Oh, this recipe! Seriously, this is what I crave when I need comfort food. It's ooey-gooey-salty-cheesiness digs deep into your soul and keeps you company. Serve it up with a side of creamy grits (my favorite is Flying Biscuit Creamy Dreamy White Cheddar Grits) and this Southern girl is so content!
I love a recipe that is naturally adaptable. Admittedly, I'm not really a recipe follower and tend to adapt pretty much everything, but some foods particularly excel with this type of go-with-the-flow, throw-in-whatever-you-have cooking approach. This is one of them.
And the best part, this recipe freezes so well! Since it isn't the healthiest of meals, I like to put it in several smaller containers that I place in the freezer. That way I can have a single meal when I really need it rather than gorging on an entire 9x13 casserole dish in one day. I make a batch pretty much anytime I have leftover white bread (which isn't nearly often enough!).
I love this recipe with veggie sausage, sautéed spinach and cheddar cheese, but you could include whatever ingredients you like. Change up the cheese or add other veggies - it's entirely up to you.
Must have ingredients
Bread - about 6 to 8 slices torn into pieces (I use sourdough since that's typically what I have on hand but any bread you think you'd like could work here)
5 eggs, lightly beaten
2.5 cups milk and/or cream (I typically use a mix of half and half and almond milk depending on what I have on hand. Obviously the creamier the milk, the creamier the recipe.)
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups grated cheese
My additional ingredients
6 veggie sausage patties
3 cups of spinach, coarsely chopped
Directions
If you plan to bake this right away, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cook sausage patties according to package directions. After you flip them over to cook on the second side, go ahead and cut them into small pieces. Once thoroughly cooked, remove from skillet and set aside on a separate plate.
In the sausage skillet, saute the spinach until wilted. Scrape up the sausage bits so none of this goodness goes to waste!
In a 9x13 casserole dish or smaller glass dishes that give you approximately the same amount of room as a 9x13, tear bread and place pieces on the bottom of the dish. I place enough bread to fill the bottom, but you can use as much or as little as you like.
On top of the bread pieces, sprinkle in the sausage and then top with the sauteed spinach.
Add cheese on top.
In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs slightly (with a fork is fine), and then add the milk and salt. Mix to thoroughly combine.
Pour egg/milk mixture over casserole.
If you're baking right away, place in the heated oven and cook until eggs are set and top is lightly brown. This is about 40 minutes for a 9x13 pan but might be less with a smaller pan.
If you're freezing or refrigerating, go ahead and place a lid on the dish(es) and place in the fridge/freezer. Allow to thaw before cooking. Though some dishes say you can do it, I never recommend placing a cold glass dish in a hot oven. Instead, when you're ready to cook it, place the cold dish in a cold oven, then turn on the heat. Adjust cooking time accordingly.
