I’d nearly given up on eggs, until a fortuitous incident at Whole Foods occurred.  I was in the checkout line buying Field Roast sausages, and the young woman at the register happened to inquire if I eat eggs.  This evolved into a conversation about a recipe for an egg bake that her family loves.  I’ve never heard of an egg bake before, but she jotted down a rough draft of ingredients and instructions.

I wasn’t entirely confident about my actions in the kitchen; I didn’t even know if I would want to eat the final product.  The final product was a pleasant surprise.  An egg bake, I’m telling you! 

It’s important to use a strong cheese for this dish.  Much of the flavor will be derived from the sausage, but it’s not enough on its own to counter the simplicity of all the bread.  Add a strong cheese like gruyere or a sharp white cheddar, and you'll quickly find each bite of the egg bake being devoured.

There are so many breakfast ingredients already in this dish that I'm hard pressed to think of side dishes.  I’d definitely recommend a vegetable dish like Cauliflower & Sausage Sauté.  Aw heck, why not serve some potatoes too? Take your pick of a Red Bell Pepper & Onion Hash or perfect Roasted Potatoes.
   

Sourdough & Sausage Egg Bake

Ingredients
1              Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2         Large sweet onion, rough chop
4              Eggs
2              Sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/4 tsp dried thyme)
4 to 5     Slices sourdough sandwich loaf, pulled into pieces about 1” in diameter
3              Ounces strong cheese, cubed (such as Gruyere), cubed
2              Field Roast Apple Sage Sausages, cut in half lengthwise, then chopped into half moons.
-              Sea salt and cracked black pepper

Instructions

1) Pour the Tablespoon of olive oil in a medium sized sauté pan and heat over medium heat.  Sauté the chopped onion until translucent, about 7 minutes.  

2) In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and season with a sprinkle of salt, cracked pepper, and thyme.  Add to the bowl the sautéed onion, sourdough pieces, cubed cheese, and sausage.  Gently toss until the bread is fully covered.

3) Spray an 8 or 9 inch pie tin with cooking spray.  Transfer the ingredients in the bowl to the prepared pie tin. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight (or at least 3 hours).

4) Preheat oven to 350⁰ F.  Remove the tin foil from the pie tin and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until egg has cooked and bread is no longer soft.