Baked Ham and Cheese Omelet

This baked ham and cheese omelet is a simple egg casserole that's perfect for breakfast, Brunch, lunch, or dinner - with just 10 minutes of prep!

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

COOK TIME 55 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 5 minutes

YIELD: 8 to 10 servings

INGREDIENTS:

16 Large Eggs (or use 8 whole eggs and 12 egg whites)

2 cups Whole Milk or 2% Milk

1 teaspoon Seasoned Salt (such as Lawry's brand)

1 pound diced cooked Ham (or substitute with cooked bacon or sausage)

2 cups grated Cheddar Cheese

6 tablespoons very finely diced Sweet Onion

Optional Garnish:

Chopped fresh Chives or Parsley

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Beat eggs, milk and seasoned salt together in a large bowl.

2. Stir in ham (or bacon or sausage), cheese, and onions.

3. Pour the egg mixture into a greased 9x13-inch rectangular baking dish.

4. Bake at 350° Fahrenheit for 45-55 minutes, or until the eggs are set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. Cut into squares and garnish with fresh herbs, if desired.

NOTES:

**ADD VEGETABLES: Stir in just about any sauteed vegetables that you like. Good options include sweet bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, mushrooms, and broccoli. Spinach is also a nice addition to the egg bake, and you don't need to cook it first.

**TRY HERBS: Mix fresh herbs right into the eggs for even more flavor. Good options include chopped fresh parsley, chives, thyme, rosemary, and basil.

**ALMOST ANY GOOD MELTING CHEESE WILL WORK IN THIS OMELET. Instead of sharp cheddar, try Swiss, Colby, Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack or Gouda.

**INSTEAD OF THE DICED HAM, use an equal amount of cooked bacon or cooked, crumbled sausage.

**USE LEFTOVER HAM (such as holiday extras from Easter or Christmas), or just purchase ham at the grocery store to use in this recipe. You can buy a ham steak and dice it yourself at home or pick up a package of pre-diced ham and avoid the extra prep. Even sliced ham from the deli counter will work!

**DICE THE ONION INTO VERY FINE PIECES, so that they soften in the oven, Larger chunks of onion may still be crisp at the end of baking, and nobody wants to bite into crunchy onion in an omelet!

**USE WHOLE MIL OR AT LEAST 2% MILK FOR THE BEST TEXTURE. You need some fat to make a good egg custard, so even half-and-half or heavy cream will work for a richer, more decadent flavor and texture!

**DON'T SKIP THE LAWRY'S SEASONED SALT. This single ingredient is an easy way to add tons of flavor to the dish, since it includes a blend of seasonings like paprika, onion, and garlic. The omelet just doesn't taste quite as good without it!