Sugar Lips Lifestyle Tips: Easter Sunday Brunch: Jacyn's Breakfast Casserole

I love Easter more than any other holiday. People think I'm crazy but it has two things that I love...specialty truffles and savory brunch. As many of you know, Sunday Suppers was inspired by Sunday Brunch at Grandma Deli's house. Mom always made us a hot plate for breakfast but Grandma made every Sunday special by surprising us with donuts or having a huge spread waiting for us after the service. I call it the"calming chaos" with children laughing and adults reminiscing.

I grew up in the church participating in Sunday School and all that jazz but Easter wasn't just any Sunday, it was an occasion. We usually put on some kind of show where the kids got to sing to the crowd but the really highlight was my outfit. Every year I got a new dress, new ruffle-butt tights or ruffled socks, new shiny white patent leather mary-janes and a hat. Sometimes even little gloves and a handbag. I was in heaven. Literally.

Normally, when I thought of going to Sunday school, I focused on how hungry I was when church got out and I how I couldn't wait for lunch. Easter was the exception as every year the church hosted a pot luck with savory breakfast casseroles that you could smell baking while waiting for the service to end. On a complete jelly bean high and tummy growling, all I wanted was the breakfast pudding waiting for me downstairs.

For the first time ever, I tried to duplicate my childhood love. I have altered the recipe slightly but am more in love with it than ever. This is the once a year dish that will be my tradition from here on out and I can only hope that you and yours enjoy it as much as we did. You can make this the night before and let it rest in the refrigerator or make it the morning of.

Happy Easter- Light and love from SF.
Cyn

What you need
4 eggs
1/2 lb. Italian sausage
1 c. cream (divided into 1/4c. and 3/4c.)
1 1/2 c whole milk
4 oz. cheddar cheese shredded
1 oz. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. chicken stock
1/2 small yellow onion
1 scallion
2 shitake mushrooms diced into really small pieces
1 garlic clove roughly chopped into small pieces
2 sprinkles of garlic powder
salt
freshly cracked black pepper
1 fresh loaf of Acme Sour Batard or any similar hard crusted white bread

What to Do
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pan, saute your sausage until cooked remove from heat and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk your eggs, 1/4 c. cream, 1 1/2 c. milk, 2 sprinkles of garlic powder together. Cube the bread into 1 inch cubes. Toss bread cubes into the egg mixture and allow to soak for 20 minutes to a half hour stirring occasionally.

Remove sausage from pan and place in a small bowl. Keeping the oils from the sausage, saute your onion over medium high heat for 3 minutes, then add your chopped garlic and stir. Continue to cook until aromatic. Stir occasionally making sure not to burn your garlic. Add your shitakes and continue to cook for another minute. Add 1/2 cup of chicken stock and allow for the mixture to soak up all of the juice which is approximately 1-2 minutes. Add the sausage back into the mushroom mixture so flavors can meld cooking another minute of so.

Meanwhile, add the 4 oz. shredded cheese to the milk and egg mixture. Stir to combine. Gradually stir in the mushroom and sausage mix to the bread mixture. Stir to combine then pour into a well greased 8x8 pan. Evenly pour the remaining 3/4 c. cream over the top of the mixture. Place in the oven and bake for approximately an hour. Serve with slivered scallions and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve mimosas, coffee or freshly squeezed orange juice.