Look in any Amish cookbook and you’ll find a dozen different recipes for make-ahead one-pan breakfasts ready to pop in the oven as soon as the cook’s feet hit the floor of a morning. This is a great way to use up bread that’s gone stale. The meats—usually sausage, bacon, or ham—are interchangeable and the aroma that fills the house is guaranteed to entice everyone to your table! Great for dinner, too.
8 slices of bread, cubed
1 lb. cooked sausage, bacon, or ham, crumbled
2 C. shredded cheese, divided
2 C. milk
1/4 C. butter or margarine, melted
6 eggs
Spray/grease a 9 x 13” pan. Arrange the bread cubes on the bottom, then sprinkle on the crumbled meat and half the cheese. In a separate bowl, stir the milk, melted margarine and eggs with a fork until well blended and pour this mixture over the other ingredients.
Stir, if you need to, to moisten all of the bread. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight or for several hours.
Take the casserole from the fridge about half an hour before baking. Preheat oven to 350º and bake for about 40 minutes, until the center is firm. Top with the remaining cheese and return to the oven, uncovered, for 5 more minutes. Let set for about 10 minutes before cutting. Dig in!