Breakfast

Breakfast has always been my favorite meal. As a kid, I loved pancakes, waffles piled with strawberries and whipped cream, cereal, cinnamon toast, sausage, and bacon. Now that I know better, I don't buy cereal or bread, but I still appreciate sweet treats at breakfast sometimes. I have a go-to pancake recipe and sometimes chop up an apple and sauté it in butter and cinnamon before tossing it on top of... well, anything, including just a spoon.

Another breakfast favorite was the sausage and egg casserole that my mom makes on Christmas morning (to go with the sticky buns, which involve freezer rolls and a packet of butterscotch Jell-O pudding — now off limits; I just don't like bread anymore and don't want the headache). Unfortunately, the casserole uses (stale) bread. Fortunately, I have figured out how to clean it up, and the rest of the ingredients are on the good list (except the cheese; use grass-fed cheddar). Note that it has quite a bit of fat, so it isn't an "anytime" treat — but if it works with your macros...

Without further ado, here's my holiday morning sausage and egg casserole recipe, in two steps — making the "bread" and making the casserole. It's simpler than it looks!

"CORN" BREAD

If you like crispy edges, bake this recipe as about 12 mini muffins. I prefer soft edges, so I bake it in a loaf pan and slice it into 1" cubes. The same recipe goes into stuffing, and it can be eaten by itself with some butter — or honey (decadent!).

INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup coconut flour

• 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), melted

• 4 eggs

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp baking powder

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Whisk together the coconut flour, salt, and baking powder.

3. In another bowl, beat the eggs. Whisk in the melted butter.

4. Add the coconut flour mixture to the egg/butter mixture and stir to combine.

5. Divide the batter among 6 greased muffin cups or 12 mini muffin cups, or spread in a loaf pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

SAUSAGE AND EGG CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 lb breakfast sausage, preferably locally sourced from happy pigs (get the good stuff, not the packaged crap with corn starch added)

• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (preferably grass-fed — Trader Joe's has acceptable cheddar)

• 6 eggs

• 1/2 cup almond or coconut milk

• 1 tsp mustard powder or Dijon mustard

• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tsp salt (or to taste)

• 1 sliced green onion (optional)

• 1/2 tsp pepper (or to taste)

• 1 recipe "corn" bread (above)

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350°F.

• Break or slice the bread into approximately 1" cubes, and arrange the pieces on the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish.

• Brown the sausage and let it cool (you can do this while the corn bread is baking); break chunks into small bits.

• Mix the eggs, salt, pepper, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, milk, onion, and half of the cheese.

• Scatter the sausage on top of the bread, then pour the egg mixture over it and top with the rest of the cheese.

• Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until the egg puffs up and the top is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

ENJOY!