my favorite breakfast casserole

I’m always up for is a challenge in the kitchen. Especially when it’s tied to very specific memories and family recipes. There’s something special about being in the kitchen – with others, or even alone – and making something that feels like home to you.

So it may be an understatement to say that I’m super excited to be sharing about my favorite breakfast casserole with you again.

Kitchen Play and McCormick emailed a bunch of bloggers, wanted an inside peek at what cooking for our family looks like and what makes it special. And I couldn’t think of a better example than this breakfast casserole.

Do you have family food traditions? And not just a turkey at Thanksgiving or ham at Christmas. Cinnamon rolls for birthday breakfasts? Giant cookies in place of the usual birthday cake (my personal favorite)?

While Thanksgiving as a whole has always been my favorite holiday, there’s something incredibly special about our Christmas mornings at home, and it has nothing to do with stockings or what is sitting under the tree.

Christmas morning, for me, will always be filled with memories of my mom and dad, two sisters, and friends might as well be family.

Every Christmas morning that I can remember at home meant going over to my parents’ best friends house, trading gifts – usually in pajamas, at least for us kids – and then sharing breakfast together. Always breakfast casserole. Always mom’s, and always Jill’s. Plus some fruit, coffee for the adults, Five Alive juice for us kids. Sometimes monkey bread or donuts, too, but the mainstay was always – and is still – the breakfast casserole.

There are times that this casserole makes an appearance at other times during the year, but it’s rare. I love it for a weekend breakfast or easy dinner, but I don’t make it often because it is so closely tied with Christmas morning and my family and the Lowell’s that it seems strange to have this in the middle of summer or on a cool spring morning.

It is a Christmas morning dish. The only Christmas morning dish.

From elementary school through college (and even still when we’re home visiting at Christmas), this has stayed the same. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I hope some of you will try this – either at Christmas or just tomorrow for a great Sunday morning breakfast. If I carry on no other legacy, I hope that this is one that sticks with me.

Do you have a recipe or dish that’s your family’s favorite? What’s the story behind it? I hope you’ll share in the comments!

I love using and revamping family favorites, but I love trying and creating new recipes, too, which is why I started using FlavorPrint – have you guys tried this yet? FlavorPrint is a tool that provides recipes and recipe ideas to you based on a series of questions you answer about your tastes and flavor preferences. The more you use FlavorPrint, the more familiar it becomes with your preferences, and the better the recipes it suggests will fit your personal flavor profile.

I created my own FlavorPrint profile and have LOVED some of the recipe suggestions so far. It’s like my own personal food/recipe stylist! Make sure to check out the other recipes related to their American Homemade campaign – I’ve already got most of them on my to-make list.

My tiny little twist on this breakfast casserole that’s different than my mom’s recipe? I love adding in some rosemary. The basic recipe just uses oregano, but rosemary + eggs is one of my favorite combinations, so I have a hard time leaving it out of this.

This post has been sponsored by McCormick’s in partnership with Kitchen PLAY. All opinions are my own.