Sausage Breakfast Casserole

1 lb of Italian pork sausage, (then cooked, drained, crumbled)

4 1/2 cups cubed day old bread

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

10 eggs slightly beaten

4 cups whole milk

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp onion powder

Fresh ground pepper to taste

Heat a skillet on medium high. Break up the sausage into chunks and cook, working in batches if need be, until browned all around. Make sure the chunks of sausage have some space around them or your meat will steam and not brown. Remove the cooked sausage from the pan and let sit on some paper towels on a plate to soak up the excess fat. Crumble into smaller pieces. Place bread in a well buttered 9x13 inch baking pan. Sprinkle with cheese. Combine the eggs, milk, dry mustard, onion powder and pepper. Pour evenly over the bread and cheese. Sprinkle sausage and optional ingredients over the top. At this stage you can cover and chill overnight, if you want to prepare ahead. If not, let sit for 10 minutes before putting in the oven. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Bake uncovered for about one hour. Tent with foil if top begins to brown too quickly.

shared on $5 dinner challenge