spinach & sausage breakfast casserole
got house guests? feed them this (and make it ahead the night before)!
After a weirdly warm fall season, winter has ARRIVED and she is not messing around. This week brought the coldest temperatures we’ve seen in a long time with lows in the teens, and I’m feeling extra grateful for my insulated overalls keeping me toasty while working out in the garden.
Speaking of which… this week we’ve been busy putting the garden “to bed” for the winter. That means pulling out any remaining crops, giving everything a good weeding, folding up irrigation lines, and covering all the growing spaces with giant silage tarps (see below for before, during, and after photos of this process). Every year when the tarps get put on, I feel like a massive weight gets lifted off my shoulders. The tarps signify that the season is DONE, and all the wins + losses (and weeds) from the year get wiped clean until spring, when it’s time to uncover the beds and do it all over again.
Tarps are an essential tool for our farm, as they prevent soil run-off, keep the soil warm and promote beneficial biologic activity, and they’re excellent at killing and suppressing persistent weeds. Even if you’re growing on a much smaller scale, tarps can be a game changer. We get our big tarps from Farmer’s Friend (linked here), but if you only need a small tarp then I know a quick google search will dig up lots of options.
Along with the cold this week, the wind has been howling and my skin is *thirsty* for some moisture. Which is why every season around this time, I make big batches of a special healing salve, which I slather all over my face + hands religiously every morning and night. I’ve been perfecting my salve recipe for the past 10+ years, and it’s made from a blend of organic coconut and olive oil that gets infused with medicinal plants grown right here on our farm (calendula, comfrey, and plantain). The infused oil is then blended with beeswax and fortified with Vitamin E and organic essential oils (tea tree, lavender, and frankincense). This stuff is pretty magical, and there’s a lot of love, time, and intention that goes into each tin.
I made some extra salves this year, so if you want to snag a tin, head over to my website and stock up! These salves make great stocking stuffers, and if you order in the next few days they will definitely arrive before Christmas.
Keep reading for my new recipe this week – spinach & sausage breakfast casserole – it’s the first Friday of the month, which means the recipe is available to ALL subscribers! For full access to my recipes every week, consider joining as a paid subscriber.
If you’ve got house guests over these next few weeks, and you’re exhausted just thinking about what to feed all these humans 3x a day, allow me to take breakfast off your plate. Because who doesn’t love a breakfast casserole? (Especially when said casserole is filled with veggies and sausage and cheese and can be fully prepped the night before).
The inspiration for this recipe was the fact that I’m swimming in spinach right now, and I wanted to make a hearty breakfast dish that was delicious and nourishing + chock full of veggies.
Like most of my recipes, this one is endlessly adaptable. Need to make it vegetarian? Swap out the sausage for 4 cups of roasted potatoes. Don’t have spinach? Use fresh kale or collards or swiss chard instead. Don’t have a bell pepper? Use whatever veggies you’ve got – broccoli, mushrooms, or roasted sweet potatoes are all great options.
Keep reading for today’s recipe, along with a 1-page PDF for easy printing.
PS – This week *everyone* gets access today’s recipe… if you enjoy this newsletter and want to receive a new hyper-seasonal recipe every Friday, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Paid subscribers also get access to my (ever-growing) full recipe archive, handy gardening guides, and monthly bonus content.
Spinach & Sausage Breakfast Casserole
Serves 8-12
INGREDIENTS
1 lb bulk pork sausage (sweet, mild, or spicy - whichever you prefer)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 large red bell pepper, chopped to small dice
8 ounces (about 10 packed cups) fresh spinach
12 large eggs
2 cups whole milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup feta cheese, crumbled or chopped to a small dice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 baking dish.
In a large skillet, cook 1 lb pork sausage over medium heat until it is browned and cooked through, 6-8 minutes, using a flat wooden spoon to stir and break up the sausage into crumbles as it cooks. Transfer the cooked sausage to your prepared baking dish.
Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet over medium high heat. Stir in 1 diced yellow onion and 1 diced red bell pepper and cook until the onions and bell pepper are tender and beginning to brown, 5-6 minutes. Stir in 8 ounces spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes, using tongs to toss the greens and allowing them to gently wilt. Remove the skillet from the heat and spoon the vegetable mixture over the sausage in the baking dish.
In a large bowl, whisk together 12 eggs, 2 cups whole milk, 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, ½ cup feta cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon paprika and ¼ teaspoon ground pepper. Carefully pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and sausage. At this point I also like to take a spoon and kind of stir everything together, which helps properly mix the sausage with the vegetables.
NOTE: If you are assembling this casserole ahead of time, stop after step 4. Wrap the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or foil and store in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours. When you’re ready to bake, go to step 5.
Bake in a 350°F oven, uncovered, for 45-55 minutes (if your oven runs on the cooler side, it could take close to 60 mins). When the casserole is ready, the center should be fully set, the edges golden brown, and a knife inserted into the center should come out clean. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
That’s all for this week! If you enjoyed this newsletter, it means the world if you tap that “heart” button below, share this with a friend, subscribe, or leave a comment (it really helps more people find this newsletter)! Thank you so much for your support!
I'm making this next week. Can't wait!