New Year's Day Brunch Bagel Bake

Happy Sunday!! I’m posting this recipe today because I couldn’t wait to share it, and give you plenty of time to shop for the ingredients so you can make it for your New Year’s Day brunch!

This recipe is from Chrissy Teigen, and I found it here. It is so delicious, and would be perfect for brunch or breakfast-for-dinner! I followed the recipe exactly, so I’ve copied and pasted it from the original source here, and added in some pictures.

Here’s what you need for the bake…

1 pound uncooked breakfast sausage links (optional, see Recipe Notes)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed
3 day-old everything bagels, halved and cut into big chunks
2 large tomatoes, cut into chunks
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 1/2 cups grated Gruyère or Swiss cheese, divided
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
8 large eggs
2 cups milk
1 cup half-and-half
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 ounces cold cream cheese, cut into 14 pieces

The list looks overwhelming, but I think it’s great that you can use the leftover ingredients for other things.

And here’s how you make it…

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until cooked through, about 12 minutes or according to package directions. Remove the sausage from the skillet, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces, place in a large bowl, and set aside.

Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden and translucent, about 9 minutes. Meanwhile, pile the thawed spinach into the center of a big clean kitchen towel and roll up the towel. Over a bowl or the sink, twist the ends toward each other and keep twisting until you wring out as much liquid as humanly possible.

Transfer the spinach to the bowl with the sausage. Add the sautéed onion, bagel chunks, tomatoes, basil, Parmesan, 1 cup of the Gruyère, 1 cup of the cheddar, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper. Toss it all together with your hands or a spoon. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, half-and-half, mustard, cayenne, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon black pepper until evenly combined.

Coat 9×13-inch baking dish with butter. Transfer the bagel mixture into the baking dish and arrange into an even layer. Pour the egg mixture over the top, pressing down on the bagels so they soak up the liquid. Nestle the cream cheese chunks in and all around the baking dish (they can be peeking out). Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 1/2 and up to 12 hours. (The longer you soak, the moister the inside will be.)

When ready to bake, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F. Uncover the breakfast bake and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup Gruyère and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue to bake until the top is golden-brown and the center is set, 50 minutes to 1 hour more.