Breakfast Casserole with Leeks and Asparagus

Ingredients

• 3 slices thick-sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 pound of asparagus, trimmed of woody ends, cut into 1/2-inch diagonal pieces
• 6 slices of bread, cut into 1 1/2 inch wide square pieces, including crusts
• 2 leeks, cleaned, cut in half lengthwise, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces, white and light green parts only, about 2 cups total
• 2 Tbsp butter, divided 1 Tbsp and 1 Tbsp
• 1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese
• 8 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried herbes de provence
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Set the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook it slowly, giving the pieces a turn now and then, until they are lightly browned and have released plenty of fat, about 10-12 minutes. Scoop the bacon out with a slotted spoon and keep the bacon fat in the skillet.
2. While the bacon cooks, cut the bread into pieces. Slightly stale bread is ideal. If your bread is fresh, scatter it on a baking sheet and warm it in a 200 degrees F oven for about 10-15 minutes, just to dry it out a little. That small step helps the bread hold together once the eggs come in.
3. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Drop in the cut asparagus and blanch it for 1 minute. Transfer the asparagus to a bowl of ice water, let it chill there, then drain it.
4. After the bacon is out of the skillet, add 1 tablespoon of butter to the bacon fat left behind. Stir in the leeks and cook them gently over medium to medium low heat for 10-12 minutes, until they soften without taking on color. Keep an eye on them, because you want tender leeks, not browned ones.
5. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk, crumbled feta cheese, herbes de provence, salt, and pepper.
6. Add the bread to the egg and milk mixture, pressing it down so every piece soaks up the custard. Fold in the asparagus and leeks gently, being careful not to smash the bread.
7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Use the remaining tablespoon of butter to coat the inside of a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Scatter the bacon across the bottom, then carefully pour in the bread and egg mixture. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top, then nudge the grated cheese down slightly so it is moistened by the custard. At this point, you can make it the night before, refrigerate it, and bake it the next morning.
8. Bake the casserole, uncovered, for 45 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and the custard has set. If the top is darkening before the center is done, loosely cover it with foil. Take it out of the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.