Recipe Favorites: Mushroom and Feta Breakfast Casserole

(Updated May 2008) Mushroom and Feta breakfast casserole is something I've been making for years, and mushrooms and feta cheese are probably all you have to hear to know this is absolutely one of my Recipe Favorites. Earlier today I made this casserole you see in the (updated) photo because I had a guest for breakfast! Genie from The Inadvertent Gardener stopped for a night as she makes her way across the country headed for California. I met Genie last year at the 2007 BlogHer Conference, and it was fun sharing dinner at The Red Iguana and a quick breakfast with her before she got back on the road.

Whether you're having guests for breakfast or just looking for make-ahead breakfast options for the South Beach Diet, breakfast casseroles like this are great. This will keep for at least a week in the fridge, and it's easy to pop it in the microwave for a quick breakfast. (You can freeze it, but the eggs get a bit watery.) The possible combinations that will work in a breakfast casserole like this are endless, so check after the recipe for some other variations I've enjoyed.

(Before you make this you may wish to read Basic Instructions for South Beach Diet Friendly Breakfast Casseroles which has instructions for various sizes of pans and ingredient options for this type of breakfast casserole.)

Mushroom and Feta Breakfast Casserole
(Makes about 10 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

18 eggs
2 T half and half or milk (I've come to consider this optional the more I make this)
1 pound mushrooms, washed and sliced (use more if the budget can handle it, I like brown Crimini mushrooms for this recipe, but any mushrooms will work)
2-3 tsp. olive oil (depending on your pan)
1 1/2 cups crumbled Feta cheese
(or 3/4 cups feta and 3/4 cups of another white cheese)
2 tsp. Spike Seasoning
salt to taste (Feta cheese and Spike both have salt, so use sparingly; these days I usually skip the salt)
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Spray 9 X 13 glass casserole dish with nonstick spray. Saute mushrooms in olive oil until they're softened and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Drain mushrooms if there's any liquid in the pan, then spread evenly over bottom of casserole dish. Crumble feta over mushrooms.

Beat eggs with half and half or milk, Spike Seasoning, salt (if using) and pepper. Pour over mushroom-feta mixture, then stir gently with a fork so that mushrooms and cheese are evenly distributed in the egg mixture. Bake 45 minutes, or until eggs are set and top is starting to brown.

(Lately I've been cutting this recipe in half and making a smaller portion in my toaster oven. I find the baking time is about around 25-30 minutes for a smaller portion.)

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South Beach Suggestions

Egg dishes like this are a perfect Low-Glycemic breakfast option for any phase of the South Beach Diet. I use whole eggs (which are not limited on South Beach) but you can use liquid egg substitute or more whites than yolks if you prefer.

More Breakfast Casserole Recipes to Try:
(Recipes from other blogs may not always be South Beach Diet friendly, check ingredients.)
Swiss Chard and Mushroom Squares
Broccoli Cheese Breakfast Casserole
Southwestern Egg Casserole
Breakfast Casserole with Mushrooms, Green Bell Peppers, and Feta
Breakfast Casserole with Asparagus, Mushrooms, and Goat Cheese
Sausage Breakfast Casserole from Simply Recipes
Greek Chile Baked Breakfast Casserole from My Wooden Spoon
Mexican Breakfast Casserole from Megan's Cooking
Crockpot Breakfast Casserole from Elementary Chef
Breakfast Pizza from Dine and Dish

Want even more breakfast casserole recipes?
I find these recipes from other blogs using Food Blog Search.

Things you might want to know:
You can get Kalyn's recipes by e-mail.
There's a great way to print recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen.
It's easy to find out who's hosting Weekend Herb Blogging this week.
There are actual rules for Weekend Herb Blogging.
Here is another place where I write more about food.