Anne's Awesome Breakfast Casserole Recipe - YUMMY!!!

I know I promised I would post this for you guys (with Anne's permission of course!) - sorry it took a little while.

This is the casserole I made in Whistler (though the sausage there was lousy so it's much better usually), Sonoma, for the Landing Party at our house for the last shuttle flight and Winter Park. It is ALWAYS a crown pleaser :)

DAY BEFORE

1 lb. bulk sausage (Bob Evans original, or any good, plain breakfast
sausage)
1/4 cup finely chopped onion

   Brown sausage / add chopped onion toward end (in time for it to become
soft and translucent)
   Drain fat
-------

Basic white bread (20 +/- slices) -- crust removed
1/4 Cup softened butter (best to use real butter)
8-10 slices of pre-sliced cheese (cheddar or American may be used...whatever you prefer)

   Butter one side of bread and line bottom of 9 x 14 (or slightly smaller)
Pyrex casserole pan, butter down
   Cover bread with a (solid) layer of cheese slices
   Cover cheese with an even layer of the browned/drained sausage & onion
   Top with a layer of un-buttered bread slices
------

10-12 beaten eggs (depending on size of eggs and how eggy you want it)
3/4 Cup milk
1/2 teas. dry mustard
1/8 teas. pepper

   Mix well and pour slowly and evenly over casserole
   Cover and refrigerate overnight
_________________

MORNING 

Remove casserole from refrigerator (set it out for 1/2 to 1 hour to warm up
if possible - if not, sometimes I put it in the microwave for a minute or so
in order to take the chill off the center -- just to make it cook a little
more evenly) 

Preheat oven to 350*

3/4 Cup Cornflakes (enough to generously cover the casserole)
1/4 Cup melted butter

   Cover casserole with Cornflakes
   Drizzle melted butter over Cornflakes
   Bake one hour at 350*

Breakfast Casserole - YUM!

I have decided that my absolute favorite thing for breakfast is a breakfast casserole. Besides being tasty there are some other great advantages to this kind of dish including that you can prep it the night before (I am not a morning person so being able to do the "hard" part of the cooking the night before is key for me) then just pop it in the oven in the morning and it's great for feeding a crowd. My favorite breakfast casserole is one that I got from my friend Anne and I have made many many times and it's always a hit. If I get her permission I'll post that recipe too but she's got to give me the go ahead :)

I found a French Toast Casserole recipe before this trip and decided to bring it along for a second morning of breakfast casserole. We made it last night and had it this morning - the pan was cleaned out entirely so I am inferring that it was a big hit :) In case you're in need of some easy breakfast recipes for a group here ya go!

FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE
2 tsp butter softened
8 slices of white bread cut into 1-in cubes
7 large eggs
2 cups milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup maple syrup
4 Tbsp sugar (divided into half)
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/2 cup chopped pecans
maple syrup for serving

Night Before
Grease a 9x13 dish with butter. Fill the dish with the bread cubes - distributing evenly.

Whisk together eggs, milk, cream, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 2 tablespoons sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom. Pour this mixture over the bread cubes and press down over the surface of the casserole with a spatula to help the bread soak up all the liquid. Sprinkle the top with the remaining sugar. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Morning Of
Preheat oven to 350F. Place casserole covered in foil in oven to bake for 30 minutes. Remove the casserole and remove the foil. Bake for an additional 30-35 minutes until the casserole is puffy and brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before covering with warmed maple syrup and chopped pecans. Cut and serve!

Notes of Note from Me
We didn't have cardamom so we omitted it and it tasted just fine. Also we had a few drinks prior to prepping the casserole so we missed that we were supposed to put half the sugar into the mix and sprinkle the other half on top. Again it tasted just fine that way too :)