BREAKFAST CASSEROLE/BITES

Wayne always says I don't eat enough for breakfast (just my Greek yogurt usually), when I saw this, I thought, "Why not? But I'll put my twist on it and make it in my muffin pan instead of an 8 - inch square baking pan. The casserole will keep better and I can enjoy a smaller amount if I like. I can even freeze them."

When I went to Aldi for some last minute Thanksgiving grocery shopping, I noticed they had rolls of Italian sausage included with the regular and hot sausage. You already know what I'm going to say, don't you? Yep, I bought it to give the little "casseroles bites" a kick. And it does. You could use any seasoned sausage you prefer. You could also make it in the square pan if you are needing that amount for your family. I also used cinnamon raisin bread for an extra sweetness. The last change I made (I promise) was using shredded mozzarella cheese since Wayne prefers it over cheddar.

What? You don't like sausage. Substitute chopped ham or bacon. If you make the "bites", you can please everyone in your family and use whatever meat they prefer and they can have their personal Breakfast Bite. (See what you can come up with if you just let your imagination take over. 😉)

Since I made 12 little "bites", I used almost four slices of the bread so that I could place 5 squares in each muffin cup. The amount of bread you will need will depend on the size of the bread slices you are using.

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE/BITES

2+     slices bread

1/2    pound bulk port sausage (could use diced ham, ground beef, ground turkey, or bacon)

1/2    cup shredded cheese 

3       eggs

1       cup milk

1/2    teaspoon ground mustard

1/4    teaspoon salt

1/8    teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or spray an 8 - inch square baking dish or a 12 - cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Cut the crust/edge from the bread slices and cut into 1 - inch cubes. (You won't be using the edges.)

Place bread cubes in the bottom of the baking dish. I placed 5 cubes in each muffin cup.

In a skillet, brown the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink, drain if necessary.

Sprinkle the sausage and

the cheese over the bread cubes.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, mustard, salt, and pepper.

Pour over the sausage and cheese. (Divide evenly if making the little casseroles. It didn't cover the ingredients, but filled the cup about 3/4ths full.)

Bake for 30 minutes for 8 - inch squares until puffed and golden. 15 - 20 minutes for the muffin size. 

To heat up, I place one or two bites on a plate and cook for 30 seconds in the microwave.