Brunch Egg Bake

Yes, those cinnamon rolls are as amazing as they look.  Check out my post on them here.  But today, I want to talk about that dish in the back, next to Buzz and the grapefruit juice.  Let's not play games here.  This is not a quiche.  It's not a frittata.  It's not an omelet.  What we have here is a classic hearty Midwestern egg bake.  Lots of eggs, cheese, sausage, and enough veggies to add some color and make you feel like maybe this is actually good for you.

Lucky for you, this egg bake is good for you. Maybe not an everyday food as far as your arteries are concerned, but it is good for the soul.

I whipped this up for a New Years Day brunch this year, a mish-mash of a few different egg bake recipes I found on AllRecipes plus a little sprinkle of extra veggies that I had on hand.  In case you are considering a similar event next year, let me say that a New Years Day brunch is a terrible idea.  Half your friends will be hungover, the other half will be too lazy to leave the house on this rare holiday from work.  You will make this egg bake along with a huge batch of caramel rolls, prepping enough to feed a small army, and a total of six of your most dedicated friends and family will appear at your door.

Ah, but what a feast it will be.  The lucky guests will help themselves to seconds on the egg bake, another roll, and heck, why not fill me up with another mimosa?  Everyone goes home with Tupperware containers filled with egg bake for tomorrow and a few rolls wrapped up in foil.  A great way to start off a new year, me thinks.  The hungover folks won't know what they're missing.

Brunch Egg Bake
3 c. shredded cheese (I used half mozz, half cheddar)
4 oz. sliced mushrooms
4 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 lb. Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled
2 Tbls. butter
12 eggs
2 c. milk
Parsley, basil and any other herbs you want to try (fresh if you got it, dried is ok too)
Salt and pepper to taste

Grease a 13" x 9" glass or Pyrex dish with butter.  Sprinkle half the cheese on the bottom.  Set aside.

In a large pan, melt the butter and saute the onion, peppers, and mushrooms until softened, about 5 mins.  Add in the spinach and sausage; mix and pour over the cheese in the baking dish.  Top with remaining cheese.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, milk, herbs, salt and pepper (not much salt, as the cheese and sausage are already salty).  Pour over the veg/cheese/sausage mix and bake at 350 degrees for 45 mins or until firm in the middle and browned on top.  Let stand at least 10 mins before serving.