I am one of those people who loves breakfast food. Pancakes. Omelets. Homemade sausage gravy and biscuits. Even cereal. Just thinking about it now makes me hungry.
And I'm not one of those people who relegates breakfast to mornings, either. I enjoy a good breakfast-for-dinner night fairly often as well. You know what I'm talking about - the nights that you eat breakfast foods at dinner time.
I learned to make homemade sausage gravy at a young age - from my Grandma Gibson. I think I was 9 or 10 years old when she showed me the ropes of making the family favorite, and I caught on pretty quickly. She passed away when I was 13, but that lesson stuck with me long after. In fact, when I visit friends, the first thing they ask is if I am going to make biscuits and gravy for breakfast.
Ask anyone in the family, and they will tell you no one could make gravy and biscuits quite like Grandma. My gravy is pretty close, but the biscuits have always escaped me, so I just pick up the convenient pre-made ones in a can. However, I have no specific recipe for the gravy because, like Grandma, I never measure when I make it. It's all by look and feel. But what I can tell you is to stir continuously for good smooth gravy that doesn't stick. Anyone who would like to know how I make the gravy is welcome to call me here at the Times-Union and I will gladly explain how it's made.
Since I don't have a specific recipe for the gravy, I have a recipe for a hearty breakfast casserole that is sure to please. Like all recipes, this is a backbone for creativity - add other veggies or try different breakfast meats and find your favorite combination!
Rise And Shine Breakfast Casserole
1 pound roll of sausage
2 slices of bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 to 3/4 cup diced green and red peppers
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
6 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Crumble and cook sausage in a medium skillet over medium heat until browned. Drain.
Spread bread cubes in a greased 11X17 baking dish. Sprinkle sausage, peppers and cheese over the bread.
Whisk eggs, milk and mustard until well blended and then pour over the cheese.
Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until set.
Let stand 5 minutes before cutting into squares. Serve hot.
