Maple Sausage Breakfast Casserole
The following recipe is from the October 22nd edition of our weekly recipe newsletter. To receive this newsletter in your inbox, sign up here!
This week's recipe for maple sausage and waffle casserole is surprisingly light. Traditionally, breakfast casseroles are made with a custard composed of heavy cream and up to 8 eggs. The folks at America's Test Kitchen found that whole milk and 6 eggs produced airier results, and let the flavors of the sausage and cheese shine through. Substituting frozen waffles for regular bread lightened the recipe even further, and was a perfect compliment to the maple syrup.
Maple Sausage Breakfast Casserole
- makes 6 servings -
Adapted from The Cook's Country Cookbook=
Ingredients
6-8 frozen waffles (1/2-inch thick, not Belgian-style)
12 ounces maple breakfast sausage, crumbled
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6 large eggs
1 1/4 cups whole or low-fat milk
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Procedure
1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375ºF. Arrange the waffles in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until crisp, about 10 minutes per side.
2. Brown the sausage in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking it apart with a spoon, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
3. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish. Add half of the waffles in a single layer. Add half of the sausage and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Repeat layering the waffles, sausage, and 1/2 cup more cheese. Whisk the eggs, milk, maple syrup, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl until combined. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the casserole. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and place weights on top. Refrigerate the casserole for at least 1 hour or overnight.
4. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325ºF. Let the casserole stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Uncover the casserole and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup the cheese over the top. Bake until the edges and center are puffed, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Cut into pieces and serve.
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3 Comments:
Looks interesting, but what is maple breakfast sausage? And while I'm asking, what is the difference between Belgian and other waffles? (Where I live you only get one kind - the ones that get crisp and have a square grid pattern.)
mynah at 1:30PM on 10/29/08
Banquet makes Maple flavored breakfast sausage, maybe even Jimmy Dean brand also makes it. They are carried in most grocery stores.
Belgian waffles are just like the ones you have where you live only they are fluffier and lighter...same only fancier...:)
dencyb1 at 3:32AM on 10/30/08
Sorry, this is, sort of, the Third World where I live! (At least we have interesting wildlife...;-)) Would pork bangers do instead, or are these sausages totally different?
mynah at 7:05AM on 10/31/08