Foodie Thursday: Overnight Egg Bake

Easy egg bake recipe. Huge servings. Lots of leftovers. Great for those who don't have much time to cook, working moms and dads, and college students. It also incorporates tons of vegetables which are plentiful during the summertime!

Living at home with my parents over quarantine has been a blessing. After a long day of work, I'm able to come home with food already made and have leftovers ready for the next day. Ugh, I'm very spoiled which makes unpacking my new apartment daunting. I'll be on my own again with grocery shopping, meal prepping, and all the other goodies that come with adulting. Yippee.

One recipe that my mom recently prepared was her easy egg bake. Prep the night prior, put in the oven in the morning, and enjoy. Even with 4 of us in the household, we still have leftovers from Monday. It tastes delicious and is extremely hearty.

However, her recipe isn't full of nutritious vegetables like the one I'm going to post. More cheese, potatoes, and hamburger. If you're craving something along those lines- plenty of recipes on the internet. But for those watching their figure or looking for something that provides more bang for your buck, I recommend this one!

RECIPE: EASY MAKE-AHEAD BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound uncooked sausage, casings removed
• optional: 1 teaspoon dried rosemary to give the sausage more flavor
• 2 bell peppers, diced (any color you prefer; about 2 cups)
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup fresh spinach
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 4 slices day-old bread (gluten-free, whole wheat, white, sourdough, any kind you like)
• 10 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk (I use almond milk, any milk works)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese*

Instructions

1. Set a large skillet over medium heat and coat it with nonstick spray or a drizzle of olive oil. Place sausage in the skillet and begin to break it up with a spatula or fork. Stir in the rosemary and brown the sausage, about 6-7 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, set the 2nd skillet over medium heat and coat it with nonstick spray or a drizzle of olive oil. (If you have a skillet large enough to fit both the sausage and veggies, you can just add the veggies to the sausage that is browning in step 1.) Add the peppers, mushrooms, spinach, onion, garlic, and a sprinkle each of salt and pepper. Begin stirring and cooking the veggies down until tender, about 6-8 minutes.
3. Set sausage and veggies aside.
4. Generously grease a 9×13 baking pan. Break the bread into pieces and place them in the pan in an even layer.
5. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and 1/4 cup shredded cheese together. Pour half of this egg mixture over the bread. Top with the sausage and vegetables, then the remaining egg mixture and remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper on top.
6. Cover casserole with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight– or up to 1 day. Allow it to come to room temperature before baking.
7. Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C). Bake the casserole, uncovered until the top is golden, edges are crisp, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean– about 40-45 minutes. I like mine on the super crisp side, so I bake it for around 45-50 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then slice and serve. Tastes awesome with hot sauce on top.
8. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave to your liking.

Notes

• Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Obviously this is a make ahead recipe! However, you can brown the sausage and cook down the veggies up to 2 days in advance– simply put the two in a tupperware in the refrigerator until ready to use in the recipe. Also, you can freeze this breakfast casserole. Prepare through step 5, then cover the casserole with plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature, then continue with step 7.
• The onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and cheese are key to great flavor! Don’t leave them out.
• Sausage: Instead of sausage, try browning ground turkey, ground beef, or ground chicken instead. Or use ham. Or cooked shredded chicken.
• Vegetarian Option: You can leave out the meat. Just an extra cup (or so) of veggies in its place.
• Cheese: I usually use shredded pepper jack cheese– other varieties I love for this breakfast casserole are mozzarella, smoked gouda, swiss, and cheddar.
• Special Tools: Skillet | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Wooden Spoon | Glass 9×13 Baking Dish

Shoutout to Sally's Baking Addiction for this wonderful recipe. Check out the website here for more recipes: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/. The link to view this specific one is here: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/easy-make-ahead-breakfast-casserole/#tasty-recipes-71415.

~ Coach Karina- BS, Kinesiology, CF L1, USAW Sports Performance Coach