Recipe: Cheesy Sausage and Egg Breakfast Bake

Now that the weather is getting cooler and you don't have to worry about heating up your house so much, I thought I'd put up a recipe you can make for a nice dinner, a leisurely brunch, or whip it up first thing in the morning and bake it up for breakfast. This egg bake has a little something for everyone in it. The tangy spice of the sausage, the smooth flavor of the tomatoes, the stringy goodness of the mozzarella cheese. It kind of reminds me of eating a pizza for breakfast, without all the doughy crust. Anyways, I haven't done a breakfast recipe yet, and I thought it was past time to do one. Especially since this one is so easy. It doesn't take a lot of culinary know how, it's just mixing ingredients, putting them in an oven and setting a timer. Even a cooking catastrophe, (like a good friend of mine) can make this recipe fairly easily. Although I would recommend having a chaperone in the kitchen if you're really that bad.

1 pound bulk pork sausage, cooked and drained
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (4 ounces)
8 medium green onions, sliced (1/2 cup)
2 medium tomatoes, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)
1 1/4 cups Bisquick
1 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon pepper
12 eggs

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease rectangular baking dish, 13x9x2 inches. Layer sausage, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes and cheese in dish.
2. Stir remaining ingredients until blended. Pour over cheese and vegetable layers in pan.
3. Bake uncovered 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and set.

Substitution
Spice it up! Use chorizo or hot Italian sausage instead of the bulk pork sausage for more heat.
Simplify
No cutting board is needed if you buy sliced mushrooms and already-cut tomatoes. And the green onions? Just snip them with a kitchen scissors directly over the mushrooms.

I've made this egg bake so many times and my kids love it. They're getting veggies without really even noticing. If you want to switch it up a little, use chopped zucchini, chopped broccoli, or peas in place of the tomatoes and green onions. All the veggies can be interchangeable with things you know your family will eat. Watch out for my next breakfast recipe coming next Sunday!