Eggs Benedict Casserole

The smell of toasted English muffins and melting butter will forever pull me back to a rainy Sunday when my sister announced she was moving across the country and we needed a proper sendoff brunch. I threw together whatever was in the fridge, and somehow this casserole became the dish everyone still begs for at every family gathering. It took me three attempts to nail the hollandaise without scrambling it, but that morning everything clicked.

My brother in law now requests this every Christmas morning and honestly I think he married into the family partly for this casserole.

Ingredients

• 6 English muffins split and cut into 1 inch pieces: Toast them lightly first so they soak up the egg mixture without turning to mush.
• 300 g Canadian bacon or ham diced: Dice it small so every bite gets a bit of that salty smoky goodness.
• 8 large eggs plus 3 extra yolks for hollandaise: Use the freshest eggs you can find, they make the custard richer and the hollandaise silkier.
• 480 ml whole milk: Whole milk creates that tender custard texture, do not be tempted to use skim here.
• 115 g unsalted butter melted: This goes entirely into the hollandaise and it needs to be warm but not hot when you drizzle it in.
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice: Fresh squeezed only, the bottled stuff tastes flat and throws off the whole sauce.
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard total: One teaspoon in the egg mixture and a half teaspoon in the hollandaise, with a little extra punch if you like it.
• Cayenne pepper and paprika: Just a pinch of cayenne in the sauce and paprika on top for color and a whisper of heat.
• Salt and black pepper to taste: Season the egg mixture generously, the muffins absorb more salt than you expect.
• Fresh chives finely chopped: Totally optional but they add a fresh oniony bite that cuts through all that richness beautifully.

Instructions

Build the foundation:

Grease a 9 by 13 inch baking dish and scatter half the English muffin pieces across the bottom, then layer half the diced Canadian bacon on top. Repeat with the remaining muffins and bacon, creating two even layers that will soak up all that eggy goodness overnight.

Make the custard:

Whisk together the eggs, milk, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until completely smooth and no streaks of yolk remain. Pour this mixture evenly over the muffin layers, pressing down gently so everything gets submerged, then cover tightly and refrigerate for at least two hours or ideally overnight.

Bake it golden:

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius and pull the casserole out of the fridge while it warms up so it is not ice cold going in. Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes until the center is set and the top is a gorgeous golden brown, tenting with foil if it starts browning too fast.

Whisk the hollandaise:

Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water and whisk the egg yolks, lemon juice, Dijon, and cayenne until they thicken slightly, about two minutes. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter while whisking constantly until the sauce becomes thick, glossy, and absolutely luxurious, then season with salt.

Bring it together:

Pull the bubbling casserole from the oven and drizzle that warm hollandaise generously across the top. Scatter with fresh chives and a dusting of paprika, then serve immediately while everything is hot and the sauce is still velvety.

Save

One Easter morning I dropped the entire casserole pulling it from the oven and we ate it off a cutting board with spoons, and nobody cared because it was still that good.

Make It Your Own

I have swapped the Canadian bacon for smoky salmon and sauteed mushrooms more times than I can count, and each variation feels like a completely different meal. Spinach layered between the muffins turns it almost virtuous, though the hollandaise keeps things honest.

Leftover Strategy

This reheats surprisingly well in a low oven covered with foil, though the hollandaise is best made fresh for round two. I usually make extra sauce and keep it warm in a thermos for exactly this reason.

Planning Your Morning

Setting everything up the night before means you can stumble into the kitchen half awake and still produce something magnificent with barely any effort.

• Pull the casserole from the fridge the moment you wake up so it starts coming to room temperature.
• Get your double boiler setup ready before you turn on the oven.
• Remember the hollandaise waits for no one, so have everything else plated before you start whisking.

Save

This is the kind of recipe that turns an ordinary morning into an event, and honestly we could all use more of those.

Recipe FAQs

→ Can I assemble this casserole the night before?

Yes, in fact it's recommended. Assemble the casserole, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. This allows the English muffins to fully absorb the egg custard, resulting in a better texture. Just add about 5–10 extra minutes to the baking time if going straight from the fridge.

→ What can I substitute for Canadian bacon?

Sliced ham, smoked salmon, sautéed mushrooms, or even wilted spinach make excellent substitutes or additions. Each brings a different flavor profile — smoked salmon adds richness, while mushrooms and spinach offer a vegetarian-friendly option.

→ How do I prevent the hollandaise from breaking?

Keep the heat gentle — the water beneath your double boiler should be barely simmering, never boiling. Add the melted butter very slowly in a thin stream while whisking constantly. If the sauce starts to separate, whisk in a teaspoon of warm water to bring it back together.

→ Can I make the hollandaise ahead of time?

You can prepare hollandaise up to 2 hours ahead. Keep it at room temperature in a warm spot, then gently reheat over a double boiler, whisking occasionally. Avoid direct heat or microwaving, which will cause it to break.

→ How do I know when the casserole is fully cooked?

The center should be set and no longer jiggly when you gently shake the dish. The top will be golden brown, and a knife inserted in the middle should come out clean. If the top browns too quickly before the center sets, cover loosely with aluminum foil for the remaining bake time.

→ Is there a lighter version of this dish?

Absolutely. Swap in whole-wheat English muffins and use low-fat milk instead of whole milk. You can also reduce the butter in the hollandaise slightly and use a touch more lemon juice to maintain the right consistency.