Step 1

Spray a metal or ceramic 9 x 13-inch (22 x 33 cm) baking dish with non-stick spray

Step 2

Split the English muffins in half and then cut them into about ½-inch cubes. Distribute the cut English muffins evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Cube the Canadian bacon or ham and sprinkle half of it over top of the bread. (*If you live outside the US and the Canadian bacon you have is not fully cooked, you will want to cook it first)

Step 3

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the whole eggs and milk and season very liberally with salt and black pepper (about 1 teaspoon salt and ¾ teaspoon black pepper but I just eyeball it).

Step 4

Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread and top with the rest of the Canadian bacon. Press down on the bread to make sure that it is all submerged in the egg mixture.

Step 5

Cover with tinfoil and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.

Step 6

About an hour and a half before serving, pull the casserole out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temp for about 30 minutes before baking.

Step 7

Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.

Step 8

Bake the casserole at 350°F/175°C. for 50 minutes to 1 hour until the egg custard has set. You may place a loose piece of tinfoil over the casserole during the last 20 minutes of baking to avoid over-browning. Remove from the oven and keep covered until ready to serve and slice.

Step 9

Top with hollandaise sauce (recipe follows) and minced chives if desired.

Step 10

Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator covered for up to 3 days.

Step 11

Make the hollandaise sauce right before serving the casserole. It can be kept in a thermos for up to 30 minutes, but it takes less than 5 minutes to make so it is best to make it right before serving.

Step 12

Melt the butter and set it aside. You still want it to be fairly hot when you make the sauce.

Step 13

Place the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and a pinch of cayenne or a dash of cayenne (if desired) into a blender. Place the top on and blend on high for just a few seconds.

Step 14

Remove the top of the blender and while still blending, very slowly stream in the melted butter. The sauce will begin thickening up.

Step 15

Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Step 16

Serve immediately. As it cools it will start to solidify.

Step 17

If you need to wait a bit before serving, keep it in a thermos or let it sit on the hot stove.