Adapted from A Cozy Book of Breakfasts & Brunches by Jim Brown and Karletta Moniz, Prima Publishing, 1997.
*I usually use crimini mushrooms, small brown mushrooms that have more flavor than ordinary white mushrooms. (Although it's an interesting fact that crimini mushrooms are simply more mature white mushrooms. Their greater age makes them meatier and firmer, with fuller flavor. But ordinary white mushrooms will also do fine.) Rinsing, wiping, trimming and slicing fresh mushrooms takes some time, true. But the effort is worth the result!
**This recipe is basically what is usually called a strata, meaning layers, and the original version has you use slices of bread. But then you have to get the ingredients all spread out evenly between the bread. I think it's much easier to cube the bread and then just mix all the meat, cheese and vegetables up with those cubes, pack that mixture into the pan, and then pour the egg/milk mixture over. If you use a baguette you'll need two, or at least enough to equal about a pound. I've used King Soopers multi-grain French bread and Costco's country French bread with great success.
***You can add extra on the top, if you really like cheese. (And who doesn't?)
****The original recipe calls for Cheddar, and that's what I tend to use. If you have something else on hand, though, that's reasonably flavorful (Gruyere, for example), go ahead with that. I wouldn't use a bland cheese such as mozzarella.