Sausage and Egg Casserole

This basic breakfast casserole has been a staple dish for as long as I can remember. Either that, or due to its simplistic nature, a lot of other casseroles were so similar to it that I always thought they were variations of the same thing. This sausage and egg casserole can be made the night before you want to eat it, then baked up in about an hour the next morning. You can always count on a casserole like this when you're feeling like a warm and delicious breakfast, without having to get up early to make it.

With a recipe like this, it's very easy to adapt it and make it your own. If you want some spice, add some jalapenos or chili powder. If you want to make it vegetarian, maybe substitute some mushrooms and spinach instead of the sausage. Play around with cheese choices, add in some onions and tomatoes. The recipe I'm sharing is one at its most bare form, so feel free to add to it and make it your own.

Recipe:
1 lb. bulk pork sausage
6 eggs
2 cups milk (I prefer whole)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground mustard
6 slices bread (I prefer sourdough), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese

Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the sausage and stir until crumbled and cooked through. Drain and set aside on top of paper towels to wick away excess grease. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, salt, and mustard powder. Stir in the bread crumbs, cheese, then cooled sausage. Mix until incorporated and pour into the baking dish. Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking, and preheat oven to 350ºF. Bake, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serves 8-10.

Corn Dog Casserole

I've made this recipe before, but hadn't posted it because I couldn't get any good pictures off of it. I don't know what exactly changed this time, but the pictures for this round are worthy enough for me to throw on this blog. This recipe is exactly as it sounds - in the end, you have something that tastes like cut-up corn dogs in a casserole. Childish? Maybe. But it's definitely delicious, and easy to put together to boot.


Recipe:
2 cups thinly sliced celery
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups sliced green onions
1 1/2 pounds hot dogs
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons fresh sage, chopped finely
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 packages (8.5 oz. each) corn bread/muffin mix
2 cups (8 oz.) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400ºF. In a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter and saute celery for 5 minutes. Add green onions, and saute for an additional 5 minutes. Place into a large bowl and set aside. Cut hot dogs lengthwise into quarters, then each quarter into thirds. In the same skillet, saute the hot dogs for 5 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Add into the cooling vegetables and mix to combine. Set aside 1 cup of this mixture. In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, sage, and pepper. Add all but the one cup of hot dog mixture, then stir in corn bread mix. Using a large spoon, bring it all together, then add 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Spread evenly into a shallow 3-quart baking dish. Top with the reserved hot dog mix and remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Yields 12 servings.