Sunrise Savory Bake

A Sunrise Savory Bake is a breakfast casserole built on eggs, bread, and sausage, baked until the top browns and the center sets. The bread soaks up a custardy egg mixture while the sausage seasons the whole dish. It comes together the night before, so you just slide it into the oven in the morning.

Ingredients for Sunrise Savory Bake

Bread forms the structure and soaks up the egg custard, so use a sturdy loaf cut into cubes. Bulk sausage browns first to render its fat and season the casserole deeply. Eggs and whole milk make the custard that binds everything together. Cheddar cheese, grated fresh from a block, melts into pockets throughout without making the sauce grainy. Salt, black pepper, and dry mustard sharpen the savory flavors, while a pinch of cayenne adds warmth without heat.

Why This Sunrise Savory Bake Works

The bread is cut into cubes and layered raw into the baking dish, then the egg mixture is poured over it. As the casserole bakes, the bread absorbs the custard and softens, while the eggs set into a creamy, cohesive structure that holds everything in place.

The sausage is browned on the stovetop first and scattered through the layers. This step is crucial: browning the meat renders out excess fat and develops its flavor, so the casserole tastes rich instead of greasy or bland. If you skip it, the dish will be wet and the sausage will taste raw.

The casserole is covered with foil while it bakes, trapping steam that keeps the eggs moist. In the last 15 minutes, the foil comes off so the top can brown lightly. The result is a savory, custardy, bread-based dish that slices cleanly and holds its shape on the plate.

Mistakes To Avoid

Skipping the sausage browning step leaves the meat pale, greasy, and flavorless. The sausage releases water as it cooks, making the casserole wet and soupy if you do not brown it first on the stovetop to cook off the liquid. Cook the sausage over medium heat, breaking it into small pieces, until no pink remains and the fat has rendered, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Using pre-shredded cheese makes the sauce grainy and broken-looking. The starch added to packaged cheese prevents it from melting smoothly into the custard. Grate your own cheese from a block on a box grater, and the sauce will be creamy and cohesive.

Skipping the foil cover means the top browns too fast and the eggs in the center stay runny. The casserole needs steam early on so the custard sets all the way through before the top dries out and browns. Cover it tightly with foil for the first 35 minutes, then uncover it for the last 15.

Cutting the bread too small or using soft sandwich bread makes the casserole mushy and falls apart when you slice it. Use a sturdy loaf like a sourdough or Italian bread, cut into 1-inch cubes. The bread needs enough structure to absorb the custard without dissolving into mush.

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Ingredients

• 1 pound bulk pork sausage
• 1 loaf sturdy bread, such as sourdough or Italian, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 8 cups)
• 6 large eggs
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated from a block
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Step-by-step Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks, for 8 to 10 minutes until no pink remains and the fat has rendered. Drain the sausage in a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl, pressing lightly to remove excess fat. Discard the fat.
2. Spread the bread cubes evenly in a 9×13 baking pan. Scatter the cooked sausage over the bread and mix gently with your hands to distribute it.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, whole milk, cheddar cheese, salt, black pepper, dry mustard, and cayenne pepper until the mixture is smooth and the cheese is evenly distributed.
4. Pour the egg mixture slowly over the bread and sausage, pressing gently with the back of a spoon so the bread absorbs the liquid evenly. Cover the baking pan tightly with aluminum foil. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or up to overnight.
5. Remove the casserole from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
6. Place the covered baking pan in the oven. Bake for 35 minutes covered, until the edges are just starting to bubble. The center will still jiggle slightly when you gently shake the pan.
7. Remove the foil and bake for 15 more minutes at 350°F (175°C) until the top is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center reads 165°F (74°C).
8. Let the casserole rest in the pan for 10 minutes before slicing. This allows the custard to set further so it holds together cleanly when you cut it.