and finally, brunch quatre

This fourth brunch recipe makes two casserole dishes of sausage and egg goodness. And it’s another overnight casserole… breakfast for dinner two nights in a row… just saying! Once again, I thank the photographer, Laura, for providing the photo of her dish. (down a little farther, not the photo directly below)

Before Laura’s dish, here is a final description of the last recipe not yet included in the “four days of le brunch”.  It’s all about Tram’s Banana Crunch Muffins.  You see, long story short, Tram got crunched for time and her hubby, Steve, couldn’t make it, so she brought her friend (and my friend too!) Matt. Matt is not only our friend, but also the producer of Tram’s afternoon show EVB Live, and the former producer of the old Valley Dish. Matt made the muffins, but since he doesn’t really like full-on banana flavor in his muffins, he made banana-pineapple muffins… yes that’s the short version! Matt’s muffins were a huge hit. But since I don’t have Matt’s recipe to share, I will share my “Crunch” recipe tomorrow.

Laura’s Overnight Breakfast Sausage Casserole

2 pounds ground sage pork sausage
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped green chilies
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 eggs, beaten
3 cups half-and-half
12 slices white bread, toasted and cut into cubes
1 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

Crumble sausage into a medium skillet. Cook over medium heat until evenly brown; drain.

In a medium bowl, mix together green onions, green chilies, mustard, salt, pepper, eggs, and half-and-half.  Add the sausage, bread cubes, and cheese, and stir to coat evenly.  Pour into two greased 11x7x2-inch baking dishes. Cover with foil and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.

Remove the dish from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking to come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake, covered, for 30 to 45 minutes. Uncover, and reduce temperature to 325 degrees. Bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, or until set.

Serves 16