Holiday Breakfast Casserole

• 1 pound bulk ground Italian sausage
• 1 ½ pounds gold potatoes, about 4 medium, rinsed and sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup sweet onion, peeled and diced
• 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 ¼ cups fresh baby spinach, rinsed and chopped
• 12 large eggs
• ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• ½ cup half-and-half
• 1 cup shredded Carr Valley Baby Cheddar cheese

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat, add sausage, and cook until it is no longer pink. Transfer the sausage to a bowl and set it aside. Drain excess fat and discard. Saute potatoes several minutes in the same skillet until they are almost knife tender, then add onion, and cook until they have softened. Layer the potato mixture in the bottom of a large casserole dish and top with sausage and chopped spinach.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, salt, and white pepper until well mixed. Slowly pour the egg mixture over the casserole, top with cheddar cheese, cover, and chill overnight. Remove the casserole from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and bake uncovered until the edges are crisp and a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 6 servings