Best way to "supersize" a breakfast casserole?

This Sunday my wife and I are hosting a brunch for about twenty-five adults. I have researched making breakfast casseroles on the Cooks Illustrated website - many good options/great flavor combinations. However, the recipes call for either an 8x8 casserole, or a 9x13 shallow dish if the recipe is doubled. I have these sizes available, but would love to make the casseroles in an extra deep,
cast iron, enameled, 9x13 lasagna dish. I am worried that if I triple or quadruple the recipe, even with the requisite extra cooking time, that I will still end up with a "soupy" center...maybe I could use thicker slices of bread in the center? I would provide the recipes, but am unsure if that is okay being that the Cook's website requires a subscription. Any ideas would be much appreciated!

If it's a deeper, thicker casserole than the recipe calls for, I'd just put it in the oven at a lower temp for a longer time - maybe use an instant-read thermometer to determine when it's done. Then maybe a quick blast under the broiler, or even use a blow torch, for a crispy crunch on top.

Hmmm....tripling the recipe and cooking might not get you good results. You might end up with some dry edges and undercooked middle. Instead of trying to do it all in one dish, I'd make several different types of breakfast casserole in 9x13 pans. Make some with meat and some without, giving your guests variety.

I used to make breakfast casseroles for a breakfast club at work. Two 9x13 casseroles plus fruit salad and assorted bread/muffin selection served 20 people very well.

I'm with the majority, here - I think "extra deep" is problematic - however, can you find something shallow with a larger circumference? You may have to tinker with cooking time (a thermometer in the middle is a great idea - I found a web page that says 165 degrees (which seems high to me), but I think the center will be more likely to cook properly if everything is at a lower depth.

Thanks for all the helpful input!

How about making your own extra large pan that would accomodate larger quantities to the same depth. Take a large cookie sheet. Lay 3 layers of aluminum foil very smooth. Turn up all 4 sides and you have a very large 'pan'.

If you use the extra deep pan (which I think you could), I would cook it in a water bath like a custard. This will allow it to cook more slowly and stay moist. Cover for a time and uncover to brown the top for the last 15+ minutes.

Another option, though not as "green," would be to buy some cheap disposable aluminum 9x13 or 8x8 etc pans and make a few of them. That way, you won't have to adjust your cooking time much.

The downside is that if you are serving them in their vessels, it does not make for good presentation.

dees_1 wrote:Hmmm....tripling the recipe and cooking might not get you good results. You might end up with some dry edges and undercooked middle. Instead of trying to do it all in one dish, I'd make several different types of breakfast casserole in 9x13 pans. Make some with meat and some without, giving your guests variety.

This is a good idea; however, even baking in separate casseroles will call for increased baking time.

Your hunch is accurate. Experience tells me that when it comes to egg dishes -- espeically casseroles -- making multiple units produces far better results than making a larger one. Generally speaking, the larger ones just don't cook properly.

Of course, if you're cooking more than one casserole, you'll have to source additional baking vessels and, as LAZ indicated, you'll have to cook them longer (if you cook them at the same time) but the results should be better than if you "supersize" and you won't end up with "soupy centers."

Good luck and please, report back on how it went.

=R=

I will definitely report back once the brunch is complete! I have decided to go with three normal size 9x13 casseroles - one with Monterrey Jack, Tennessee Pride Mild Sausage, and mushrooms - the second with gruyere and spinach - and the third with Fontina, rosemary and, and potatoes. Aside from the casseroles, we will have brioche french toast, bagels, fruit, bacon and the requisite bloody mary/mimosa bar. Many folks will also need a beer chaser with their bloody, since they will still be mourning the Badger loss to Davidson. Thanks again for all the great suggestions!

Wow. That's quite the spread, sounds terrific...I'm free for breakfast, BTW

Thanks to all who provided helpful tips; the brunch was a resounding success! I wish I had had time to snap some pictures, but the hungry mob was relentless. The casseroles or "breakfast stratas," as they are called on the cooks illustrated website, turned out better than I had hoped. They were crispy, cheesy, and golden brown on top, while the interior was airy, eggy, and creamy. Even with a thoroughly preheated oven, and some time to come up to temperature after being refrigerated over night, the stratas took close to two hours to cook to 153 degrees, the point at which I deemed them to be done and safe to eat. When cooking for a crowd, my worst nightmare is getting someone sick; though I know I was leaving a tiny window of risk open --the FDA says 165 degrees for casseroles. The spread as a whole went over really well, though it was hectic at times - with bacon and French toast going at the same time, while the casseroles finished up, I could have used a couple more burners and a much larger kitchen!