The Best Breakfast Casserole
Do you know what I love? Waking up on Christmas morning and not worrying about what to make for breakfast. Hosting a brunch and casually enjoying my coffee before my guests arrive. If you’re not a morning person, like me, you’ll love this effortless but impressive make-ahead breakfast casserole. If you ARE a morning person (*bowing in admiration*), well… you’ll love this effortless but impressive make-ahead breakfast casserole.
I’ve made quite a few breakfast casseroles and this one comes out on top. It’s quick, easy, and the maple sausage….OH MY…! I used a package of Trader Joe’s Maple Bourbon Pork Sausage and it MADE the dish. Any maple flavored sausage will work great; the maple sweetness and touch of saltiness are a perfect complement.
Christmas morning is coming. Are you ready? (You don’t have to answer!) Trust me, put this breakfast casserole together the night before so you can focus on other, more important, things on Christmas morning…
This is literally the BEST breakfast casserole ever! Toasty sourdough, maple sausage, eggs, and gooey cheese! Assemble the night before, pop in the oven, YUM!
Ingredients
- 1 pound maple pork sausage
- 10 eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 cups 1-inch cubed bread (sourdough is fantastic, but you can use any type of bread)
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons softened butter (to grease casserole dish)
Instructions
PREPARE:
Generously butter a 9 x 13 x 2 inch casserole dish.
Optional-- you can toast the bread cubes at 350 degrees until lightly toasted (about 20 minutes). Toast the bread while you're cooking the sausage. This will shrink the bread, so if you do toast the bread I recommend adding an additional cup of non-toasted bread to the dish when you assemble it. Toasting the bread adds great texture to the casserole!
If you use sausage links, ensure you remove the sausage casings. In a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium-high heat, stirring and breaking up the sausage until it is cooked and not pink.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and salt until thoroughly combined.
ASSEMBLE:
Evenly distribute half the bread into the buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle with half the shredded cheese, half the black pepper, half the red bell pepper, and half the cooked sausage. Repeat the layers.
Pour the egg mixture evenly over the casserole. Cover the casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.
When you’re ready to bake the casserole, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Uncover the casserole. I typically press the casserole with my hands to push the egg mixture back to the top and "re-hydrate" the top layer a bit.
Bake the casserole uncovered for 60 minutes until the eggs have set. If the top starts to brown quickly, you can loosely cover with foil.
Let the casserole cool just a few minutes and then serve...because you won't want to wait any longer after smelling this wonderful casserole cooking in your home!
https://www.travelynneats.com/2018/12/23/breakfast-casserole/
