40th Birthday Baked Egg Casserole

I made this baked egg casserole at my 40th birthday weekend-away party on Lopez. You heard right – I made it. Me. YES I did the cooking (and no small amount of the planning and shopping) for my own damn birthday party. Had it been left up to guy we'd have arrived on Lopez with nary an olive or chip or bottle of wine, expecting to purchase it all there. Mind you, Lopez is also known as land of one tiny feel-like-you've-gone-back-in-time-to-the-70s "grocery store". I got a little dizzy at the thought of serving up iceberg lettuce salad and hotdogs and canned fruit to my dear friends who trekked all the way there. (I am my mother’s daughter after all and as such I throw a decent party.) So, I demanded a stop at Whole Foods on the way to the ferry. (In all fairness, I am sure Lopez has a wonderful Farmers’ Market – I think it is a requirement on a western Washington enclave populated with potters and painters and poets, no? But it was October people!) We ordered up a few enchilada trays and picked up plenty of vino, ESB, IPA and margarita fixings for the evening. (So, technically, I didn’t cook, I made drinks and heated casseroles.) For the morning after, I made this and we bagels. Jane has asked for the recipe, so, without further ado (I cannot seem to avoid ado … but alas it is MY blog, so if you want recipes, you must put up with stories):

Broccoli and Cheese Brunch Casserole

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces sausage*
1 (10 ounce) package chopped frozen broccoli, thawed and drained
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup ricotta cheese
8 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 roma (plum) tomato, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS
Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 7x11 inch baking dish.
In a bowl, mix cooked sausage, broccoli, and 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese. In a separate bowl, mix 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, ricotta cheese, eggs, milk, pepper, and salt. Spoon the sausage mixture into the prepared baking dish. Spread the Cheddar and ricotta mixture over the sausage mixture. Sprinkle with remaining Cheddar. Arrange tomato slices on top.

Cover with aluminum foil, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Uncover, and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

(If you use the link and go to the recipe on AllRecipes.com there is a nifty SERVINGS & SCALING tool that you can use to customize the size of the dish. As is, it serves eight.)

*I use turkey or chicken spicy Italian sausage.

I have made this using all eggs, using all EggBeaters and using a combo and it is always just fine.

Stratas are often recommended as great brunch / feed a crowd fare ... but I think an egg casserole with "bread on the side" (rather than baked in the dish as with a strata) makes more sense because you can stretch it further. And a strata with bagels or croissants or baguette is just too much bread, IMO. (Remember that scene in Big Night were Primo is disgusted by the customer that wanted a side of pasta with an order of risotto? I similarly cannot abide a strata with a side of bread.)

Comments

[Jane]

Thank you for the recipe!
Now, I need to have breakfast with people. Too bad I am already 40, or I could make it for my 40th b-day too.
Sala Hantle Ausi.