Alright, let me tell you how I went about making this Bob Evans style brunch casserole the other day. It’s become a bit of a weekend thing for me when I have folks over, or just want something hearty.
Getting Started – The Prep
First thing I did was get all my stuff out on the counter. You know how it is, makes things go smoother. I grabbed:
- A roll of Bob Evans sausage – the regular kind.
- About half a loaf of bread, just plain white bread works fine. Day-old is even better.
- A bag of shredded cheddar cheese. Sharp cheddar gives it a nice kick.
- Eggs, maybe six or seven? Depends on the size of your dish.
- Milk, couple of cups.
- Salt, pepper, and a little dry mustard powder – that’s my secret weapon.
Got my 9×13 inch baking dish out too. Greased it up a bit with some butter.
Cooking the Sausage
Next, I tackled the sausage. Crumbled the whole roll into a big skillet. Cooked it over medium heat, breaking it up with a spoon as it went. Didn’t stop until it was nice and browned all over. Important part: drained off all that extra grease. Nobody wants a soggy casserole bottom. I just tipped the pan over a can lined with paper towels.
Layering it Up
Okay, sausage done. Then I started building the casserole. Tore the bread slices into rough chunks, maybe inch-sized pieces. Didn’t need to be perfect. Spread those pieces evenly across the bottom of the greased dish.
After the bread, I sprinkled the cooked sausage all over it. Tried to get it spread out pretty evenly. Then came the cheese. Lots of cheese. Probably used about two cups, maybe a bit more. Covered the sausage layer completely.
The Egg Mixture
In a separate bowl, I cracked the eggs. Gave them a good whisking with a fork. Poured in the milk, added a decent pinch of salt, some black pepper, and about half a teaspoon of that dry mustard powder. Whisked it all together until it was combined. Nothing fancy, just make sure the yolks are broken and mixed in.
Putting it All Together & The Wait
This part’s easy. I just poured that egg mixture slowly and evenly all over the layers in the baking dish. Tried to make sure all the bread got at least a little bit wet.
And here’s the key step: Covered the dish tightly with plastic wrap. Then, I stuck the whole thing in the refrigerator. Left it there overnight. Seriously, don’t skip this. It lets the bread soak up the egg mixture, makes the whole thing puff up nicely when it bakes.
Baking Day
The next morning, about an hour before I wanted to eat, I pulled the casserole out of the fridge. Let it sit on the counter while the oven preheated to 350 degrees F (about 175 C). Took the plastic wrap off, of course.
Once the oven was hot, I popped the dish in. Let it bake for about 45 minutes to an hour. You’ll know it’s done when the top is golden brown and puffy, and if you stick a knife in the center, it comes out clean without wet egg on it.
The Final Result
Let it cool for maybe 10 minutes before cutting into squares. It smelled fantastic while baking. Served it up, and yeah, it was pretty darn good. Cheesy, sausagey, eggy goodness. A solid, filling brunch that didn’t take much active work, mostly just waiting for it to chill and bake. Definitely doing this one again.
