Breakfast bowl casserole

Office potlucks are the never-ending classic that make for a great way to test out recipes on a large group of people. In my case, my office is a school which means there's always something to celebrate.

• Babies
• Weddings
• Birthdays 

In this case, the last option was what led me to choosing this recipe from PlainChicken.com to adapt for my school peeps. I like to keep options on my Breakfast?  More Like Brunch Pinterest Board for situations like this. 

I needed something quick and tasty and this proved to be a great option after a few changes from the original. 

First, the recipe suggested to let the mixture soak for an hour or overnight in the fridge, but since that it was already 9pm, that was not going to happen. I let it soak for about 15 minutes and everything was good to go. 

Second, I added cinnamon to give it a bit of a change in flavor. (And cuz I love cinnamon. Almost as much as peanut butter.) If you want it to be even more like french toast, add vanilla extract as well (see below).

Third, since I made this the night before, I made sure to not cook it all the way so I could reheat it the next night (directions below). 
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And....they loved it! 

(See the empty dish.) 

They also mentioned that the cinnamon gave it a nice twist which I was glad to hear. Often cinnamon is added to  sweeter dishes and with sugar. (Ex. Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cinnabon, etc.). But, when it's by itself, it doesn't really have to be sweet, though in this case, it goes well with the eggs, waffles, and maple syrup.

I'm sure you have a bazillion recipes saved on your boards just waiting to be eaten. They're calling your name. Try some of them out at your next office party/potluck!

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Ingredients
1 box frozen homestyle waffles 
1 package of breakfast sausage (maple preferred, but I used mild) 
8 large eggs
1-2 cups mild cheddar cheese (make it as cheesy as you like)
1 ¼ cup milk
⅓ c maple syrup
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
1 dash of salt and pepper each
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

1.  Cook sausage according to package directions. 
2. Using a large knife or scissors, chop waffles into smaller pieces (about the size of a quarter/coin). 
3. Combine eggs, milk, cinnamon, maple syrup, and vanilla extract (optional) together in a bowl and whisk well. 
4. Layer half of the waffles, cheese, and sausage and repeat until all ingredients have been used. 
5. Pour egg mixture on top.
6. (optional) Let soak 1 hour up to overnight. 
7. Cook at 325 degrees for 30 minutes (If you're making this ahead of time, be sure not to overcook since you'll reheat it later to eat.)

Tips:

• If you're going to soak it for an hour or overnight, don't mix the ingredients in a glass dish. Glass can shatter when shifting from cold to hot or hot to cold too quickly. Use a metal pan instead. 
• Only have sausage patties? No problem! Cook them 4 minutes on one side and then break them up with a spatula once they're flipped. 
• Reheating: Reheat uncovered on low for 250 degrees for 20 minutes. 
  • Glass Dish: Let dish sit on the counter for about 10 minutes to give the glass some time to get to room temperature. (250 degrees isn't that hot, so the glass was fine. after sitting out for 10 minutes).