Sausage Breakfast Casserole

A bread-and-egg breakfast casserole with a pound of browned breakfast sausage, sautéed onion and red pepper, and two cups of sharp cheddar.

Assembled in one bowl, baked 40 to 45 minutes, and rested before slicing. Ten squares from a 9x13.

Why This Recipe Works

• Eight eggs to two cups of milk is a genuine custard rather than a scramble with bread in it, and it is what lets the dish slice into squares instead of falling apart on the spoon.
• The sausage is drained on paper towel rather than tipped straight in. A pound of breakfast sausage renders a lot of fat, and the custard cannot absorb it — it would pool.
• A teaspoon of Dijon in the custard is doing more than it looks. Mustard sharpens dairy and cuts the richness of sausage and cheddar, and at that quantity nobody tastes mustard.
• Day-old bread, six cups of it, cubed rather than torn. The cut faces soak evenly; torn bread soaks at the ragged edges and stays dry in the middle.
• The bake is uncovered from the start, with foil only if the top runs ahead. That gives the surface time to dry and brown while the centre is still setting.

Ingredient Notes

Pork breakfast sausage, casings removed

A pound, loose. Breakfast sausage rather than Italian — its sage and pepper seasoning is what makes this taste like breakfast.

Day-old bread cubes

Six cups, about 12 ounces, of a hearty white or sourdough. Sturdy crumb only; soft sandwich bread dissolves.

Whole milk, or milk with half-and-half

Two cups, and the recipe offers the split as an equal alternative for a richer custard.

Sharp cheddar, divided

Two cups, split a cup and a half in and half a cup on. Sharp rather than mild against a pound of sausage.

Dijon mustard

One teaspoon, into the custard. Invisible in the finished dish and noticeable by its absence.

How to Make It

1. Heat the oven and grease the dish

   Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.

2. Brown the sausage

   Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

3. Soften the vegetables

   In the same skillet, add the butter, onion and red pepper. Sauté until softened and lightly golden, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

4. Whisk the custard

   In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, Dijon, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper until well combined.

5. Soak the bread and combine

   Add the bread cubes to the bowl and toss to coat so the bread absorbs the custard. Stir in the cooked sausage, sautéed vegetables, green onions and 1 1/2 cups cheddar.

6. Fill the dish and top

   Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar on top and add the red pepper flakes if using.

7. Bake

   Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes until the centre is just set and the top is golden. If the top browns too fast, tent with foil during the last 10 minutes.

8. Rest and serve

   Let rest 5 to 10 minutes. Garnish with parsley, slice into squares and serve warm.

Success Tips

• Dry the bread out overnight if you have no day-old loaf.
• Drain the sausage properly — the custard cannot absorb rendered fat.
• Let the vegetables cool before they meet the eggs.
• Toss the bread until every cube has taken up custard, then stop.
• Rest it the full five to ten minutes or the squares will not hold.

Serving Ideas

A Christmas-morning dish that can be assembled the night before. Fruit and coffee alongside; it needs nothing else.

Storage and Reheating