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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Leek and Lobster Mushroom Risotto

This Leek and Lobster Mushroom Risotto is a creamy, cheesy bowl of comfort food, brightened by the addition of a lovely Tuscan kale and pistachio pesto. I’ve shared that in separate post to make each recipe more manageable but include the ingredients list here also to make your shopping easier. 

First, let’s talk briefly about lobster mushrooms. I came across them in the bulk section of one of our fancier grocery stores in Houston called Central Market. The orange color caught my eye and then, of course, the idea of a dried mushroom that potentially tasted of lobster made me buy some. 

I’m here to report that despite the name, lobster mushrooms are actually a fungus. While I was certain they weren't crustaceans, I was surprised to learn that they are not actually mushrooms either. Learn something new every day! 

According to Wikipedia, and I quote, “Hypomyces lactifluorum, or the lobster mushroom, is a parasitic ascomycete fungus that grows on certain species of mushrooms, turning them a reddish orange color that resembles the outer shell of a cooked lobster.” And further along in the article: “They have a seafood-like flavor and a firm, dense texture.” Hence the name. 

You can see the color for yourself in my photos below. They did taste rather of seafood and were a great addition to risotto. You could easily make this a vegetarian friendly dish by using vegetable stock instead of chicken. 

Leek and Lobster Mushroom Risotto

This recipe is adapted from one in delicious magazine from the March 2022 issue. It can also be found online here. If you can’t find lobster mushrooms, substitute your favorites. 

Ingredients

For the risotto:

1.75oz or 21g dried lobster mushrooms

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large leeks (trimmed weight 1.1 lb or 500g)

2 garlic cloves

2 cups or 410g risotto rice (Arborio or Carnaroli)

3/4 cup or 175ml dry white wine

4 1/3 cups or 1L quality chicken stock

3 1/2 oz or 100g Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve

For the kale pesto:

Large bunch Tuscan kale or cavolo nero (Mine weighed 186g or 6 1/2 ozs)

1 3/4 oz or 50g shelled pistachios 

1 3/4 oz or 50g Parmesan or pecorino, finely grated

Finely grated zest and juice 1 lemon

2/3 cup or 100ml good quality olive oil

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Find instructions here: https://www.foodlustpeoplelove.com/2024/08/tuscan-kale-pistachio-pesto.html

Method

Soak the dried lobster mushrooms in 2 cups or 480ml boiling water until soft. Strain the liquid to remove any dirt or impurities and add it to the chicken stock. 

Chop the mushrooms roughly and set aside. 

Trim and discard the hard green parts of the leeks and wash the white parts well. Thinly slice them. 

Using the side of a big knife, crush the cloves of garlic then chop them roughly.

Melt the butter in a deep sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the oil, leeks and a pinch of salt, then cover and cook, stirring regularly, for 8-10 minutes until very soft. In a separate pan, heat the stock over a low heat.

Add the garlic to the leeks and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the rice and stir to coat in butter and oil. 

Increase the heat to high, then pour in the wine and cook for 2-3 minutes until absorbed. 

Turn the heat back down to medium high. Gradually add the warmed stock, one ladleful at a time, stirring continuously. Wait until each addition of stock has almost all been absorbed before adding the next. 

Continue until you’ve added all the stock and the rice is al dente (still has some bite.) 

Stir in the grated Parmesan and the chopped lobster mushrooms.  

Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serve as is or topped with Tuscan kale and pistachio pesto. 

Enjoy!

Welcome to the 18th edition of the 2024 Alphabet Challenge, brought to you by the letter R. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the R recipes below:

• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Cheeseburger Broccoli Rice Soup Casserole 
• Food Lust People Love: Leek and Lobster Mushroom Risotto 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Pan-Seared Scallops with Black Beans and Red Pepper Sauce 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Pineapple Fried Rice 
• Sneha’s Recipe: Pressure Cooker Rice Kheer With Homemade Masala Milk Powder 
• A Messy Kitchen: Rabrabrakake: Norwegian Rhubarb Cake 
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Ragi Shavige Uppitu 
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Raspberry Ricotta Pancakes 
• Magical Ingredients: Red lentil Paratha 
• Palatable Pastime: Ring Noodle Tuna Salad (Minnesota Style)
• Blogghetti: Roasted Rosemary Potato Peelings 
• Culinary Cam: Rose Petal-Strawberry Granita 

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 - this post!

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Caprese Prosciutto Salad

What is better than a classic Caprese salad? A Caprese Prosciutto Salad, with the addition of salty, savory ham! If you’ve been making it plain, time to level up.

I have soooo many pictures of almost this exact salad in my photo library because it’s one of our favorite things to make and eat, especially in the summer when the local tomatoes are ripe. But honestly, we make this all year round. 

Sometimes I don’t have prosciutto so I substitute either parma ham, speck or Serrano ham. They all add a welcome saltiness and flavor that goes perfectly with the ripe tomatoes and creamy fresh mozzarella. 

This summer, my basil plants have gone to flower so I’ve been adding a sprinkling of those as well. Basil flowers are pretty and so tasty! They are a great addition to just about any salad so when you are trimming and pruning, don’t just toss them out.

 

Caprese Prosciutto Salad

My typical fresh mozzarella ball weighs a little more than 1/4 lb or 125g if I’m shopping in the UK and 8 oz or 226g, if I’m in the US. In the case of the smaller ball, I use the whole thing for this salad. If you have a bigger ball, add a tomato, it’s all good. 

Ingredients

3 medium tomatoes

1 ball fresh mozzarella (see note above)

1-2 slices prosciutto

Fresh basil leaves

Optional, if you can find them, basil flowers

Freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil

Method

Slice the tomatoes and lay them out on a platter. 

Slice the mozzarella and add one piece (or part of a piece) to top each tomato slice.

Cut the prosciutto into pieces and add one on top of each mozzarella. 

Top each piece of ham with a basil leave.  Season the salad with a few generous grinds of black pepper and a good drizzle with olive oil. 

And, if you have them, add a pretty sprinkle of basil flowers. 

This salad is best served at room temperature or just slightly chilled so if you make it ahead and store it in the refrigerator, take it out about half an hour before serving so it can warm up a bit. 

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and since summer up here in the northern hemisphere, we are sharing salad recipes. Check out the links below. 

• BBQ Chicken Ranch Salad from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Caprese Prosciutto Salad from Food Lust People Love
• Mexican Street Corn Salad from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Roasted Beet & Blackberry Salad from Amy’s Cooking Adventures
• Roasted Beet Salad with Horseradish Dressing from Palatable Pastime
• Strawberry & Green Bean Salad from Mayuri's Jikoni
• Super Delicious Keto Salad from Sneha's Recipe
• Yam Nuea Yang (Spicy Thai Beef Salad) from Culinary Cam

 

>We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Miso Butter Noodles

These Miso Butter Noodles are savory and rich, with crunchy snow peas and slivers of green onions. Add some shichimi togarashi for a little spiciness.

Everyday my husband forwards me his email from New York Times Cooking with lots of great recipe links and meal ideas. I don’t read them every single day so sometimes I find myself catching up a week or more. 

A while back, there was a recipe for miso butter pasta which caught my eye. Goodness knows that there were plenty of times I ate plain buttered noodles growing up and the addition of miso would add a welcome savory hit for my now very adult palate.

I saved the recipe to my “recipe box” then promptly forgot about it. Then a couple of weeks ago, our daughter made miso butter chicken for dinner and it all came back to me. Miso butter noodles was again on the list. 

Miso Butter Noodles

The original NYT Cooking recipe used dried pasta and, in addition to the salty miso, Parmesan cheese. I decided to lighten mine up by adding the snow peas and green onions to fresh egg noodles and omit the Parmesan. Excellent decision. Makes about 4 servings.

Ingredients

2 green onions 

5 1/3 oz or 150g snow peas

1 lb 4 oz or 565g fresh egg noodles

1/3 cup or 75g butter

4 teaspoons miso

Generous couple of sprinkles shichimi togarashi or crushed red pepper

Optional for serving: Shichimi togarashi or crushed red pepper

Method

Slice the green onions (white and green parts) and snow peas into narrow strips.

Bring a large pan of salted water to boil, add the fresh noodles and cook them over medium-high heat for 1 minute.

Remove the noodles to a colander with tongs and rinse. 

Add the strips of snow peas to the pot. Cook for 1 minute then drain them, reserving 1 cup or 240ml of the cooking water. 

Rinse the snow peas in cool water to stop them cooking and set aside.

Add half of the reserved water into a saucepan, along with the butter and miso. 

Whisk over medium heat until the butter is melted and everything is combined into a homogeneous liquid.

Add the drained noodles into the pan. 

Use tongs to vigorously stir them over low-medium heat for a few minutes, until the liquid emulsifies and smoothly and evenly coats the noodles.

Add in most of the green onions, saving a few bits for garnish, and the parboiled snow peas strips. 

Stir them in and cook briefly until they are heated through. Sprinkle with shichimi togarashi or crushed red pepper and stir again.

 

If at any point the sauce gets too dry and the noodles stick together a bit, stir in a bit extra noodle water to make it smooth and glossy again.

Serve topped with the reserved green onions and some more shichimi togarashi or crushed red pepper, if desired.

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 14th edition of the 2024 Alphabet Challenge, brought to you by the letter N. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the N recipes below:

• Great Northern Bean Summer Caprese Salad ; from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Grilled Naan from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Homemade Fig Newtons from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Miso Butter Noodles from Food Lust People Love
• Nasturtium Paratha fromMagical Ingredients
• Navratan Chivda from Sneha’s Recipe
• Nectarine Creme Brûlée from A Messy Kitchen
• No Bake Mini Strawberry Cheesecake Cups from Blogghetti
• Nocino, Italian Green Walnut Liqueur from Culinary Cam
• Quick Tawa Naan from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Spring Pasta Primavera from A Day in the Life on the Farm:

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 - this post!

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