I’ve made this breakfast casserole the past two weekends. I love having a hot breakfast when the mornings are chilly and I’m getting tired of washing all the dishes day in and day out. Preparing this casserole ahead of time is really easy and then we can just slice it, reheat it, and we are ready to go. If you want something more substantial a slice of this would taste amazing in between two slices of toast. When we are running around with a a zillion kid activities it helps to have a good breakfast to keep us going until we can squeeze in lunch. This uses precooked chicken sausage to save time, some spinach that wilts quickly for health purposes, and fontina cheese for its creamy buttery flavor.
What you need:
2.5 oz fresh spinach (half of a typical bag of fresh spinach leaves)
1 medium sized shallot, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb precooked chicken sausage links (I used Amylu but there are many good options) chopped into bite sized pieces.
1 cup of half and half
12 large eggs
1 cup of shredded fontina cheese
Salt and pepper
A stick of butter to grease the baking dish
Begin by preheating the oven to 375°. Warm a skillet to medium heat and add the olive oil and shallots. Give them a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Once the pan is sizzling and the shallots are fragrant add the spinach. It should only take about 2 minutes of occasional stirring for the spinach to be wilted. Turn off the heat and set aside.
I use a 9x12 baking dish for this casserole. Take a stick of butter and turn it on its end rubbing it around your entire baking dish and up the sides to give it a nice coating of butter. This will help the eggs not to stick and will also add some flavor to the dish. I think this is much tastier and just as easy as using a non stick spray. Take the cooled spinach and dump it onto a cutting board and give it a good rough chop. I don’t like the stems to be very large in the casserole, thats not a nice bite. This also allows it to spread out more evenly in the casserole. I find its easier to chop it up after cooking than before.
Now add the 12 eggs to a large mixing bowl with the half and half and whisk thoroughly to combine. Stir in a sprinkle of salt (about 1/2 tsp) and some pepper if you like it. Now add the sausage and spinach mixture to the baking dish. Pour in the eggs and add the cheese. Give it a stir to have everything spread evenly. Bake for about 30 minutes. It will puff up evenly and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean when its finished.
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