Smoked Breakfast Casserole

Nothing like a warm filling breakfast to start a cold winter’s day. Although to be honest this would be a perfect breakfast for any time of the year. I must say though it was nice on this frosty morning. The beauty of this breakfast is that it can be made the night before, refrigerated, then popped in the oven the next morning. Of course if you want to go outside and finish it on the grill with a final touch of smoke, then GO FOR IT! But you don’t have to.

The fun thing about this recipe is it is so open to many variations. We wanted to keep it “seasonal” so we didn’t add any bell peppers or green onion, which would have been marvelous in it. I can definitely see some blanched asparagus  being tossed in come spring time. It would also be a good use for left over ham. Personally I would have liked to added some jalapenos, but had to keep tame for the wife.

What to expect

The eggs will be soft and creamy (not runny) with a nice gentle smoky flavor brought by the sausage and cheese. The sausage also helps add body and texture, while the green chilies add an extra note. I also STRONGLY recommend serving it with Sriacha (rooster sauce) it just takes the dish to a whole different level.

Difficulty: Easy

What you’ll need:

30- 45 minutes to smoke the sausage (can be done a day in advance of assembling your casserole)

20 minutes to assemble

50 minutes to cook finished casserole

1 9X13 baking dish buttered

8 slices of white bread cut into cubes

1 lb sausage smoked with your favorite smoking wood

1/2 lb well smoked sharp cheddar (I recommend smoking your own.)

10 large eggs

2 cups milk

2 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp salt

1 4.5 oz can of green chilis

How we did it:

Begin by setting the grill up for an INDIRECT  cook.

Place wood chunks on both piles of coals, place sausage in the void between coals.

Cut vents by about 1/2.

Smoke sausage to an internal temperature of 165°F (about 30-45 minutes).

While the sausage is getting it’s smoke on begin preparing your other ingredients.

Butter a 9X13 baking dish.

Cut your bread into about 1/2 inch cubes.

Shred the cheese.

Whisk the eggs together.

Add the milk, mustard, salt, and chilies to the eggs. Stir to mix.

Once the sausage is done, let it rest about 10 minutes.

Coarsely chop it.

Now begin building your casserole.

Spread the bread crumbs in the bottom of your buttered dish.

Add sausage and cheese.

Pour the egg mixture over the top.

At this point it can be covered and  refrigerated for up to 1 day, or baked.

When you’re ready to cook it. Remove cover and bake in oven or indirectly on the grill at 350°F for about 50 minutes. A wooden pick will come out clean and it will start to pull away from the sides when it’s finished. If the top starts to brown too much cover with foil.

There ya go. So if you’re wanting to impress company,or just get out of the house on a cold winter day, this a good way to do it. Don’t let old man Winter tell you that you can’t grill.

Remember what you cook isn’t nearly as important as who you cook it with. (Some day I’m going to explain this tag line, but not today.)