After the fun and bustle of delivering homemade food gifts to her friends, Stacy enjoys a quiet Christmas morning breakfast at home with son Matthias and husband Ralf.
“I enjoy creating new dishes and using recipes I learned from my mom in new ways,” says Stacy Portmann of Randolph, New Jersey, who is also a cookbook and cookware collector. She especially relishes entertaining family and friends with her husband Ralf and son Matthias, 15.
“We love to cook together,” she says. “The most important ingredient in anything we make is love and this is how we share our love.
“One of our favorite winter holiday traditions is Christmas morning brunch. On Christmas Eve, I prepare a sausage and egg breakfast casserole, which I bake on Christmas morning while we are opening presents.
“I serve it with mimosas, fresh fruit, croissants and muffins and we have an easy and relaxing morning, which is a nice change from the holiday rush.”
Stacy’s Christmas Morning Breakfast Casserole is easy to prepare, feeds a crew and comes out of the oven puffed up beautifully like a soufflé. What could be more perfect for a pajama-clad Christmas morning with the family?
The perfect do-ahead breakfast dish. As Stacy says, “Make ahead and bake Christmas morning while opening presents!”
Grease a 9x13 or similar sized baking dish and set aside. A festive dish is nice for the holidays! Brown the sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drain and cut into 1/2-inch chunks. Place the cubed bread in the bottom of the baking dish and top with the sausage. In a mixing bowl, beat together the eggs and milk. Add the TOASTED ONION POWDER, MUSTARD POWDER, Worcestershire sauce, salt and PEPPER and mix well. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and sausage. Top with the cheese. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Overnight is even better.
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350°. Bake for 45-50 minutes. For best results, cover with foil for the first 15 minutes of baking. Test the center of the casserole with a knife—if it comes out clean, the casserole is ready. Served right away, the casserole will be puffy; it may sink down as it cools, but either way it’s delicious!
Nutritional Information: Servings 8;
Serving Size 1 cup (279g); Calories 460; Calories from fat 160; Total fat 17g; Cholesterol 235mg; Sodium 1150mg; Carbohydrate 47g; Dietary Fiber 2g.
