Cajun Breakfast

Got another cooking buzz today. For the past month I’ve had a new recipe stuck on the refrigerator, seeing it a dozen times a day and telling myself to hurry up and get it on the stove. To anyone who visits these pages now and then it’s no secret that either Tex-Mex, southwestern or Cajun cooking finds a way to my table now and again. Visiting my sister in Houston, traveling through Arizona and New Mexico and growing up in Louisiana were plenty enough to set the hook.

The recipe this time is called Cajun Breakfast Casserole and comes from the artofmanliness.com website. That word ‘breakfast’ shouldn’t mislead anyone into thinking this is a recipe limited to early morning or even brunch menus. This hearty casserole works for dinner, too.

A recipe for six was more than needed so I shaved a little off the ingredient amount, but will show it here as it came from the given recipe. Here’s what you’ll need:

CAJUN BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

Prep: 20 minutes, Bake: 40 minutes Serves 6

12 to 16 ounces smoked andouille sausage, thinly sliced

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped red pepper

½ cup chopped green bell pepper

1 finely diced jalapeno pepper

1 medium tomato, diced

6 large eggs

1½ cups milk

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

¼ teaspoon black pepper

dash of hot sauce

4 slices bread torn into 1-inch pieces

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

salt and pepper

PREPARATION:

Heat oven to 400°. Butter a 2-quart baking dish.

(1) In a large skillet, cook the sliced sausage with the onion and peppers in a little olive oil until the vegetables are translucent. As they near completion, throw in the tomatoes and let them cook a minute or two. (2) Whisk the eggs in a bowl, add the milk and the Cajun seasoning, pepper and any other spices you want to use. Add a few dashes of hot sauce to taste. (3) Arrange the bread pieces over the bottom of the buttered baking dish. Lay the sausage and vegetables over the bread pieces, top with cheddar cheese and then pour the egg mixture evenly over the top. (4) Bake for 40 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned.

Mostly because I wanted tacos and because they are a good match, I added them to the plate. A vegetable and green salad would go just as well. The glass of red in the picture is an inexpensive sangria, maybe a shade too sweet. The casserole is spicy and if that presents a problem then leave out the Cajun seasoning, the jalapeno and the hot sauce.

Now that I’ve made and tasted the casserole, a late breakfast on Sunday seems a good fit, but the preparation is easy and cooking time short enough to make it a good and tasty meal just about anytime.