Sausage and Spinach Egg Bake

I've had my eye on Melissa's Sausage and Spinach Breakfast Sandwiches ever since she posted them a year ago. Melissa makes a batch of this egg bake every Sunday for her and her husband to enjoy for breakfast during the week. It sounded like a great idea and something we'd love, but every Sunday would roll around and I wouldn't have enough eggs or it would be 9pm when I remembered I wanted to make a batch. After Melissa mentioned them again recently I figured enough was enough and I needed to have these sandwiches in my life, so I added an extra dozen eggs to my shopping list.

I whipped this up on a Sunday afternoon and, seriously, this could not be easier. It's such an easy method it's almost ridiculous - all you need to do is cook your add-ins (if necessary, see below), whisk up some eggs and bake it off. I portioned out 4 servings for SP and I to eat during the week and froze the other 6 squares (see method below). SP ate his plain, I made mine into a sandwich and added some hot sauce with each bite.

The possible variations are only limited to your imagination. Bacon, ham, broccoli, tomatoes, asparagus, different cheeses like feta or goat cheese, the possibilities sound delicious. I'll definitely be experimenting soon. Thank you so much for this one, Melissa!

Breakfast Sandwiches
As seen on Alosha's Kitchen, originally from Foodie with Family

3/4 lb breakfast sausage
1/4 cup finely minced onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
Nonstick cooking spray
1/2 to 1 cup chopped cooked spinach
2 cups shredded cheese, divided
10 eggs
1/4 cup milk
freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

For serving:
1 slice of bread, toasted
Hot sauce or ketchup

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, breaking it into small chunks with a wooden spoon as it browns. Cook until no longer pink, then add the minced onion and garlic and saute until slightly browned and fragrant, another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Be sure to get the corners and sides well, too. Evenly distribute the sausage mixture over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Scatter the spinach, if using, over one or both sides and top with half the cheese.

Crack all of the eggs into a large mixing bowl. Add the 1/4 cup of milk and freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste. Whisk to beat together until the mixture is an even color. Pour gently and evenly over the contents of the baking dish. Top with the rest of the cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the eggs are set in the center (just a little jiggle to them) and golden brown around the edges.

Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before using a thin spatula to run around the edges and loosen the cooked egg. Using two spatulas, gently pull out the egg bake in once piece onto a cutting board. Allow it to cool for 10 more minutes before slicing into 10 pieces.

Eat immediately on toasted bread with hot sauce or ketchup OR:

To Refrigerate:

Place each piece of egg bake in a small Tupperware or wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. When ready to eat, toast the bread, microwave the egg bake on high for 30 seconds to one minute depending on your microwave, assemble on toast and serve.

To Freeze:

Place a single layer of plastic wrap on a baking sheet. Arrange the pieces of egg bake on the plastic wrap with a little space between them. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set in the freezer until solid. When they are firmly frozen, wrap each piece of egg bake with plastic wrap. Transfer the wrapped pieces to a resealable freezer bag. Mark the date and contents and freeze for up to 6 months. When ready to eat, unwrap the egg bake and microwave on high for 1 1/2 - 3 minutes, depending on your microwave. Assemble on toasted bread and serve.