Cheesy Sausage and Egg Casserole

This cheesy sausage and egg casserole is the perfect make-ahead breakfast or brunch dish that your whole family will love! It rests in the fridge overnight, then baked when ready to serve. 

I was first introduced to a recipe like this a long, long time ago when a Canadian friend gave me a cookbook from home that she loved called The Best of Bridge. It was put together by a group of bridge playing ladies who so enjoyed the food they brought to share on games days that they decided to write a cookbook. 

Their warm and wonderful cookbooks are staples of Canadian culture and are still available today, almost 50 years after the first one was published! In that first book, which I still have and treasure, the breakfast casserole was called Christmas Morning Wife Saver. It called for Canadian bacon, naturally, or you could substitute ham. 

I made some version of it often years ago, sometimes substituting breakfast sausage or cooked crispy bacon instead but somehow it got dropped from the weekend/holiday rotation. Time to bring my rendition back! 

Cheesy Sausage and Egg Casserole

I like to spice things up with the addition of jalapeños but if your family can’t take the heat, feel free to add some chopped green peppers aka bell peppers instead for inside the casserole and to sprinkle on for garnish. I also use the Jimmy Dean “hot” sausage for extra spiciness. Use your favorite. 

Ingredients

1 lb or 450g bulk pork sausage

2 fresh jalapeños

6 large eggs

2 cups or 480ml milk

1 teaspoon mustard powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 oz or 170g sliced sandwich bread – about 4-5 slices 

4 oz or 113g extra sharp cheddar, grated

For baking:

2 oz or 56g extra sharp cheddar, grated

Method

In a skillet, brown and crumble sausage; drain and set aside to cool.

Cut the bread into 1/2-inch  or 1cm cubes. I leave the crusts on.  

Cut several round slices of jalapeño to decorate the top before baking, then mince the rest and discard the stems. I leave the seeds and ribs in because we like things spicy but you can discard these if you don’t.  

In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Whisk in the salt and mustard powder. Then add the milk and whisk again. 

Stir in the bread cubes, cheese, cooled sausage and minced jalapeños.

Spoon into a greased 9x13-in or 23x33cm baking dish. Cover snugly with cling film and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. 

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking and preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C. 

Top the casserole with the extra grated cheddar and decorate with the reserved jalapeño slices.

Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Remove the pan from the oven and let the casserole rest for five minutes, before cutting in squares to serve. I like to put out our favorite hot sauce in case anyone wants to add a sprinkle or two. 

Enjoy!

Welcome to the 19th edition of the 2024 Alphabet Challenge, brought to you by the letter S. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the S recipes below:

• Blogghetti: Air Fryer Sausage Balls
• Food Lust People Love: Cheesy Sausage and Egg Casserole
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Cold Sesame Noodles
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Schezwan Sauce
• Sneha’s Recipe: Shami Kebabs
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Southern Style BBQ Shrimp
• Magical Ingredients: Spanakoparatha
• A Messy Kitchen: Strawberry Mint Spritzers
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Summer Squash Salad
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Sweet Whiskey Skillet Teriyaki Chicken

Here are my posts for the alphabet challenge, thus far:
A: Anchovy Deviled Eggs
B: Spicy Braised Ginger Pork Belly
C: Cecilie's Favorite Coleslaw
D: Cajun Chicken Eggplant Dressing
E: Everything Pizza Tartin
F: Baked Chicken and Feta Meatballs
G: Grape Juice Jigglers
H: Crispy Bacon-wrapped Chicken Hearts
I: Raspberry Rhubarb Ice Cream
J: Java Dry Spice Mix Chops 

K. Korean Barbecue-style Meatballs 

L. Easy Lamb and Fresh Tomato Curry 

M. Fresh Mint Sauce 

N. Miso Butter Noodles 

O. Spicy Orange Braised Short Ribs 

P. Homemade Piri Piri Sauce 

Q, Cointreau Glazed Orange Quick Bread 

R. Leek and Lobster Mushroom Risotto 

S. Cheesy Sausage and Egg Casserole - this post!

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Anchovy Deviled Eggs

Filled with salty minced anchovies, lemon zest, mayo and Dijon mustard, these tasty anchovy deviled eggs will disappear quickly from your party table.

Every Christmas Eve our menu is all appetizers, a throwback to the days when we had plenty of presents to wrap and so no one had time for a sit down dinner. 

We pop open a bottle of Champagne and fill our small plates with artichoke dip, smoked or cured salmon with avocado, caviar with its necessary accompaniments of chopped egg and onion, bacon wrapped smoked oysters and, of course, deviled eggs. The cheeseboard also boasts a variety of cheeses and duck liver pâté.  

On Christmas morning, we usually make something special for breakfast but my favorite part is the leftover deviled eggs. They make a perfect Christmas morning meal! 

Anchovy Deviled Eggs

This recipe is adapted from one I read in The Guardian newspaper and saved almost three years ago. I can’t say that they’ll replace my classic deviled eggs which I adore but the anchovies and lemon zest add a lot of flavor. In short, we liked them a lot!

Ingredients for 14 deviled eggs

7 eggs, hard-boiled

7 anchovy fillets, packed in olive oil

1 tablespoon olive oil from anchovy jar

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, plus an extra sprinkle for garnish

7 tablespoons mayonnaise

Green onions, finely chopped, for garnish

Cornichons or small pickled onions, optional to serve

Method

Using a sharp knife, mince the anchovies very finely. 

Put the anchovies in a bowl with the oil then add the lemon zest, mustard, paprika and mayonnaise and mix until smooth. 

Peel your hard-boiled eggs and cut them in half lengthways. Scoop out the yolks and add them to the anchovy mixture.

Mash them into the rest of the filling with the tines of a fork. Mix well. 

Spoon the filling into each egg white or use a piping bag with a large tip to fill them. If your filling is quite chunky, it might keep getting stuck if the tip hole isn’t large enough. 

Decorate with a light sprinkle of paprika and a few bits of green onion.

Serve chilled or at room temperature with a few cornichons and/or pickled onions, if desired.

Pour your favorite tipple to accompany this excellent appetizer and enjoy! 

Happy New Year!

Last year was extra busy (and frankly a bit fraught) so my blog was fairly neglected. This is a creative outlet that gives me a lot of pleasure, from recipe development, baking and cooking, and then finally writing about the process. I hope to find more time for this hobby I enjoy in 2024. To that end, I am joining my fellow bloggers every other week, to create recipes and work our way through the alphabet, starting with, of course, A. 

Many thanks to the group creator and lead, Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm. Check out all the A links below. 

• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Almond Chicken 
• Palatable Pastime: Angel Food Cake 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Apple Buns 
• Culinary Cam: A Reclaimed Æbleskiver Pan + Æbleskiver Bread Pudding 
• Blogghetti: Air Fryer Glazed Chocolate Apple Hand Pies 
• Food Lust People Love: Anchovy Deviled Eggs 
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Amaranth Paratha 
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Dried Apple & Bourbon Oven-Baked Sauerkraut 
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Spiced Apple Oatmeal 
• Sneha’s Recipe: Afghani Soya Chaap

Pin these Anchovy Deviled Eggs! 

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Soy Braised Pork with Eggs #FoodieExtravaganza

Also known as lor bak or dau yew bak, depending on the Chinese dialect, this braised soy sauce pork with eggs dish has the most delectable sauce, delightfully flavored with spices like star anise, cloves, black pepper, as well as ginger and garlic. You will be licking your plate to get the last drops.

Many years ago when we were living in the small oilfield town of Macaé, Brazil, one of my close neighbors was a Singaporean woman named Millie. Our girls were about the same ages and we hit it off immediately over a love of cooking. Millie only had to make this dish once and I was hooked!

Sadly, I don’t think I ever got her recipe, or perhaps I misplaced it because I distinctly remember making it way back then.

Once the internet became a thing, I would occasionally search for soy sauce pork with eggs. I always thought of it as a Singaporean dish, and I really didn’t remember what Millie called it, which made it tricky to find online. None of the recipes I found seem quite right. Whether that was my faulty memory is up for debate.

I finally decided I was just going have to do a mash up of several to make what I did remember. But at least with all the research, I now know what to call it.

Braised Soy Sauce Pork with Eggs

The easiest way to slice the pork into very thin pieces is to freeze the pork loin first. Take it out to thaw and use a sharp knife to slice it as thinly as you can while it’s still quite frozen.

Ingredients
For the marinade:
4 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 tablespoon Shaoxing wine

For the braised pork:
2 lbs or 900g pork loin
10 cloves garlic
1 thumb-sized piece ginger
1 tablespoon canola or other light oil
3 star anise
2 to 3 whole cloves
2 sticks cinnamon, 3 inches in length
1 teaspoon black (or mixed) peppercorns
1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder
4 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon oil
2 cups or 480ml water
6 hard-boiled eggs

Optional to thicken sauce:
2 tablespoons cornstarch

To serve:
Steamed rice
Green onion tops for garnish

Method
Use a sharp knife to cut your pork into thin slices. (See tip above the ingredients list.)

In a large bowl, mix the marinade ingredients: dark soy sauce, light soy sauce and Shaoxing wine. Pile the pork in and use your clean hands to turn the slices in the marinade until they are all well coated.

Cover the bowl with cling film and pop it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile crush and roughly chop the cloves of garlic and peel and mince the ginger. I also find it helpful to measure out the other liquid ingredients into a measuring cup or bowl so I can pour it in all at once when needed.

In a heavy based pot, heat up the cooking oil. Add the star anise, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, and five-spice powder. Fry till fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the garlic and ginger and fry for a few more minutes.

Turn the heat up to high and add the marinated pork and any marinating liquid that wasn’t absorbed by the meat. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly.

Add dark soy, light soy and sugar.

Add 2 cups or 480ml of water. Mix well and bring to a slow boil.

Lower the heat to simmer and cover the pot. Braise for about 20 minutes. Add the eggs in and turn them to coat with the sauce. Tuck them into the pork as much as possible.

Braise, covered, for another 20 minutes more or until pork is tender. If your eggs aren't deep enough, you will want to turn then halfway through to get proper color on all sides.

If desired, you can thicken the sauce with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch thinned with a couple of tablespoons of cold water. Remove the eggs from the pot with a slotted spoon, so you don’t break them up by stirring.

Add the cornstarch slurry to the pot and cook on medium high until thickened about 5 minutes.

 Pop the eggs back in. Sprinkle with chopped green onions.

Serve with steamed rice. Enjoy!

Today is National Egg Day so this month our Foodie Extravaganza celebration is all about eggs. Many thanks to our host, Karen from Karen's Kitchen Stories.

Check out everyone's recipes with eggs:

• Baked Scotch Eggs from Making Miracles
• Balaleet (Emirati Sweet Vermicelli and Egg Omelet) from Tara's Multicultural Table
• Country Biscuit Breakfast (Copycat) from Palatable Pastime
• Pathare Prabhu Style Egg Drop Curry from Sneha's Recipe
• Smoky Honey Chili & Paprika Deviled Eggs from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Sourdough Waffles and Eggs from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Soy Braised Pork with Eggs from Food Lust People Love
• Spanish Tortilla from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Umami Egg Salad on Homemade Sourdough from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays by cooking and baking together with the same ingredient or theme each month. Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board.

Pin this Soy Braised Pork with Eggs - Lor Bak!

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Tomato Salad Topped Baked Spinach Frittata

This tomato salad topped baked spinach frittata is a delicious combination of richness from the eggs, ham and cheese and the sharp sweetness of the tomatoes with herbs. It makes a wonderful brunch, lunch or dinner dish!

Frittatas can be made on your stovetop in a skillet or baked in the oven. I created this one a while back when we were trying a low carb diet. I was craving quiche but crust was, of course, not on the plan. This frittata is basically a crustless quiche with a fancy Italian name.

You can adapt this recipe to use different cooked veggies or meat instead of the spinach and ham. Or change up the cheddar for your favorite semi-hard flavorful cheese. It’s all good.

Here’s a question for you: Am I the only one who buys ham that the family eats for two or three days and then abandons it? What do you do with it? I pop it in the freezer when it’s still in date and, while you cannot thaw it and still make decent sandwiches, it is perfect for quiche or omelets.

Tomato Salad Topped Baked Spinach Frittata

This recipe was inspired by a photo I saw in delicious.uk magazine for a ricotta tart. The mixed tomato salad that topped the tart was so pretty! Mine doesn’t have the green tomatoes because I couldn’t find any but I’m sure it is just as tasty.

Ingredients
For the frittata:
3 ounces or 85g sliced ham
2 ounces or 55g frozen spinach
4 large eggs
3/4 cup or 180ml cream
1/2 cup or 120ml milk
4 1/2 ounces or 125g sharp cheddar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
several good grinds of black pepper

To butter the baking dish or pan:
1 tablespoon butter

For baked topping:
2 oz or 57g sharp cheddar
Small handful green onion tops, chopped

For the herby salad:
1 lb or 450g mixed tomatoes, ripe but firm
Herbs of your choice  - I used a mix of flat-leaf parsley, tarragon and basil
Drizzle extra virgin olive oil
Drizzle white balsamic
Good pinch flaky sea salt
Few generous grinds of black pepper

Method
Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C and liberally butter your 9 in or 23cm quiche pan or baking dish.

Fry the chopped ham in a nonstick pan until it dries out a little and gets some browned crispy place. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.

Thaw your spinach, then drain it and squeeze it as dry as possible.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream and milk. Stir in spinach and chopped basil.

 Next add the grated cheese, ham, sea salt and black pepper. Stir until well combined.

Pour the mixture into your buttered pan or dish.

Put it in the preheated oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 350°F. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until it is almost set.

Remove the frittata from the oven and sprinkle on the topping cheese and green onions.

Return the pan to the oven for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is browning and the frittata is set.

Meanwhile, slice your large tomato and set the slices on a paper towel to dry them a little. Halve the smaller tomatoes and mix them with the other salad ingredients.

When the frittata is baked, remove it from the oven and leave to cool for at least 15-20 minutes before topping it first with the sliced tomatoes.

 Finally, top with the dressed tomato salad.

Slice to serve. Enjoy!

This month my Baking Blogger friends are sharing recipes with herbs. Check out the delicious recipes below! Many thanks to our group organizer and host, Sue of Palatable Pastime for all of her behind-the-scenes work.

• Baked Spaghetti with Sausage and Meatballs from Palatable Pastime
• Ham and Herbed Potatoes Au Gratin from Making Miracles
• Herb Roasted Chickpeas from Cook with Renu
• Herbed Chicken with Charred Romaine Salad from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• No Knead Herb Bread from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Oven-Braised Rabbit with Herbed Dumplings from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Quiche Lorraine with Herbs from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Sage and Caramelized Onion Sourdough Bread from Caroline's Cooking
• Rosemary & Garlic Baked Potato With Sour Cream from Sneha's Recipe
• Tomato Salad Topped Baked Spinach Frittata from Food Lust People Love

Baking Bloggers is a friendly group of food bloggers who vote on a shared theme and then post recipes to fit that theme one the second Monday of each month. If you are a food blogger interested in joining in, inquire at our Baking Bloggers Facebook group. We'd be honored if you would join us in our baking adventures.

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Baked Duck Eggs #FoodieExtravaganza

Creamy and so dip-in-able, baked duck eggs are easy to make and a delight to eat. Pass the toast soldiers, please!

I love duck eggs! First of all, their yolks are much bigger than a regular chicken egg and everyone knows that the best part of any egg is the yolk. It’s where most of the flavor resides, not to mention a lion’s share of the nutrients and protein. The white part of a duck egg, or albumen to give it its correct name, is clear and bright, without the slight yellow tinge found in chicken eggs.

Varying in color depending on the breed, duck eggshells are a bit thicker and sturdier than chicken eggs. I suggest cracking them into a small bowl rather than straight into the ramekins to make sure you don’t get any hard shell in your dish.

Duck eggs can be challenging to find in normal US grocery stores but if you are fortunate enough to have farmers’ markets in your area, I’ve found them to be a reliable source. My local Whole Foods also carries duck eggs so if you have one nearby, you might want to check there. They are more expensive than chicken eggs, but still affordable as a main course for breakfast.

When I do come across them, baking is my favorite way to serve them. With just a little cream and butter, the delicious duck egg shines, definitely the star of your breakfast or brunch.

Baked Duck Eggs

This is an easy and delicious way to prepare breakfast for a crowd! If you don’t have duck eggs, chicken eggs can be substituted. Just adjust the cooking time downwards by a couple of minutes because smaller eggs will take less time to cook.

Ingredients per person
1-2 teaspoons butter
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 duck egg
salt
black pepper

For serving:
Hot buttered toast

Equipment: 4-5 in or 10-12cm shallow ramekins

Method
Set a rack in the middle of your oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F or 190°C. Boil a kettle or pot of water then turn it off.

Generously butter the inside of the ramekins. Add in the cream with a pinch of salt and a couple of grinds of black pepper.  Crack your eggs one at a time, into a small bowl, transferring each to a ramekin.

My second egg surprised me by having double yolks of different colors. How does that even happen?!

Sprinkle the eggs with just a touch more salt and pepper.

Place all the ramekins in a high-sided baking pan. Once the oven has preheated, put the pan in the oven and carefully pour in the hot water till it comes halfway up the ramekins.

Close the oven door and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the eggs are just set but the yolks are still runny. Start testing at 12 minutes by gently jiggling the pan. The whites should be firm but the yolks should wiggle slightly. If the yolks move too much, keep baking and testing.

This is a matter of preference and some may like their yolks softer or harder. For me, the joy is dipping my toast into a very soft yolk.

Carefully remove the pan from the oven and then remove the ramekins from the pan. Serve with toast for dipping.

Enjoy!

This month my Foodie Extravaganza friends are sharing breakfast recipes in celebration of National Breakfast Month. Check them out below. Many thanks to our host, Sue of Palatable Pastime.

• Baked Duck Eggs from Food Lust People Love
• Banana Pancakes from Palatable Pastime
• Changua (Colombian Egg and Milk Soup) from Tara's Multicultural Table
• Chorizo and Egg Breakfast Tacos from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Hot Breakfast: Baked Cinnamon & Apple Oatmeal from Hardly A Goddess
• Mushroom and Swiss Frittata from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Saffron Oats & Egg Omelette from Sneha's Recipe
• Sheepherder’s Breakfast from Making Miracles

Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays by cooking and baking together with the same ingredient or theme each month.

Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board!

Pin these Baked Duck Eggs!

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