So, I wrote this post back in 2010 when Chels first started writing her blog. Apparently, I was in a bit of a zany mood, as it's basically insane. The recipe, however, is a traditional Rief dish - my mom always made it the night before a holiday. Morning of, no one had to cook - we just popped this excellent little casserole in the oven, and, voilà! 30 minutes later we had breakfast. If you feel like a random chuckle or two, feel free to read the post. Otherwise, just skip to the recipe, print it out, and file it away for the night before Christmas (or Thanksgiving, or New Year's, or...)!
It is with great pleasure and arduous fanfare that it is my distinct honor to present to you, dear reader, this, my guest blog in three parts. And let it be known, and duly noted, that this is the only three part guest blog available to read today! In Oregon. Or, at least, in Wilsonville. Well, maybe only at my desk. Regardless, a claim has been made, and validated. If you wish to be able to read a three part guest blog (at least one originating at my desk), it may only be read here. And there you have it.
Why in three parts, you say? Why, that is simple. Besides the fact that it gives me two additional chances beyond what I would normally have to actually produce a readable (not to be confused with "worth reading") piece of online literature, it gives one the perfect opportunity to address not only breakfast, and not only lunch, but also dinner. And, in reality, what culinary repertoire is complete without all three? So there you have it. Yet again.
Welcome then, now that the appropriate exercises in vanity have drawn to a close, to Part I of the three part blog (hey, did I mention this would be a three part blog?), a meal commonly known as breakfast. Now, it should be known that there was a time in the Middle Ages, around the 15th century, when breakfast was not observed, prepared, eaten, or otherwise enjoyed, due to an unfathomable frowning-upon by the Catholic Church. Thankfully, common sense eventually prevailed, and we are now free to enjoy the proverbial most important meal of the day without fear of excommunication. It is perhaps more well known where the origin of the word "breakfast" itself came from. Shall we move on then? What is that? You are not familiar with the origin of the word? Well, then, in that case, consider this your formal enlightening. A momentous hour indeed. The word breakfast is composed of the words "break" and "fast." Ah, I see, you had that much figured out. Well, then, this next part should be quite simple for you. The longest span of time during the day in which you will generally go without nourishment is the nighttime (Taco Bell's marvelous invention "Fourth Meal" excepted). Thus, to a certain extent, from about six or seven in the evening to seven or eight in the morning, you are "fasting," as it were. Upon the taking up of morning nutriment, you are "breaking" said fast. So, of course, we should, for grammar's sake, all refer to this morning time of victual consumption as "breaking-fast." However, rather than attempt to upend 600+ years of tradition, grammatical heresy though it may be, we will, at least until the opportune time for a revolution of culinary verbiage presents itself, refer to our slightly post-dawn subsistence as "breakfast." Have all historical curiosities been satisfied? Excellent. There you have it. Once more.
This particular breakfast recipe is one of some renown and history in the Rief household, both my own and that of my father and mother. Primarily on Christmas morning (and for many, many church potlucks), I can remember my mother fixing this wonderful breakfast (so much more depth to the word now that you know its history, don't you think?) casserole. And, as such, courtesy of my mother and eldest (still younger than me however - I have no intention of letting her forget that...) sister, we have been able to successfully duplicate and pass down this recipe time and time again. At this point, it spans but two generations. However, I have every intention of passing it down to my daughters (and sons, God willing), at which point it will span three, and who really knows what course it will take from there? Surely, if the tradition of breaking-fast can withstand church persecution and Toaster Eggs (another story for another time - consult the archives of the Failed Product Museum in Ithaca, NY) for upwards of 600 years, our humble sausage egg casserole can last more than three measly generations...
On to the food then. This recipe is so simple, you absolutely must give it a whirl. You will never be sorry you did. And when you have made it successfully for the 60 or 70th time, you will still not feel the pangs of regret. Indeed, you will simply revel in the wonder that is a combination of browned Jimmy Dean sausage, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, eggs, and, wait for it...bread. Really, how can you go wrong? One quick tip, then. A best practice where this particular meal is concerned is to make it the night before whatever blessed morn you are anticipating, place it gingerly in the refrigerator, and simply pop it in the oven when the morning light has shown its smiling face. And, reeling in my pathetic poetic impulses...
Begin by browning the sausage. I strongly recommend Jimmy Dean, and I strongly recommend the maple flavor, although you can get by with whatever suits your fancy (or whatever is on sale, as the case is more likely to be). The smell is simply glorious - and I am not generally a fan of pork-based substances.
Once the meat is browned (or, better yet, while the meat is browning), grease a glass 9x13 baking dish.
Now, all that is left to do is put a lid on the pan, put it in the fridge, and hit the hay. Wow, there's a colloquialism I hadn't used in a while. Ah, well. Still, that bothers me. Who among us has actually ever spent a night sleeping in hay? If you have, I implore you to leave a comment explaining your harrowing ordeal, as I would be terribly interested in hearing it.
When the morning comes, as the bard known as Smashmouth once said, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and place your delectable morning treat, sans lid, inside for about 35 minutes. Just enough time to finish the stockings, as the case may be. This will absolutely be our Christmas morning meal, as it was for Thanksgiving as well. Enjoy, and don't forget to take a moment to enlighten the rest of your abode on the history of breaking-fast - perhaps the culinary circumlocution revolution can start with you!
And so Part I concludes. Part II shall commence soon! (Editor's note: Nope.)
Overnight Sausage Egg & Cheese Breakfast Casserole
This overnight sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast casserole recipe is incredibly simple to prepare, and so convenient when you don't have time to cook in the morning!
Ingredients
- 1 pound breakfast sausage (we always use Jimmy Dean maple - so good!)
- 1 loaf Italian bread (use plain white if Italian is unavailable)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 8 eggs
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- Brown sausage in skillet.
- Slice Italian bread into 1-inch thick slices and cut off crusts.
- Grease high-sided 9x13 baking dish and arrange bread so that it completely covers the bottom of the dish (this part is a bit like a jigsaw puzzle).
- Drain sausage and spread evenly over bread. Sprinkle cheeses evenly over bread and sausage.
- In separate bowl, beat eggs and milk. Pour evenly over all ingredients in pan.
- Let set covered in fridge overnight.
- When ready to serve, preheat oven to 350 degrees and remove covering.
- Bake for about 35 minutes, or until knife poked in center comes out clean. Let stand a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Slightly Adapted from Original Recipe by Lisa Rief
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 559Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 272mgSodium: 1079mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 32g
PeanutJoy says
This is fabulous. A very fitting tribute to that most beloved of breaking-fast foods! ;)
Chase rief says
This is our favorite! We are making to have in the morning for Kelly's dad's birthday!
Chels says
I'm so glad you guys like it! It's one of our favorites too. Tell Kelly's Dad Happy Birthday for us :)
Marilyn the nurse says
Looks really delicious~~~ I have a question, do you use individual breakfast sausage or do you use sausage meat?
Thank you
Joshua Rief says
Good evening, Marilyn -
Thanks for the question! I use sausage meat, generally sold by the pound in most delis, or in rolls by Jimmy Dean. Enjoy!
Chris Richards says
This looks great! My company is coming about 10 on Tuesday morning, and I'd like to have this already made to serve on Wednesday morning so I don't have to prepare anything while they're here. How long can I leave it in the refrigerator without changing the outcome...?
Thank you!.
Joshua Rief says
Hi, Chris -
Thanks for the question! You know, I think you would be fine leaving it in the fridge an additional night (or even making it earlier on Tuesday morning). My only concern would be the bread - that it doesn't get too soggy. I think that if you use a bread with a little body to it - an Italian with a nice crust, perhaps - you shouldn't have anything to worry about.
Enjoy your company!
Tracie Roberts says
Can I make it ahead and freeze it ?
Joshua Rief says
Hi, Tracie - Good question. I've never tried! I think it would work. You might have to adjust the cooking time a bit to get it done all the way through.
If you decide to try it, let us know how it turns out!
Jocelyn@Brucrewlife says
This post definitely gave me a chuckle! ;) And I'm totally making this casserole! I love making breakfast the night before!
Joshua Rief says
Ha! Thank you, Jocelyn. Yeah, I'm not sure what I was thinking when I was writing this four years ago. Must have been overly caffeinated, which is not unusual for me. Hope you enjoy! :)
Big Bad John says
Thanks for this easy, great looking recipe. I'll be making it for brunch next weekend. I hope an Anchor Hocking 9 X 13 glass baking dish is big-sided enough.
Joshua Rief says
Hey, John - hope you enjoy! I think the Anchor Hocking is about 2.5" deep. That should be fine - our dish is about the same. If you think Italian bread will be too thick for the dish, though, try regular white bread. That will shrink it down about an inch.
Debbie says
I go to Panera Bread Co and get the Tomato Basil bread. Adds a great flavor. Also, I add hot sausage gravy to the top after baking.
Smoked swiss cheese works great too.
Chelsia Rief says
Mmm, that sounds good. My husband might like the hot sausage, but I can't eat spicy food and we try to keep the heat down with all the kiddos in the house. But I'll bet that smoked swiss is amazing.
Donna says
Can you put this in a cold oven and bake as described? Or just let it sit out for awhile before putting cold casserole in a hot oven?
Joshua Rief says
Hi, Donna -
Thanks for the question! You could bake it in a cold oven, but you'd need to add a few minutes (probably 5-10) and check carefully to make sure it's cooked all the way through (i.e., knife comes out clean).
As for setting it out awhile, no harm there either, as long as it's not too long. You obviously don't want to leave the eggs and cheese at room temperature for a prolonged period of time, for health and spoilage reasons.
Enjoy!
Cathy Baker says
I need this for a SS breakfast at church. Is it okay to bake and keep in a heated cover for about two hours after baking or will it get soggy?
Joshua Rief says
Hi, Cathy! We have made this for church potlucks SO many times! I can say that we have certainly kept it in a covered container for 45 minutes after baking quite a few times without any difficulty, and it keeps, even after baking, for a few days in the fridge, making great leftovers. So, I'm inclined to think that you will be just fine.
Enjoy!
Jenny says
Hi there! I'm making this for a brunch on Saturday. How many people does it serve? Thanks!
Joshua Rief says
Hi, Jenny - it depends on appetites, of course, but I would say it would serve about eight. When we make it for our family of five (three of which are kids), we usually eat about half and have half as leftovers.
Hope that helps!
Gloria says
Can you use Grands biscuits or crescent rolls instead of the bread?
Joshua Rief says
Hi, Gloria! It's a good question. I'm a little hesitant - just not sure they will hold up under all of the moisture of the sausage, cheese, and eggs - could get mushy!
Cristine says
The list of ingredients says 8 eggs and your instructions say 6 eggs. I am making this right now and I am going with 7 eggs until I hear back from you.
Joshua Rief says
Hi, Cristine! 7 eggs will be fine. ;)
You are so right! That's a leftover from when we updated this post. If you make it with thick Italian bread, as we did when we updated it, it's better to add a couple of extra eggs to soak into the bread a little better.
If, on the other hand, you're making it with normal sandwich bread, six eggs is just about right - which is what I was doing when I wrote the insane post about five years ago!
Either way, though, with 6, 7, or 8 eggs, it should be quite delicious. Enjoy!
Wes Workman says
Thanks for the recipe. I had 5 girls to feed and they loved it. I went with 2 pounds of sausage and topped that with a fine layer of country gravy mix I prepared. I also went with a dozen eggs and it was perfect.
Joshua Rief says
Wow, that sounds spectacular! I love the idea of going with country gravy - a warm, hearty touch!
betty says
I made this exactly the way it was written...............but i did top it with warmed sausage gravy and it was a hit!!!! thank you!!! for the new addition to my rotation...... now that being said I tried to mix it up the second time wow just wow...... i used taco meat and all mild Cheddar cheese i added some cumin garlic powder and a can of rotel tomato's with green chili's and onions to the egg mixture........then when it was done i topped it with warmed re fried beans.......and salsa and i can say it was also a big hit..............thank you so much again!!!!
Chelsia Rief says
WOW! Betty, I have to say, I never would have thought to do any of those things and shame on me for it because both versions sound Aaamazing! I'm so happy to hear that your family is enjoying so many variations on one of our family favorites.
Jawshii says
Out of curiosity, why does this sit overnight and is that a required step?
Joshua Rief says
Hi, Jawshii -
You know, this is a great question. I can't say that I completely understand what leaving it in the fridge overnight does, but it is definitely important! I say this because we've tried making it in a hurry in the morning, and baking it right away - not good! It's mushy and not nearly as rich and pleasing to eat. It's sort of like a bread pudding - it just really needs that time to meld everything together!