Egg casseroles are the quintessential brunch food. Most can
be made the night ahead of time, they’re endlessly versatile, and I find them
to generally be crowd-pleasers. Served with fruit and some coffee cake or
muffins, you’ve got yourself a filling meal that doesn’t require a ton of
effort but still manages to impress. Not the brunching type? Make an egg
casserole and heat up the leftovers for breakfast all week. IT’s even quicker
than scrambling or frying a few eggs while you try to pack your lunch and rush
out the door.
This egg casserole became a favorite in our house, when I
served it to my visiting grandparents during their recent visit. What started
as a pretty basic egg dish morphed into something extraordinary with the
additions of mushrooms, spinach, and basil, thrown in there to partner with the
sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, and pork sausage. I lightened it up a bit,
using a combination of milk and half & half, vs. half & half and cream,
and you never would’ve guessed!
Put this on your next brunch menu or make breakfast a little
more interesting this week with this cheesy baked egg dish!
-1 pound pork sausage
-1/2 cup chopped shallots
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
-1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
-8 oz. baby portabella mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
-1 tbsp olive oil
-4 cups spinach
-8 large eggs
-1 cup milk
-1 cup half and half
-1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
-1/2 tsp salt
Directions:
1. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and set aside. Saute sausage in a medium saucepan over medium heat until browned, breaking up with a wooden spoon into small pieces. In a separate saucepan, saute mushrooms in 1 tbsp olive oil until liquids have been released and mushrooms are soft.
2. Add shallots and garlic to meat mixture and cook for 3 minutes. Add sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, and half of the basil and cook until spinach is wilted. Spread sausage mixture in prepared dish.
3. Whisk eggs, half and half, milk, 1 cup cheese, and salt in a large bowl. Pour egg mixture over sausage mixture in dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and basil.
4. The casserole can be covered and refrigerated overnight, or baked immediately. If baking immediately, bake at 375F for 30 minutes, or until top is golden brown and an inserted knife comes out clean. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.