Chew on This | Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole Bites

The Husband often leaves very, very early in the morning for his work day. On these early mornings, he usually doesn't leave himself enough time to eat breakfast. And on those mornings when he doesn't have to leave at the crack of dawn, he usually eats cereal. 

I'm not a big cereal fan. Especially of the types of cereal he likes to consume. You know, those empty calorie, nutrient deficient types. They lack the fuel he needs in the morning. They don't sustain his appetite until lunch. And, when he does have time for cereal, he typically eats two bowls - um, that's almost half a box of cereal in one sitting! 

So, wanting to give him a better start to his day, I decided to make him a breakfast that would fill him up, keep him going, and be easy to prepare - no matter what time his day started. Insert the Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole Bite! 

These babies have been the start of something wonderful. I bake 24 Casserole Bites and place at least three days worth into the refrigerator for easy access. The rest I freeze for future use. The Husband grabs a few each morning and places them either into the microwave (when time is short, short) or into the toaster oven (when time is short) to warm. He loves them! This particular recipe is his favorite, so far. I am playing with ingredients and making different renditions because - 1. it's fun, and 2. the man cannot eat sausage everyday. So, stick around for my next few ingredient tweaks! 

Yay Breakfast Casserole Bites! 

Cares

Here's our recipe:

Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole Bites

(makes 24 casserole bites)

4-5 C bread, cubed

1 pound bulk spicy sausage

1 medium sweet onion, diced

7 eggs

1 1/2 C milk

1/2 C heavy cream

2 1/2 C sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

2 T chives, chopped (for garnish)

salt/pepper to taste

In a medium sauté pan, break up your sausage and cook over medium heat. As the sausage cooks, add in your onion. When sausage is no longer pink and onions are soft, remove from heat and drain off any fat. Set pan aside until needed.

Next, in a bowl, crack all of your eggs and beat lightly. Add in your milk and heavy cream and whisk until thoroughly combined.

Now it's time to assemble your casserole bites! Start by making a single layer of cubed bread on the bottom of each muffin well. Next, spoon a heaping tablespoon of your sausage/onion mixture onto the cubed bread (if you have some left over after filling each of the 24 muffin wells, just evenly distribute the rest amongst the wells)Next, layer on your shredded cheese. Finally, pour your egg mixture over the top of each casserole bite. Only fill each muffin well half way up with the egg mixture. 

Cover the muffin tins with foil/plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator overnight (or at the very least, 4 hours in the refrigerator)

When you're ready to bake, remove foil/plastic wrap from the muffin tins and heat your oven to 350℉. When the oven is ready, place the muffin tins into the oven and bake for 13-15 minutes. Remove from the oven when the egg is set and no longer runny. Allow casserole bites to cool 3-5 minutes before serving. Remove from the muffin tins (I ran a knife along the edge of the casserole bite and then popped it right out of the tin) and garnish with chopped chives. Enjoy!