Breakfast Casserole

Today is my youngest 17th birthday. My baby is 17, which means one year from today he will be 18 and officially an adult. I'm not ready. This boy has brought so much joy into our family. I had my first 4 children in 5 years, and then we had a 6 year span before we had Paul. It was a little challenging getting him here, but he ended up being a very healthy 9.1 lb baby. Now he's six feet tall, and yes, he's still a teenager, but I adore him.
This morning I got up early to make his favorite food: Breakfast casserole. We normally reserve this recipe for Christmas morning, and birthday morning. Each bite comes with a lot of memories of happy family times.
BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
8 slices bread
6 slices ham, diced (*I often substitute cooked bacon pieces, or sausage)
2 C. grated mild cheddar cheese
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 1/2 C. milk
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp dry mustard
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) cream of mushroom soup
1/2 C. milk
Butter bread. Remove crusts and cube. Put bread in bottom of a buttered 9"X13" pan. Cover with ham. Top with grated cheese. Beat eggs with 2 1/2 C. milk, salt and dry mustard. Pour over ham. Refrigerate over night. In the morning dilute the soup with 1/2 C. milk. Pour over casserole. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours (until set).

Place buttered bread cubes in the bottom of the dish

Sprinkle the ham then cheese over the bread.

Mix the eggs with the milk, salt and dry mustard. Beat slightly with a fork. Then pour wet mixture over the bread, ham and cheese. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and place in the refrigerator over night.
In the morning, dilute the soup and pour over the top. Cook.

I asked Paul this morning what I could get him besides Breakfast casserole and OJ. He looked at me and in a very serious voice said "Nothing mom. What could be better than this?"