A Savory Holiday Breakfast Bake

My friend Cathleen asked me about a savory breakfast bake, so I thought I'd share one of my favorites from a few months ago, with a more savory twist.

A Deliciously Easy Savory Breakfast Bake

Ingredients:

• (1/2) loaf of French bread (leftover Italian bread would be fine too)
• (1 1/2) cups of shredded Cheddar cheese
• (1/2) cup shredded Gruyere cheese
• (1/4) cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• (6-12) eggs (depending on your number of guests, I usually do 2 to 3 eggs per person, depending on what type's of eaters you're baking this for)
• (1)tsp thyme leaves, chopped rosemary and thyme (the world won't end if you use a bit more than this.)
• (6-12 Tablespoons) milk (about 1Tb of milk per egg. It's not an exact science; you really don't need to bust out the measuring spoons, just guestimate and I can assure you, the bake will turn out great.
• Sausage (I prefer Whole Foods Sage Pork Sausage that you get at the meat counter.)
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
• Spray the inside of a 13x9 cake pan with cooking spray.
• Heat a medium skillet on the stovetop at medium heat with a small glug of olive oil.
• If using uncased sausage (I prefer it to sausage in a casing), pull your sausage apart into chunks and add to the hot pan.
• Cook about 1-2 minutes per side, just so that each side is nicely browned. Keep in mind that it will continue to cook in the bake, so don't overcook it.
• When done, place in the cake pan. (I used a 13x9 pan.)
• Slice your bread.
• Place the sliced bread in your cake pan.
• Whisk your eggs, milk, herbs, salt, and pepper in a bowl until well beaten.
• Pour the mixture into the pan over the bread. Make sure it's spread throughout the pan.
• Place in the hot oven for 15 minutes, or until the bake looks golden and firm.
• Sprinkle the cheese over the bake and cook for 5 more minutes. I prefer my bread and cheese a little gooey and crunchy, so I tend to leave it in a few minutes longer. If you don't like your bread or cheese that dark, take it out when it's just melted.

*You can prepare this to be cooked the following morning the night before. Just be sure to put it in a safe spot in your fridge, and to wrap it well with saran wrap, otherwise you'll have a mess (anyone who's seen the Family Stone knows just what I mean)! Just let it sit out for about 10-15 minutes to get closer to room temperature prior to baking.

Enjoy!!