When was the last time you had guests for breakfast?
I like doing that. The breakfast menu is not as demanding as those for lunch or dinner and is well-received because everybody is hungry.
Another plus is that you can set the table the previous night and have everything ready except cooking the food — always the easiest menu of the day.
This breakfast recipe was there waiting for me in a church cookbook from several years ago. It is, among other places, in the cookbook compiled by the youth missions organizations at First Baptist Church in Edgefield. It was submitted by Leigh Ann Cypress, and although I was unable to learn anything about Ms. Cypress, we thank her for her contribution.
This isn’t a new dish, and you probably have cooked it in the past — but it is still good. Sometimes recipes go through a popularity period when every cook is preparing them; then no one does. So it has been with the Sausage and Egg Casserole.
Edgefield First Baptist is a pre-Civil War church, dating back to 1823. It has around 200 active members. Rev. Andy Hunter is currently serving as interim pastor. The congregation recently added a new minister, Rev. Rob Williams, who will direct the youth and education program. An active and rewarding program of the church is conducted by the men’s ministry. Their major project (and they have done many of these) is to build access ramps at the homes of handicapped persons.
This is a good recipe for that company breakfast or when you have overnight guests. You assemble it the previous evening and stick it in the fridge, then bake it the next morning for breakfast. A versatile recipe, you can also use it for brunch, adding a salad and dessert — or it can be your main dish for a light lunch, again adding perhaps a green vegetable, a hot bread or dessert.
It is both a tasty and a filling recipe; the dish will serve eight generously.
So here is your assignment this weekend: Run to the grocery store, pick up a few ingredients, invite friends for breakfast Sunday morning before church, serve them this good Sausage and Egg Casserole, and no one will be hungry for … Sunday Dinner.
Sausage & Egg Casserole
3 slices bread
1-2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 pound sausage
6 eggs
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1½ cups grated cheese
Spray a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray and set aside.
With a brush, spread the melted butter onto the bread slices. Cut the slices into cubes and sprinkle into the pan.
In a skillet, brown the sausage and drain the fat. Sprinkle the sausage on top of the bread. Beat the eggs well; then add the milk, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over sausage.
Spread the grated cheese on top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
Have a recipe? sundaydinner@baptistcourier.com