No, but I highly recommend the rich, sweet taste of brioche. If you decide to use another type of bread, try sour dough, a french baguette or an Italian loaf of bread. They are hearty enough to stand up to the egg mixture and will do well in this...
You want the bread dry so it absorbs the egg custard so drying it out by toasting it is highly recommended. Alternatively, you could cut up the bread and leave it on the kitchen counter overnight to air dry.
While I use Canadian ham, you could use your favorite types of ham or cooked bacon. I’d cook the bacon super crispy and let it drain on paper towels. Crumble before mixing into the egg mixture.
I’m always looking to eliminate saturated fats where I can and when it won’t take away from the taste and flavor. While I lightened this up using some skim milk, you could make this entire dish using half and half, whole milk or even try a non dairy milk. They will...
While I made individual servings in this recipe, this works great in a large casserole dish too. You’ll just increase the cooking time to 35 minutes. I’d bake the casserole dish covered with foil for 25 minutes then uncover and bake another 10 minutes. Just serve it...
