Rise and Shine & Get Your Sausage Casserole On!

Breakfast is important! Some mornings I can't get breakfast ready fast enough. Breakfast is important because it gets your metabolism kicking- and who doesn't want their metabolism kicking?! But, here's the deal: Bub's work week schedule is never the same. He may go to work at 8AM one day and 2PM the next- so, some days it's no sweat to get up and make breakfast; others not so much. This week was one of those weeks where he had to be at work fairly early most of the week. Getting up at 5:30AM to cook him breakfast... wellllll, that just isn't going to happen. That does not mean I do not want him to have a good breakfast though- so, I decided to cook a breakfast casserole at night that he could just warm up the next morning.

It is at this time that I must confess a little something. My Moma just published a cookbook with basically all the recipes from my childhood and her catering career. It is much like a treasure trove of recipes. I have always had access to the the recipes but not like this- not all in one place, nice and neat. So, I have been trying my hand at the dishes in Moma's cookbook.

So, when Bub told me he'd be working a bunch of early mornings this week, I knew it was time to try out the Sausage, Egg & Cheese Breakfast casserole

Are you wondering why I wrote in the book? I always take notes in cookbooks or any book for that matter- it goes back to my English major days. In cookbooks I take note of things like if it needs more sauce, how good it is or if you can make substitutions. In this case, the directions say to let it chill in the fridge over night and then set it out on the counter for 30 minutes before cooking it for 45 minutes. Uh, back to getting up at 5:30AM to cook breakfast- yeah, no. So, I noted that this could be made in the morning, let chill in the fridge all day, cooked after super and then Bub could heat a piece in the morning.

This recipe only calls for 5 ingredients- it's super easy and super delish too.

• 1 pound pork sausage
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups half & half
• 6 slices of white bread, crust off and cubed
• 2 cups of cheese

First thing, brown your sausage

and while that's happening, cut the crusts of your bread off and cut it into cubes

and combine your 6 eggs and 2 cups of half & half

Here is another bit of advice, when you are reviewing applications and interviewing for sous chefs, make sure to ask if they are well rested because they are not much help when they sleep on the job!

Anyway, once you have browned your sausage, cubed your bread and beaten and combined your eggs and half & half. Spray a 9 x 13 pyrex with cooking spray and spread your bread cubes on the bottom, cover that with the sausage and the sausage with the cheese and finally pour your egg mixture over the entire thing.

Cover it and let it chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours or over night.

Then, when you get ready to cook it set it out on the counter for 30 minutes. I let it set out while the oven was preheating to 350F. Cook it for 45-55 minutes. It will puff up around the edges and then in the middle, and when it puffs up in the middle, you will know it's fully cooked.

It smelled so good coming out of the oven! And although we didn't eat it until the next morning- it was still very tasty!

To recap, here is the entire recipe:

• 1 pound pork sausage
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups of cheese
• 2 cups of half & half
• 6 slices of bread, crust removed and cubed

Brown and drain the sausage. Combine the eggs and half & half. Cut the crust off the bread and cube it. Spray the bottom of a 9 x 13 pyrex and spread the bread cubes on the bottom with the sausage and cheese layered on top. Pour the egg mixture over it all, cover the pyrex and put it in your fridge overnight (or all day). When you are ready to cook it, let it sit out for 30 minutes while your oven heats to 350 F. Cook it for 45-50 minutes.