This month features Christmas Breakfast from two cultures sharing the same purpose:  something tasty to look forward to after the presents are unwrapped, and hearty enough to provide plenty of energy to play with them.

Overnight Breakfast Casserole

Koty’s and my Christmas Eve tradition was to make this casserole together before bed. Christmas morning it was baking while we opened presents before eating. 

Ingredients:

bread – 12 slices of brioche (challah will also work, day old preferred)

olive oil – for cooking purposes

onion – 1 large yellow and 3 green onions, chopped

Italian sausage – casings removed

dry mustard

salt & pepper

bell pepper – green and/or red, finely chopped

cheddar cheese – shredded

6 eggs

2 cups milk

Preheat oven: To 300 F degrees. Prepare bread: Cut the bread into cubes and place them onto a baking sheet. Place the bread into the oven and bake for 10 minutes, just enough to dry the bread out but not toast it. Remove from the oven and set aside. Prepare sausage: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sausage and cook until onion has softened and sausage is cooked through. Use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage as it cooks. Finally, season with salt and pepper and dry mustard. Build casserole: Add half the bread cubes to a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish and top with half of the cooked onions and sausage. Next, add half the chopped bell pepper, chopped green onions, and 1 cup of shredded cheese. Repeat layers with remaining bread, onion, sausage, bell peppers, green onions, and cheese. Prepare the eggs: In a bowl whisk together the eggs and milk and pour over the casserole evenly. Finally, cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and put in the fridge overnight. Bake and serve: The next morning, preheat the oven to 350 °F and remove the foil from the casserole dish. Place into the oven and bake for 50 to 55 minutes. You’ll know the casserole is done if you insert a knife in the center and if it comes clean, it’s done. Serve hot!

Judy Noel

Maple Bread Pudding

A Canadian favorite. Simple ingredients — eggs, sausage, milk, day-old bread, and, of course, pure maple syrup. Ingredients:

6 breakfast sausages

¼ cup brown sugar

six slices day-old bread, buttered

3 cups milk

3 eggs

vanilla

maple syrup

Cook breakfast sausages and cut into small pieces. Generously butter an 8”x 8” baking dish. Sprinkle the brown sugar into the buttered dish. Add the sausages, and top with buttered bread. Mix the milk, eggs, and a touch of vanilla and pour over casserole. Bake one hour at 350. Add maple syrup, to your liking, 15 minutes before removing the casserole from the oven.

Diane Gagnon