Babs is the nickname for Barbara Costello, whose recipes and TikTok account have taken off thanks to recipes like this Christmas Breakfast Casserole. With the glorious culinary alchemy that results from eggs, sausage, cheese and bread, her Breakfast Casserole is one of the easiest and most rewarding things one can make for a Sunday brunch or special occasion breakfast such as Christmas morning. I tried it out on the twins when they had a sleepover here last weekend, and it was as much assembling it with them the night before as it was eating it the next morning.
As described, the preparation for this casserole takes place the night before you want to have it, then left in the fridge for all the flavor and ingredients to marry before baking the next morning in the magic way that casseroles have of coming together. It’s perfect as the centerpiece for a more extravagant brunch gathering, as it just needs to be popped in the oven for 45 minutes and then it’s done. According to Babs, it also reheats beautifully – the best kind of flexible dish for when other items like poached eggs or a Hollandaise are more time-sensitive. (Not that I’m doing poached fucking eggs or a GD Hollandaise – this casserole is all I can manage when watching two twelve-year-olds.)
My Mom is having our family friend Elaine over for a night this week, so I’ll put together one of these for them to bake in the morning. A dish that allows for people to socialize without excessive kitchen effort is a beautiful thing indeed.
