Our contributing editor, Julie Van Rosendaal, joined the team at Best of Bridge in 2017, and like most westerners, grew up with classics like Classy Chicken and come December 25, Christmas Morning Wifesaver. She shared both this recipe, and her thoughts on BoB’s most beloved holiday recipe:

Calgarians who lived here in the eighties will recall the recipe that made the Best of Bridge famous€”nowadays the authors say it's more aptly called €œChristmas Morning Domestic Partner Saver€€”it's a hefty, savoury sort of strata, made with day-old bread, bacon, cheddar and eggs. Casseroles aren€™t just for dinner anymore.

Ready to make the big day a little easier? Make this recipe the night before, and you’ll be a bigger hit than Santa. (Or pretty close, anyway.)

Christmas Morning Wife Saver Recipe

Courtesy Best of Bridge

Ingredients

16 slices white bread, crusts removed

16 slices Canadian back bacon or ham

16 slices sharp cheddar cheese

6 eggs

1/2 tsp. pepper 

1/2-1 tsp. dry mustard 

1/4 cup minced onion 

1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper 

1-2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 

3 cups milk 

dash Tabasco

1/2 cup butter 

Special K or crushed Corn Flakes

Instructions

Set 8 pieces of bread into a 9€³ x 13€³ (23 x 33 cm) buttered, glass baking dish.

Cover bread with slices of back bacon. Lay slices of cheddar cheese on top of bacon and then cover with remaining slices of bread to make it like a sandwich.

In a bowl, beat eggs and pepper. To the egg mixture add dry mustard, onion, green pepper, Worcestershire sauce, milk and Tabasco. Pour over the sandwiches, cover and let stand in fridge overnight.

In the morning, melt butter, pour over top. Cover with Special K or crushed Corn Flakes.

Bake, uncovered, 1 hour at 350 deg.F (180 deg.C). Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Serve this with fresh fruit and hot cinnamon rolls (preferably The Land of Nod recipe, also from Best of  Bridge)