Here’s a basic breakfast casserole which would be good on a cold morning. And by “basic” I mean there are so many things you could add to make it taste even better.
Some suggestions are jalapeños (pickled or fresh), pickled red onions, green onion, sautéed mushrooms, sweet corn, hash browns, crumbled bacon. And salsa, sour cream and avocado as toppings.
Sausage Breakfast Casserole
1 lb. country sausage
12 oz. frozen peppers and onions
10 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 lb. tortilla chips*
8 oz. cheddar, shredded
1 tbsp butter
*You don’t have to weigh the chips. Check the weight listed on the bag and approximate the amount based on the bag size. For instance, if you have a one-pound (16 oz.) bag, use about half of the bag of chips.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. If your frozen peppers are in strips, chop them into small pieces.
Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. Once browned, add the frozen peppers and onions and continue to cook over medium heat until heated through. Remove the sausage and peppers from the heat and set aside.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, and pepper.
Use the butter to grease the inside of a 3-quart casserole dish. Place the tortilla chips in the bottom of the casserole dish and press them down, slightly crushing them until they lay fairly flat.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage and peppers to the casserole dish on top of the tortilla chips, leaving any liquid behind in the pan.
Add 3/4 of the shredded cheddar on top of the sausage and peppers. Stir slightly to combine the tortilla chips, sausage and peppers, and cheese.
Pour the egg mixture over the ingredients in the casserole dish, then top with the remaining shredded cheddar. The ingredients will not be fully submerged in the egg mixture and that is okay. The eggs will puff slightly as they bake.
Bake the breakfast casserole for about 40 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160ºF and the outer edges are lightly browned.
Let the casserole cool for about five minutes, then slice into six or eight pieces and serve. Notes
—kwc— Don’t be turned off by the kale in this recipe if you’re a kale hater. You could certainly use spinach instead and it’ll still be good. And buy some fancy crusty bread for this. Sandwich bread won’t do.
Kale Swiss and Mushroom Strata
1 loaf hearty bread (about 1 lb.)
2 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. mushrooms
Pinch salt and pepper
8 oz. chopped kale (6-8 cups) 8 oz. Swiss cheese,
8 oz. Swiss cheese, shredded
6 large eggs
1.5 cups whole milk
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
The day before, prepare the strata so it can refrigerate overnight. Preheat the oven to 300. Tear the bread into 1/2 to 1-inch chunks and spread them out over a large baking sheet. Bake the bread chunks in the oven for 20 minutes, stirring once half-way through, to partially dry the bread.
Meanwhile, slice the mushrooms, then add them to a large skillet with the butter, minced garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté the mushrooms over medium heat until they release all their moisture and begin to brown.
Remove the cooked mushrooms from the skillet and add the kale in its place along with a couple tablespoons of water (this helps the kale wilt). Sauté the kale until wilted (2-3 minutes).
Coat the inside of a 9x13 casserole dish with butter or non-stick spray. Layer half of the dry bread chunks in the bottom of the dish, then top with half of the mushrooms, half of the kale and half of the Swiss. Wiggle the ingredients down between the bread chunks a bit, then repeat all the layers a second time.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, Dijon, nutmeg and 1/4 tsp salt. Pour the egg mixture over the prepared strata, making sure to drizzle over every surface of the strata, rather than just pouring in one spot. Cover the strata and refrigerate for 8-24 hours.
The next day, allow the strata to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350. Bake the casserole for 50 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees and the top is deeply golden brown.
Let the strata rest for 10 minutes before serving.
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