Eggs are excellent, especially when it comes to entertaining. Instead of a traditional dish, I wanted to share a creative brunch recipe that’s crowd-pleasing and packed with flavor. Crabmeat and Egg Casserole makes a luscious brunch using our superb Louisiana seafood, but shrimp or ham may be substituted, if you like. Everybody loves eggs, and most importantly, they have some surprising health benefits. They are a highly recommended protein-rich food full of vitamins and minerals, and at only 70 calories per egg, each provides 13 essential nutrients, vitamins, and high-quality protein.
—by Holly Clegg
Crabmeat and Egg Casserole
Author: Holly Clegg
A lightened up casserole full of vitamins and protein.
Ingredients
- 6 slices whole-wheat bread
- 1½ cups water
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
- ½ cup chopped celery
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 cups reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained
- 1 pound lump crabmeat, picked free of shells
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
- ½ cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 2½-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, place bread. Pour 1½ cups water over bread, and let stand 15 minutes.
- Spray a medium skillet with cooking spray. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Cook over medium heat until tender, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside. Cool slightly.
- Add 1 cup cheese to bread mixture, stirring to combine. Add onion mixture, water chestnuts, and crabmeat, stirring gently to combine.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together egg and egg whites. Add mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Add egg mixture to crabmeat mixture, stirring gently to combine. Spread into prepared pan. Sprinkle top with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake until filling is set, bread is toasted, and cheese is melted, 35 to 40 minutes.
The recipe I’m seeing above says 11/2 cups of water – should this be 1-1/2 cups of water (12 oz)?
Thanks for your sharp eye. That was indeed a formatting error, and it has been fixed. The correct measurement is 1 1/2 cups.
While I know (and appreciate) that you intended this to be a “lighter” version of this casserole, I can’t help but thinking how much more delicious this would be in a “full-fat” incarnation!