First things first:  For the past several months, I’ve been eating a grapefruit for breakfast.  I do this every year for several reasons.  The first of which being that it’s typically during the warmer months when I don’t have time to make tortillas for my breakfast burritos every Saturday.  The other main reason is that this is when the grapefruits are in season so they actually have flavor and juice, rather than feeling like I’m eating Styrofoam.  But, cooler weather has set in.  Before I start making tortillas again, I wanted to give this recipe a shot.

A caveat before we get started:  The recipe didn’t specify so I just went with not toasting the bagels ahead of time.  But, if I ever make this again (which I might) I will definitely toast the bagels first.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Olive Oil

1 Lb. Breakfast Sausage

1 Clove Garlic, minced

1 Shallot, minced

1 ⅓ Cups Baby Spinach, packed

1 Tbsp. Sicilian Lemon Balsamic Vinegar

2 Cups Cream

Pinch of Cayenne Pepper

10 Lg. Eggs

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

2 – 4 Everything Bagels, depending on size

1 ⅓ Cups Mozzarella, shredded

8 Oz. Cream Cheese, cut into ½ inch cubes

Everything Bagel Seasoning

Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with a tablespoon of olive oil.  Slice and then quarter the bagels and place them in the baking dish. 

Heat another tablespoon of olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon, until brown, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, shallot, and spinach.  Continue cooking until wilted, then transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.

Whisk together the cream, cayenne, eggs, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.  Fold into the sausage mixture, with ½ of the cheese.

Pour into the prepared baking dish. Dot the top with the cream cheese and sprinkle all over with the everything bagel seasoning and remaining cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Uncover and bake until the casserole is puffed, golden brown at the edges, and set in the center, about 25 minutes more. Let cool for 15 minutes then serve.

This is pretty good stuff.  Perfect for one of those big breakfast parties I know all of you have every weekend.