if you click on "More Views" under the picture) 1" from the edge of the flap.  I would start the "hook" side of the velcro closer to the edge, or I'd make the "loop" strip longer.  I found that with my 9x13" pan, the ends of the velcro didn't meet and I couldn't velcro it shut.  It was sooooo close, but no cigar.  But it was not a big deal.  The flaps did stay closed.  You can just see in the photo where I am holding it that the flaps are not taught against the dish.  I suppose this could allow it to cool faster (or possibly slip out, but I never felt like it was going to do that).

It worked great, too.  I took the casserole out of the oven at about 7:30 am.  We didn't open the carrier and dig in until about 8:45 or 9:00 am, and it was still piping hot!  Impressive!  (People liked my carrier, too!)

The other day, when I blogged the hot pads I made, I said that I used a layer of batting and a layer of Insulbright, and that seemed to get rid of the "crunchy" feeling and sound of the Insulbright.  I got to thinking later, that another reason the crunchy sound was absent could be that the hot pads are made of canvas...a fairly thick fabric.  I wondered how the batting trick would work if the project was just cotton and not canvas.  This was my chance to try.  So, I added a layer of batting to the Insulbright in this project as well.  It really did help the "crunchiness."  It's not bad at all, even when using cotton fabrics.  It's not as good as the canvas, but far better than without the batting.  So, that is good.  I learned something.

I thanked Papa Pea again for making this dish for me to take.  He pointed ad the casserold dish carrier and asked, "Is that what you made last night?"

I answered, "Yes.  And I was done by 11:00 pm.  I made it in 2 hours."

He said, "I gotta hand it to you.  You really bang them out.  Good job!  It's great!"

Good man.

So, I wonder if it will take me 7 more years to bang out the other one I have fabric for.  Maybe I should get it done right away.....

Have a wonderful weekend!  Friday night sew in for me!  (No, I'm not sewing another casserole carrier!)  Woo hoo!  How about you?  What are you up to?  And do you have any good stories for me about last minute sewing like this?

Until next time,

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Chicken Caprese Casserole

My Sister Made me do it - Overnight Breakfast Casserole

Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole

Comments

[caroll]

How cute that is and how lucky you are to have such a wonderful husband. Thanks for the recipe too. Sounds good and like something my kids would like me to make. Hope you have a great weekend.

[Amy]

That's a useful little item! I could use something like that every Thanksgiving. I think of that each Thanksgiving and promptly forget. Maybe I will remember now.

[Doreen]

Will save that recipe....for sure! DH loves bacon and there's enough of it in it to satisfy him! I would put in all the "opt" too. The casserole carrier is too cute and definitely a great hostess gift! I make lots of hot pads and always use a layer of 80/20 batting with the Insulbrite so haven't notices the "crunchiness" you speak of (but I do know what you mean!). They are so much better than the overly stiff store-bought versions! I see nothing out of the ordinary about starting such a project(s) at that hour! Doesn't everyone do that???? I do, most definitely! Great job! Beginning the next quilt now. Cutting the 5" squares of black/white fabrics. It will be the 2nd one I've done with these fabrics. Gave away the 1st one....this one will be for our bed. Have a great "sew-in"! Hugs, D

[Jana]

You and your hubby are awesome.

[Melissa]

what the heck! When I was in college I'd come home around 11pm and bake! What a cute little late night project! It is adorable.

[Donna]

Wonderful! I love the carrier and the casserole sounds so yummy. I do the same thing and make things at the last minute. I am making baby things this weekend :)
Hugs
Donna

[Lynn]

I'm guilty too. I've started projects far too late in the evening that were needed for the next morning. I think I have only actually finished on time one, maybe two, begun under those circumstances. So I'm impressed that you finished and it's correct!

Sounds like a yummy casserole. Similar to one I've made in the past but mine called for sausage instead of bacon. I think I would like the bacon better. I'm not a big fan of sausage, especially for breakfast.

[Sherri]

Such a fun post...a very familiar scene, too! And thank you for the recipe...sounds delicious!

[Thimbleanna]

You ARE Loony! Do you know how lucky you are that Papa Pea likes to cook? If I asked my hubby to do that, he would confirm that I was loony. (Which, clearly, I am not, 'cause I wouldn't ask LOL.)

Cute casserole carrier. A friend of mine at work came into my office a few weeks ago to proudly tell me that his wife's design for a casserole carrier had been picked up by Simplicity (I thinkg -- one of the major pattern companies. (Here's her link is you want to see them: http://www.etsy.com/shop/misscongeniality?ref=shop_sugg -- I barely even knew she sewed LOL!)

[Lisa Lisa]

Your casserole looks delicious! Thanks to Papa Pea for letting you share :) I've been known to make items at the last minute. Some worked out....others didn't. Good job on the casserole carrier!!

[Cindy]

What a sweet hubby you have! And I am totally in love with this casserole carrier. I will tell you that I am totally impressed you started it at 9:00PM. I would have definitely screwed it up for sure. You are my hero! :)

[Maggie Szafranski]

YUMMY! I love breakfast casserole! Great job on the carrier! And good going, Papa Pea, for cooking a great treat and complimenting Mama Pea!

[Mary]

How does one get a husband like that?

[Deb]

I laughed when I read the part about you not having time to be thoughtful - that's why you don't HAVE time because you ARE so thoughtful! You're always doing things for everyone. What a great breakfast recipe - I'll have to try it. I may make breakfast for our family dinner next week! Nice carrier too - isn't it great to have a stash that allows you to do last minute projects?