Remember how I said I have been lacking cooking inspiration in the kitchen lately? It seems that my lack of inspiration has also extended itself to blogging. Do not fear… I go through these stages periodically. I find that the best way to get through it is to just push on through and keep writing. So, that’s exactly what I’m doing.
I have a funny thing about food textures. Many of the foods that I’m not too fond of are those that have a texture that I don’t like (mushy cereal, for example)… It has very little to do with the flavor. So, due to my hatred of mushy and soggy things, I have avoided egg and sausage casseroles for years. The thought of bread soaking in eggs and milk just didn’t sound appetizing to me.
A few weeks ago, though, I had some stale bread on hand and for some reason I was feeling especially brave. I decided to tackle the dreaded egg and sausage casserole since I know it is such a popular holiday dish (and I was also lacking cooking inspiration at the time). When all was said and done, it turned out to be pretty tasty. In fact, it was tasty enough that I made it again last week and even took the time to take a few pictures and keep track of the recipe.
Though most recipes for sausage and egg casseroles are quite easy to make, I think you will be happy to discover that this one is even easier than most. I decided to use fully cooked chicken apple sausage to change up the flavors, and the added bonus is that there is no need to brown the meat. So, the casserole can be thrown together in a matter of minutes, and there are no skillets to be cleaned. You will want to remember this one when you have a house full of guests around the holidays. Trust me.
Chicken Sausage and Egg Casserole
(Serves a crowd, 8-10)
- 4 cups whole wheat bread, cubed or diced
- 1 pound fully cooked chicken apple sausage, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 10 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Line the bottom of the baking dish with the bread cubes. Spread the diced sausage and peppers over the top of the bread cubes.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard, and salt. Pour the egg mixture over the bread, sausage, and peppers in the baking dish. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese.
Bake for about 60 minutes until the eggs are set and the top is golden. Cool for about 10 minutes prior to serving.
My hubs will love this one. Great for feeding a crowd too!
This looks like the perfect weekend brunch dish. You can’t beat how easy it is. And as with everything you do, it looks delicious.
Oooh, my brother-in-law made something like this during a holiday last year and I just loved it! Bookmarking this for later. :-)
Perfect for today. I could eat it now, later, and yesterday.
Mmmmm – I love casseroles like this, it’s like bread pudding, but savory. Yum!!
I find that there’s a fine line between mushy and perfect…like I don’t really care for bread pudding but I love Thanksgiving stuffing. You’re right, it’s a texture thing. This looks like it falls into the “right texture” group.
Casserole will be on my menu for the coming week. I just need to buy me some eggs first. hehehe…
A fabulous recipe for the coming holiday season and pretty easy too. Glad you worked through your texture issues to bring us this!
made this with chorizo instead of chicken sausage, mexican cheese mix instead of cheddar, and added onions.
one of the best things i’ve ever made.
(:
I had something like this years ago. It was delicious! I should give this a try around the holidays. Nice and easy :)
That looks wonderful! Can you make it ahead the night before (like most other breakfast casseroles?)
Jen – Yes, you could make it ahead of time and simply bake it the next morning!
Hi Jen, this is Diana from TasteSpotting!
This casserole looks like the perfect thing for a big family brunch! Have you thought about submitting the recipe for the $1000 grand prize in TasteSpotting’s Johnsonville Sausage recipe contest? You can find out more details here – http://www.tastespotting.com/features/sausagespotting-win-1500-dollars-johnsonville-recipe-contest
Would love to have you participate – cheers!
Hello. I made this casserole yesterday for a brunch we hosted and it was a big hit! Delicious, healthy, and so easy to pull together. We added some sliced mushrooms as well… so yummy. Thanks for the great recipe!
Sarah
I love making casseroles because they are easier for me to put everything in the dish and shove into the oven! lol This was really good and at first I wasn’t going to make it since I wasn’t sure how chicken and sausage would taste together, but to my delight, it was great!
Hands Down the Best! Even though the one pan method is great, and this recipe is more “Healthy”, I went a little above and beyond by sauteing the green and red peppers with shallot, onion and mushrooms with a bit of seasoned salt. Utilizing white bread vs wheat and one additional egg for the added ingredients. Finally increasing the cheese factor to 8 oz vs 2oz. Bake time perfect and the results. Outstanding.. Great Sunday Brunch!! A keeper!!