Ingredients:
1 loaf Italian bread
1 pound breakfast sausage (I used turkey sausage)
1 small onion
12 ounces shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese, about 3 cups
12 large eggs, slightly beaten
4 cups whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon hot sauce (optional)
Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut bread into 1/2 inch thick pieces.
3. Spread bread on two baking sheets and bake until golden - 15 to 20 minutes. Flip the bread and rotate sheets halfway through. Let cool for 15 minutes.
4. Cook sausage and cut into smaller pieces.
5. Add onion and cook until golden - about 5 minutes.
6. Grease 13x9 baking dish.
7. Pour half the bread in baking dish.
8. Pour half the sausage-onion mix over the bread.
9. Pour 1 cup cheddar over the bread-sausage mix.
10. Pour in remaining bread.
11. Pour in remaining sausage-onion mix.
12. Pour in remaining 2 cups cheddar.
13. Whisk eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and hot sauce together in large bowl.
14. Pour evenly over casserole.
15. Wrap casserole with plastic wrap.
16. Place a second casserole dish on top of the plastic wrap. Weight second casserole dish (I used some milk and juice cartons).
17. Refrigerate for at least an hour and up to 24 hours.
18. When ready to bake, heat oven to 350 degrees.
19. Let casserole stand at room temperature while oven pre-heats.
20. Remove weights, second casserole dish, and plastic wrap.
21. Bake casserole until edges and center have puffed and top is golden brown - about 1 hour.
22. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
23. Enjoy.
Mark's Notes -
I made this casserole late Tuesday night the week of Thanksgiving. I finished it at midnight. I served at Maumee Bay for breakfast Thursday morning. So, it was in the refrigerator for 32 hours - a little over the recommended 24 hours. It was delicious. It was a huge hit Thanksgiving morning.
For this, I didn't have any whole milk. I had 2% milk and some half and half. So, I looked up a conversion. 3/4 cup 2% milk and 1/4 cup half and half is a substitute for whole milk. So, I did 3 cups 2% milk and 1 cup half and half.
I got this recipe from Cook's Illustrated's Holiday Baking. It is their Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole by Kris Widican.
Widican, Kris. “Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole”
Cook's Illustrated All-Time Best Holiday Baking.
Widican, Kris. “Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole”
Cook's Illustrated All-Time Best Holiday Baking.
