Mexican Breakfast Casserole
In Los Angeles, we may not have a classic “White Christmas,” but Christmas morning is still one of my favorite times of the year. It’s filled with anticipation of opening gifts. It’s filled with love and laughter of family. For the most part, I can remember being a child and waking up Christmas mornings to the smell of chorizo and warm, homemade tortillas. My brothers and I would be so anxious in our new pajamas just waiting to tear open the presents underneath the Christmas tree.
After ravaging all the wrapped presents and cleaning up the mess we made, mom would call us to the table as a family to enjoy our Christmas breakfast she prepared with love. Looking at the family’s table, I would see a big Christmas breakfast spread consisting of huevos con chorizo, papas, refried beans with lots of cheese, fresh salsa, and homemade flour tortillas. Mexican hot chocolate for the boys and freshly brewed coffee for mom and dad.
For this recipe, I have taken my favorite Christmas breakfast and turned it into a Christmas Mexican Breakfast Casserole. All the same great flavors in one dish. I can even prepare the casserole the night before, place it in the oven in the morning and enjoy opening presents. I no longer have to miss the whole thing because I am stuck in the kitchen cooking.
The breakfast casserole comes to life with the kick of spice from the Cacique Pork Chorizo. The perfect combination of four authentic, Mexican-style cheeses: Manchego, Oaxaca, Quesadilla and Asadero, melts so easily and brings the entire dish together.
Merry Christmas/Feliz Navidad from our family to yours!
WHAT YOU NEED
- 1 pre-made pie crust
- 10-12 large eggs
- ¼ cup half and half
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 packages Cacique Pork Chorizo
- 1 large potato, peeled and sliced thinly
- 1 package Cacique Four Quesos Blend
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 5 tablespoons Cacique Mexican Crema
HOW TO MAKE IT
- Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. In a 9-inch pie dish, line the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan with the rolled-out pie crust. Poke holes in the dough with a fork. Bake the pie dough for 10 minutes.
- In a medium mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk the eggs, half and half, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat butter in a large non-stick frying pan over medium and add egg mixture. Scramble for about 5 minutes for the eggs to firm up slightly, but they should remain a little wet. Place the scrambled eggs on a plate and set aside.
- In the same frying pan on medium-low heat, sauté the pork chorizo for about 10 minutes or until cooked through. Place the cooked chorizo on a plate to drain and set aside.
- In a medium sauce pot, add potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt and cover with cold water. Cover and cook potatoes over medium-heat for 8-10 minutes until al dente. Be careful not to overcook potatoes as they will crumble while trying to assemble your casserole. Remove potatoes from sauce pot and dry on paper towels.
- Begin layering your casserole. First add a layer of potatoes on top the partially baked crust. Then spread the chorizo to cover the entire bottom of the casserole. Next sprinkle half the package of Cacique Four Quesos Blend. Next, spread the scrambled eggs on top. Finish by adding the other half of the Cacique Four Quesos Blend, covering the entire top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese on top is bubbly and turned golden brown. Serve with dollops of the Cacique Mexican Crema and chopped green onions.
- Cook’s Note (optional): You can prepare ahead, refrigerate, and reheat.
