Christmas morning egg casserole

One of our favorite traditions is to enjoy a delicious breakfast casserole Christmas morning. Everyone loves this easy dish (even the cook) because it is tasty and can be assembled the night before. This recipe is a combination of a few different takes on the same dish added together. The breakfast is completed with grapefruit (on an ambitious year I will broil them with a touch of brown sugar) and some type of sweet coffee cake.  Merry Christmas!

Christmas Morning Egg Casserole
8-10 servings

Ingredients

1lb hot sausage
6 eggs
12 oz sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (to taste)
1tsp dry mustard (this isn't critical so don't worry if you don't have it.)

2 cups half n half (I use whole milk to be a little healthier)
3-5 pieces white bread (Be creative. Sourdough, white mountain, whole wheat, etc.)


Cook sausage in a large sauce pan. Transfer to a paper towel to drain. Tear bread into pieces and line them in the bottom of a greased casserole dish. Add cooked sausage. In a separate bowl, beat eggs. Add milk, mustard and mix well.  Pour mixture over sausage and bread. Add cheese. Cover casserole dish and place in the refrigerator overnight. (One year I didn't get it made the night before so I let the egg mixture soak into the bread for about an hour before putting it into the oven.) In the morning at least 30 minutes before you plan to cook the casserole, take it out of the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until browned and fluffy.  We are ready to eat our "brunch" after enjoying coffee and opening some presents. Perfect timing for a stress free morning!