The old saying goes that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And if we’re being honest, breakfast food is some of the best food that there is. We all have our favorites: there’s bacon, eggs, cheese and breakfast sausage. If you’re on the healthier side of things, you might opt for a bowl of oatmeal with some fresh fruit instead. No matter what, having a full breakfast is the right way to start the day—and we’ve got just the recipe.
This meal is known as the fireman’s breakfast casserole because it is large enough and hearty enough to feed an entire firehouse! Even if you’re not a firefighter, anyone can appreciate this delicious dish.
Here’s what you need:
- 1 pound of ground breakfast sausage
- 4 cups of sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 12 eggs
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup of chopped green onions
- 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms
- salt
- pepper
- For the gravy:
- 2 cups of milk
- 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter or oil
Here’s what you do:
1. First, grease up a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and set it aside. Next, get a large skillet going over medium heat. After that, throw in your sausage and break it up with a wooden spoon. As the meat starts to brown, throw in your onions, mushrooms and bell peppers. Keep cooking everything until the meat has cooked through and the vegetables begin to soften them, for about six to seven minutes. Stir in the green onions and take the meat and vegetables out of the skillet, letting them cool (but leave the juices in the pan).
3. Now, you’re ready to make your gravy! Add your butter or oil to the skillet. As it melts, whisk in your flour and let it all cook for two minutes.
4. Next, gradually start to whisk in your milk and cook it all together until the gravy starts to thicken. Let it all simmer for two to three more minutes and season the mixture with salt and pepper. Cover the mix and set it aside—ideally in a container to chill overnight.
5. Now, get your baking dish and crack your eggs in it evenly along the bottom. Make sure you keep all the yolks intact! After all the eggs are in, poke a hole in the top of each yolk with a toothpick and pour your cream on top of the eggs. Top that with half of your shredded cheese.
6. After that, throw your sausage mixture on top of the eggs and cream and top it all off with the rest of your cheese. Cover the dish with foil and let it chill overnight. Finally, make sure your oven is preheated to 350 and bake the entire thing in the oven for 30 minutes. After that, take the foil off and cook for another 30 minutes. Serve with gravy and enjoy!
Although this is definitely not a low-calorie breakfast, the results are absolutely delicious and should create enough food to feed the whole family. As always, feel free to tweak this as you see fit—for example, maybe consider using bacon instead of sausage (or if you’re very ambitious, use both)! Mixing in different cheeses can also produce different flavors and textures, though the key as always is to have fun with it. Enjoy the recipe and tell us what you think!
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