Baked Egg Casserole with English Muffins

From the book The Basic Gourmet Entertains by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart

Serves

8

Introduction

This creamy, tarragon-flavored casserole is a perfect match with the thick-sliced Black Forest ham, as well as the asparagus salad.

Ingredients

	10	Tbsp. unsalted butter
	2	cups coarse fresh bread crumbs
	~	Nonstick cooking spray
	1¼	lb. fresh mushrooms, wiped or brushed clean, stems trimmed, and sliced ¼ inch thick
	8	large hard-cooked eggs, sliced (see Cook’s Notes)
	1	medium onion (about 5 ounces), peeled and diced
	½	cup all-purpose flour
	4	cups whole milk
	3	Tbsp. Dijon-style mustard
	2¾	tsp. salt
	~	Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
	½	tsp. freshly ground or grated nutmeg
	1	bunch tarragon, leaves stripped off stems and chopped
	4	English muffins, split and toasted

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. In a medium mixing bowl, toss fresh bread crumbs with butter. Spread on a baking sheet and bake until crumbs are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Set aside. Raise oven temperature to 375°F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy, 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat until foam subsides.
3. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until they have given up their moisture, and moisture has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Mushrooms should be dry. Spread mushrooms evenly over bottom of prepared baking dish. Spread sliced eggs on top of mushrooms.
4. In a heavy 3- or 4-quart saucepan over medium heat, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter. Add onion and sauté until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, add flour, and stir carefully to break up as many lumps as possible. Cook, stirring regularly, until mixture is faintly colored, about 5 minutes. Raise heat to medium, add milk, and stir constantly to break up lumps while sauce thickens. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a bare simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in mustard, salt, a few grinds pepper, nutmeg, and tarragon. Taste for seasoning and adjust if desired. Pour sauce evenly over top of mushroom-egg mixture and top with toasted bread crumbs.
5. Bake until casserole is bubbly, about 25 minutes. To serve, place a toasted English muffin half on each plate and spoon casserole on top.

Notes

• To hard-cook eggs, pierce large end of each egg with sharp pin, point of thin, sharp knife, or point of skewer. This helps to prevent egg from cracking in water. Place eggs in saucepan, add cold water to cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook 12 minutes. Drain, and bounce eggs a few times in pan to break shells. Cover with cold water, let stand for a few minutes, and peel.

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