Make Ahead Sausage Egg Bake

Ok, I guess technically this recipe would qualify as a casserole. Egg Casserole. I’ve just never been a big fan of the word. It always makes me think of Tuna Surprise. I don’t especially like being surprised, least of all by tuna fish. So I go with the ever-descriptive title: Egg Bake! But if you enjoy surprises, think of this as a casserole. Ok, glad we got that settled.

My husband and I love lazy weekend mornings. Everyone stays in their pajamas. We read the newspaper or watch the kids’ gymnastic routines while enjoying a laidback breakfast. This is my idea of the perfect Saturday morning.

I realized early on, though, that lazy mornings aren’t lazy for me when I’m busy feeding everyone. That’s why I love make-ahead breakfast dishes that can be prepped the night before and baked in the morning. This savory egg dish fits the bill and is perfect paired with your favorite sweet breakfast treat like muffins or scones.

It’s a simple and comforting breakfast recipe that is perfect for the holidays, when friends and family might be visiting and staying as house guests. This casserole is so good that you’d be proud serving this breakfast on special days like Christmas morning or Thanksgiving morning too.

This Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole is so easy to make! Because it’s a make ahead recipe, you can prepare this breakfast the night before and save your energy in the morning for waking up.

INGREDIENTS

•  1 (14-inch) loaf Italian bread, ends trimmed
•  1 1/2 pounds bulk pork sausage
•  1 small onion, chopped fine
•  3 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
•  12 large eggs, lightly beaten
•  4 cups 1% milk
•  1 ½ teaspoons table salt
•  1 teaspoon pepper
•  1 tablespoon hot sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice bread in half lengthwise then slice each half into ½ inch-thick slices. Spread the bread in single layers on two rimmed baking sheets and bake until golden, 10-15 minutes, flipping bread and switching and rotating sheets halfway through (or bake one sheet pan at a time). Take care not to let the bread burn - it should be golden brown and toasted. Let the bread cool for 15 minutes.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage and onion until the pork is no longer pink, breaking the meat into bite-sized pieces as it cooks.
3. Lightly coat a 9X13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Shingle half of the bread in the prepared pan so that the edges overlap slightly (a couple of times when I've made this, my slices weren't long enough to shingle so I just placed the bread in a single layer and it worked fine). Top with half of the sausage mixture and 1 cup cheese. Repeat with remaining bread, remaining sausage mixture, and remaining cheese.
4. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and hot sauce together. Pour evenly over the assembled casserole. Place the casserole on a rimmed baking sheet and wrap the casserole with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap lightly on the top of the casserole. Fill another 9X13-inch dish with cans of food (beans, fruit, whatever) and nest the weighted dish on top of the assembled casserole. You'll be glad you placed the assembled casserole on a rimmed baking sheet at this point as there may be a bit of spillage over the sides as the casserole compacts. This will help the bread soak up the egg mixture. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
5. When ready to bake, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Let casserole stand at room temperature while the oven is heating. Remove weights, unwrap casserole, and bake until the edges and center have puffed and the top is golden brown, about 1 hour. Let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.

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