Jalapeno and cheese breakfast casserole DSC5015
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Jalapeño and cheese breakfast casserole recipe

“Will you be here for breakfast?” asked my mom. I replied that I would. “Great!” she said. “I’ll make Sue’s eggs.”

Sue is a friend of my mom’s, and she is famous for her breakfast casserole. She gave my mom the recipe, and our family has since made it a staple for special occasions. Now, while I tend to associate this breakfast casserole with Christmas morning, Mom’s making it in March signaled to me that maybe my visit was a cause for celebration, too.

What she didn’t know, however, was that I almost didn’t make it to her house. Between my running amuck in South Texas, and being so utterly charmed by the town of Victoria, I was tempted to linger in that part of the state and completely omit Houston from my itinerary.

Jalapeno and cheese breakfast casserole | Homesick Texan

Fortunately, I made the right decision.

Besides breakfast, mom also made a simple supper of tamales, apple-walnut salad and guacamole. We washed it down with Topo Chico—bottled Mexican fizzy water that I adore but can’t find in New York City. It was all superb.

While I ate very well during my time in Texas, I have to admit that the food that Mom cooked was definitely the best eating of my whole trip. Why? Because it was made with love. There’s a lot of sadness and heartbreak in the world right now, and like so many, I feel pretty powerless to make it better. Making donations to relief organizations does its part, of course. But being grateful, giving thanks, and showing love aren’t bad practices either.

Now, about this breakfast casserole. It’s not complicated—it’s just eggs, cheese, flour and canned green chiles, though Mom has made it her own by adding fresh jalapeños instead. It’s also very rich, as there’s so much cheese in it that one slice will supply you with a week’s worth of vitamin D and calcium. This bit of decadence is probably why my family saves it only for special days.

Jalapeno and cheese breakfast casserole | Homesick Texan

But you know what? I’ve decided that mom had the right idea—spending precious time with loved ones is always cause for celebration. We should cherish every moment that we have. So yes, I’m very grateful that I had the opportunity to visit with my mom, and share with her some delicious home-cooked food. It was the highlight of my trip to Texas. Thanks, Mom!

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5 from 5 votes

Jalapeño and cheese breakfast casserole

Servings 6
Author Lisa Fain

Ingredients

  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup cottage cheese
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 ounces)
  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 jalapeños, stems and seeds removed, diced
  • Salsa, for serving

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8×8 casserole dish or baking pan.
  • In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the flour, dry mustard, baking powder and salt. Stir in the cottage cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, cheddar cheese, butter and jalapeños, and mix until incorporated.
  • Pour the eggs into the casserole dish, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and the center is firm. Serve warm with salsa.

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61 Comments

  1. Anonymous says:

    I just happened on this as I'm planning to make some Jalapeño Cheese Quiche aka Texas Fudge aka, etc. My M_I_L's recipe for it uses only one egg with one pound cheddar cheese and canned diced jalapeños to taste. I plan to use fresh jalapeños and just wanted to check the various ways of making it and see if there were other additions I might want to use. I happened to first land on the spot where you made the very nice comments about my hometown. Gives me more of an appreciation for it, so thank you so much for that. Having lived in Victoria for most of my life, I tend to take it for granted.

  2. Hi,

    This was delicious!

    I sauteed a quarter cup of chopped onion, 1 1/2 of the chopped jalapenos, and a large clove of minced garlic in 1 tablespoon of the butter. I melted the rest of the butter and folded everything into the raw mixture. I topped the dish with crosswise slices of the the remaining half jalapeno. Once out of the oven, I ran a strip of salsa over each serving and topped that with quartered yellow cherry tomatoes and chopped cilantro. Sides were bacon, apple slices, and corn tortillas.

  3. Can this be put together, refrigerated overnight and then cooked in the morning? I don’t want to have to get up early to fix it!

    1. Lisa Fain says:

      Jo–Well, I’ve never done that before so I’m not sure if it would affect the quality or not. Though my guess is it would be fine.

  4. Is there anything that you can substitute for the cottage cheese? Hubby won’t touch it with a 10 foot pole…

    1. Lisa Fain says:

      Christy–You could try ricotta. You don’t taste the cottage cheese, however.