Savory Breakfast Casserole
Good morning! I wasn’t planning to be back before the New Year and most definitely didn’t expect to wake-up this morning and realize that it’s Monday but here we are! Last week, I pulled the trigger and replaced our traditional Christmas morning Holiday French Toast with a savory breakfast casserole. Kyle wasn’t going to be with us to celebrate and being our traditionalist, his absence gave the permission to shake things up…I mean, it was already going to feel different, so why not? So here’s an absolutely delicious treat for you to wake up to on New Year’s Day.
In my search for a suitable substitute, I landed upon the Once Upon A Chef Breakfast Casserole. The fact that it was just “the” breakfast casserole with no need for elaboration combined with the reality that every recipe of Jenn Segal’s that I have ever made has been reliably delicious, I decided that this was the one.
The recipe was super simple and relied heavily on the flavor of seasoned sausage. I boldly replaced real sausage with Impossible Spicy Sausage and not only did my family love it but they said that it tasted like meat to them. I also substituted the cheddar with Swiss cheese because I prefer the flavor. The resulting casserole was custardy, rich and deeply satisfying.
I encourage you to prepare this casserole on New Year’s Eve and surprise your family (or indulge yourself) with a real treat to welcome 2025 on New Year’s Day. Let’s make this year the best one yet! Enjoy!
PS: Because I was distracted from photo taking on Christmas morning, this image is taken from Once Upon A Chef.
Savory Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 Tbls unsalted butter divided
- 1 lb sweet or spicy pork sausage (casings removed) I substituted Impossible Spicy Sausage
- 1 med yellow onion chopped
- 1 loaf white sandwich bread, crusts removed and cut into 1-inch cubes such as Pepperidge Farm (18 slices)
- 2 1/2 c grated Swiss or sharp cheddar cheese I used Swiss
- 1/2 c chopped fresh parsley
- 6 large eggs
- 2 c half-and-half
- scant tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with butter.
- In a large nonstick skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break the meat into small clumps, until browned, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the sausage to a large mixing bowl, leaving the fat in the pan. Turn the heat down to medium, then add the onions to the pan along with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Cook the onions, stirring constantly, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the onions to the mixing bowl with the sausage, along with the bread cubes, grated cheese, and parsley. Toss well, then spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, salt, and pepper. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread mixture. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Bake for about one hour, uncovered, until puffed and golden brown. Slice into squares and serve immediately.
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December 30, 2024 @ 9:32 am
Yum. Nice for dinner