Fiesta Breakfast Casserole, to feed a crowd

Here on the West Coast we have the pleasure of watching college football at 9 AM. And while we try to be on our very best behavior the Friday night before (in order to actually make it out of bed) sometimes, just sometimes, the fire pit encourages a little bit of bad behavior. In case somebody happens to go a little overboard — not me, of course — I’m always there to greet them with a morning cocktail, i.e. the old hair of the dog. Irish Coffee (a.k.a. “Ire Coff’s”), Bloody Mary’s, and Mimosas are always in the pre-game lineup. But with all this booze before noon, I’ve gotta serve something to soak it all up with.

This sausage breakfast casserole is just the ticket. It’s easy, hearty, and stick-to-your ribs filling. And it can feed the army of vagabonds who pass in and out of our little Oxford house. When I was growing up, some variation of this casserole could often be found on our weekend table. My mother used to serve it whenever we had company, or if I invited a group of hungry teenage boys over (this one’s for you, Drew Clevenger). It  has never failed to please.

The beauty of this casserole is that it is a blank canvas — if you don’t like sausage, use bacon; don’t eat meat? Fill it with veggies. Experiment with different breads and different flavor profiles: Mexican (black beans and salsa), Italian (tomatoes and mozzarella), French (lots of  fresh herbs). The possibilities are endless!

SAUSAGE BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

Source: Nealey Dozier

1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 lbs. bulk sausage
1 (16 ounce) loaf Italian bread, cubed
1 (16 ounce) bag shredded cheese (Mexican blend or sharp cheddar)
6 eggs
2 cups half and half
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Sour cream, to serve

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Cook sausage, in two batches, in a large skillet over medium heat until well browned. Drain sausage and set aside. Saute onion and red bell pepper in the same skillet until tender. Stir sausage and vegetables together in large bowl, season generously with salt, black pepper, and cayenne, to taste.

Grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Spread cubed bread evenly in dish. Cover with sausage mixture and then cheese. In bowl, blend half and half and eggs. Pour over bread mixture. Allow to sit for 45 minutes to an hour, or overnight. Cook for approximately 45 minutes, or until golden brown. YIELDS: A LOT

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Tagged as: Breakfast, Casserole, sausage