Breakfast Casserole for Dinner

I have been busy working on the basement.  There WERE even more places to paint.  But that is DONE.  On the other hand, I know there will be touch up painting necessary after installing doors and tile and carpet.  Oh, yeah, and baseboards.  So I can't THROW away the rollers and brushes like I want to and put away the paint for the NEXT owner of this house.  Do I detect a little frustration?  Yes, I do.  Tired of painting?  Yes, I am.

So that explains why I haven't been keeping up writing about what we do.  Just too tired doing it to want to write about it.  Plus, I didn't take the time to get any pictures.  A picture-free blog is no fun. 

However, I did make some actual food!  My aunt gave me a breakfast casserole recipe.  Well, I had to modify it to make it low carb and then I had to modify it to make it a dinner.  This involved adding vegetables.  So I made a breakfast casserole for dinner.  Perhaps I'll call this one...

   

Sausage Zucchini Casserole

1 pound bulk sausage.  I used sweet Italian
1/2 onion, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Herbs you like.  I added 1 teaspoon fennel, some dried sage and dried parsley.  Basil, oregano, fines herbes and Italian herbs would all work.
1 large zucchini.  I could have added 2
1 or 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
garlic salt and pepper to taste
4 eggs
1/4 cup Half and Half  (milk would be OK)
1/2 package shredded mozzarella

Prepare a square casserole baking dish by spraying with Pam.  Pre-heat the oven to 400.

   

Put a Tablespoon of EVOO in a large skillet.  Add the diced onions and cook until they are soft.  Add the garlic and the sausage.

   

 Cook until the sausage is no longer pink. 

   

Add the herbs and the chopped zucchini. 

   

Cook for about 5 minutes until the zucchini starts to soften.  Add the tomatoes. Season with the salt and pepper. 

   

Stir everything together and scrape the meat mixture into the baking dish.  Mix the eggs and the Half and Half (or milk) in a medium bowl and mix with a fork.  Pour the egg mixture over the meat in the baking dish.

   

Sprinkle the mozzarella over the whole thing and put it in the oven for 15 minutes.  I used a lot of mozzarella and it was good, but I could have gotten by with just a sprinkling. There was a lot of delicious, stringy cheese ,though and we enjoyed the heck out of it.  For several meals!

   


I served it with low carb fruit.  I usually opt for strawberries.

Sausage, Leek, Zucchini Frittata

I was reading a novel and the people in the book were at a posting house in England . I love historical novels. They were eating a egg, bacon, leek and cheese tart. That sounded good to me. I had some sausage, eggs and Swiss cheese, so I bought some leeks and went adventuring in the kitchen.

Sausage, Leek, Zucchini Frittata


1 "tube" of Jimmy Dean sausage, or Italian sausage, if you like.
2 Leeks
1 medium zucchini, quartered and sliced
2 Tablespoon flour
4 eggs
1 cup milk or half and half or combine them. I did.
1 1/2 to 2 cups grated Swiss cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan Cheese

Pre-heat the oven to 425.

When I went to get the sausage, I noticed that I had bought some MAPLE Jimmy Dean sausage. I must have had it in mind for something. I decided a little maple would be OK in this dish and if it was horrible, no one needed to know and we could go out to eat! If I didn't have the Maple sausage and was going to the store, I would use Italian sausage, but it was fine and I couldn't taste any maple.

Cook the sausage in a cast iron pan over medium, breaking up the sausage as it cooks.




Washing the leeks is important. They can be full of dirt. Cut off the top leafy green part and the root at the bottom. Then slice them lengthwise. Spread them apart under running water and make sure they are thoroughly rinsed. Lay them on the cutting board with the flat part down and slice little half circles. Add the leeks and the zucchini to the sausage and cook until they start to become translucent.




While the meat and veg are cooking, break 4 eggs into a medium bowl. Add one cup of milk or half and half. I used a combination. Then add the flour, s & P and whisk it all together.

Spread the cheese over the meat in the pan and then pour the egg mixture over everything. Stir everything together gently.

As the egg starts to set, use a spatula to push aside the cooked egg and allow the liquid egg to slide into the space. Do this gently until the eggs are starting to look set, then sprinkle on some Parmesan and put the pan in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

You can slide a clean knife in the middle to make sure it is set. It is set if it comes out mostly clean. Remove the pan from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

And yes, I DID serve them with the last of the strawberries. There are only two of us and we can't eat them all at one time!!! I also served it with a dieting woman's idea of a shandy. Half sugar free lemonade and half beer. Lee had the unadulterated other half. Not as good as a shandy, but once again, what I had!

Have you noticed that when you get old you let the pets rule the house? If I set the table, I have to make sure to sit down quickly or they might decide that I am no longer hungry and take it for themselves.