Bacon and Cheese Casserole

Ingredients:

2 ounces Butter
1 French baguette
2 cups Cheese, cubed
½ cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped
6 slices of crispy bacon, crumbled
1 onion, diced
6 large eggs
2 ½ cups milk
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, finely diced

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Butter a 10” x 10” square nonreactive baking dish.
3. Cut the baguette into 1 inch cubes and place half the bread on the base of the baking dish.
4. Layer half the cheese, all the spinach, bacon and onion on top of the bread in the baking dish. Place the remaining cubes of bread on top.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the ingredients in the baking dish and then gently press down on the bread to make sure each piece has been soaked.
6. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
7. Cover the baking dish and place in a fridge for 30 minutes. This allows the bread to soak up the egg mixture, so it will be light and fluffy.
8. After the casserole has soaked, cover tightly with aluminum foil, transfer to the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes, and then a further 10 minutes without the aluminum foil.
9. Allow the casserole rest for 10 minutes before sprinkling on parsley, cutting and serving.

Source: Kerrygold