It’s breakfast casserole season! Every year around this time, I bust out with a new one. Three years ago, it was the veggie-loaded casserole that so many of you made and LOVED. A couple of years back it was the caramelized onion casserole with spinach and bread. Then last year, it was done Mexican-style with a hash brown crust. This one is loaded with thinly sliced potatoes, flakey smoked salmon, whipped ricotta, sautéed shallots and leeks, chopped chives, and speckled with soft goat cheese – basically it’s a chowder in smoked salmon breakfast casserole form. Also, it’s classy. As classy as things that come baked in a casserole dish (or cast iron skillet) can be. You know those special weekend breakfasts that you wake up all excited about. The kind that you start thinking about just as you hit the snooze button on the alarm for an extra 5 minutes of breakfast dreaming. Then all of a sudden you’re smiling and you have no idea why you’ve got that goofy grin on your face, but all you can think about is that breakfast scene that’s about to go down right when your feet hit the floor. SaveSave That kind of sheer joy awaits you when you put breakfast casseroles on the menu.
Not only is this smoked salmon breakfast casserole a cinch to whip up, but it also comfortably feeds eight people. You can prep the ingredients from the night before and bake it off in the morning; ideal for when you’ve got houseguests. What I love most about this dish is that it’s all there. You’ve got your healthy carbs, and it’s a heavy-hitter on the protein. You’ve got eggs, salmon, ricotta, milk, and goat cheese. Right before vacation, Anees likes to eat lighter, healthier meals that pack on the protein. So I whipped up a smoked salmon breakfast casserole and popped it in the fridge for protein-packed breakfasts all week long. I’ve also served it for lunch with a big salad, and it kept me full for hours as I worked away in the kitchen. This is a hearty, filling meal that requires little fluff on the side. Though, personally, I’d never say no to a slice of french toast. But that’s just me. The idea for a smoked salmon breakfast casserole has been forming in my head for some time now, but I just hadn’t put it to paper yet. And when my December issue of CookingLight arrived, it was a sign. There it was! A salmon casserole complete with potatoes and herbs and all the things my heart desired. And though I ended up swapping out a few ingredients according to preference, it was an excellent starting point for the casserole I had been day-dreaming about for months.
Although this smoked salmon breakfast casserole takes just over an hour to make from start to finish, you can prep some of the casserole ingredients from the night before so that it’s as simple as putting it all in a dish and baking it off.
How to prep this smoked salmon breakfast casserole for the next day:
One big tip! If you’ve got a well-seasoned cast iron skillet (affiliate link), you can pretty much make this entire breakfast casserole in one pan. If your skillet is new (or not oven-safe) you can bake this off in a 10-inch round casserole dish. I hope you make// eat// enjoy this casserole on a chilly morning, with free-flowing coffee, a little light music on in the background, and a warm crackling fire. Weekend brunch scenes are the best!
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I suggest slicing the potatoes into 1/4 inch thick rounds on a mandoline slicer
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