Pizza Egg Bake

Anyone who cooks breakfast for a crowd has their eye on stratas, egg casseroles, egg bakes – whatever you want to call them. I’ve made these filling casseroles any which way but loose over the years, but this newest one with its fun pizza flavors, will, I think, be one of your favorites for fall or the holidays. Pizza for breakfast? Of course!! I include an easy recipe for tomato sauce, but you can also use your own favorite or grab a jar at the store. Best made a day ahead and rested overnight in the fridge before baking, it will also taste quite good if made nearly at the last minute! For a smaller 2-qt casserole, cut ingredients down by 1/3 (6 eggs, 6 slices bread, 2 cups milk, etc), and reduce baking time to 45-50 min.

10-12 servings

Ingredients

Olive oil
½ cup each chopped onion and sweet red bell pepper- plus a little extra of each for garnish
1 large plump clove garlic, minced
4 links Italian sausage- about a pound
8 eggs
3 cups milk
1 1/3 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Pinch of crushed red pepper-plus extra to pass at the table
1 teaspoon EACH: dry mustard, dried basil, and dried oregano
8 slices crusty bread-about 5 cups, diced into 1-inch pieces - -a little stale is best, but any will work (I like a grocery store sour dough boule for this.)
2 cups (8-ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese (not fresh mozzarella)
3 large, sliced button mushrooms for garnish
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 2 cups prepared tomato sauce --recipe below if needed, and sliced olives for serving (all optional)

Instructions

PREP: Grease or spray a 3-quart casserole dish and set aside.
SAUTÉ THE ONIONS AND SWEET BELL PEPPERS over medium heat in a medium/large skillet drizzled with a tablespoon of olive oil until nearly tender. (Leave the extra tablespoon or two of onions and peppers uncooked for garnish.) Cover to decrease cooking time. Add garlic and cook another minute or two. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
COOK THE ITALIAN SAUSAGE in the same skillet (add a little more olive oil) until well-browned and cooked-through. Drain, cool briefly, and chop into ½-inch pieces. Set aside.
WHISK TOGETHER the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, dry mustard, dried basil, and dried oregano in a large bowl. STIR IN THE DICED BREAD, reserved cooked onions, peppers, garlic, and the cooked sausage.
POUR EGG MIXTURE into the prepared dish and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Push the cheese down into the egg mixture with a table fork, leaving a little cheese visible on top.
TOP WITH THE MUSHROOMS and reserved fresh onion and peppers. Add a last grind or two of black pepper over the dish. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate overnight or at least for a couple of hours. In a real pinch, let the casserole sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before baking; it’ll still eat!
THE NEXT MORNING, preheat the oven with a rack at center to 375 degrees F. Remove the casserole from the fridge, uncover, and let sit at room temperature while the oven heats. Bake 60-70 minutes or until well-browned and crispy on both the bottom and the top with the center just barely set. If browning too quickly and not getting done at center, cover with aluminum foil for 5-10 min. Remove to potholders on the counter or board (do not place on stove top as these glass baking dishes can break) and let rest 10-15 minutes before cutting. Serve with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, tomato sauce, sliced olives, and the reserved crushed red pepper, if using.
Store leftovers well-wrapped in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze individual servings and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before heating over low flame in a small covered skillet or in the microwave.

Notes

TOMATO SAUCE: You can also use a 15-ounce can of chopped tomatoes.

1 tablespoon each: olive oil and butter
2 tablespoons each: minced yellow onion, carrot, and celery
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary (1/2 teaspoon dry)
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
Large plump clove garlic, minced
1 pound (5 medium) ripe tomatoes cut into small dice
Pinch granulated sugar

In a heavy 3-quart saucepan, heat oil and butter over medium flame. Add onion, celery, carrot, and rosemary. Season with a pinch each salt and pepper. Cook about 5 minutes or until softened, adding garlic for the last minute. Stir in chopped tomatoes with their juices along with ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper, and the pinch of granulated sugar. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring regularly. Taste and adjust seasonings. (Can be made a day ahead, cooled, and stored in the refrigerator overnight.)