Turkey Asparagus Breakfast Bake

Life has resumed to a crazy, hectic pace around here. My husband and I are in the midst of updating the kitchen of his parents’ old home that has been a rental for several years. We had one month to get the place ready for new tenants and I swear, it has been just like an episode of Flip That House. We hired some of the work out but are doing a lot of it ourselves. So, when I’m not at the office, or here trying to get my own house in order, I’ve been rolling around on the floor painting baseboards, running drip irrigation to newly planted flowers, and choosing new materials for the kitchen.

We took a break from the work for a few days for a quick trip down the gorgeous Central California Coast to pick up Boy #4 for the summer break. It was time to pack up all his belongings and move him out of his dorm. It felt like he was there for 3 months but it has been 9. How is this possible?

So, I’m pulling one out of the hat for you today. I whipped up this light, fresh, and wholesome breakfast bake about a month ago – I took a few photos, we gobbled it up, and for some reason, I never got around to sharing it. I decided it was time to set it free upon the world.

I’m all about lightening up familiar, comforting dishes and this recipe is a great example of that practice

Turkey breakfast sausage is an excellent choice as a replacement for the far more calorie and fat laden variety, and, it’s delicious!

Prepare the fresh asparagus by rinsing it in cool water and snapping off the woody bases. Cook it in boiling water just until crisp tender – you don’t want to overcook because it will have some time in the oven. Drain the cooked asparagus and rinse it with cold water to stop the cooking process. Reserve 4 or 5 of the spears for later and cut the rest down into 1-1/2″ to  2″ pieces.

Next, cook the turkey breakfast sausage in a non-stick skillet. Drain off as much grease as possible and add the chopped onion and red bell pepper. Continue to cook and stir until the veggies have softened.

Transfer the breakfast sausage mixture to a baking dish that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray. Scatter the cooked asparagus over the meat mixture, reserving the 4 or 5 uncut spears.

Combine the eggs, flour, Parmesan cheese, ground mustard, seasoning salt, and pepper. I used a whisk here but I recommend combining the mixture in a blender to be sure it is perfectly smooth and lump-free.

Pour the egg mixture over the meat and veggies.

Bake the casserole in a preheated 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle the Swiss cheese evenly over the top. Place the reserved asparagus spears in the center, fanning them out to make it nice and pretty and return the dish to the oven for another 3 to 5 minutes, just until cheese has melted.

It’s delicious on it’s own or to make it even more indulgent, try topping it with a little light sour cream.

This is a really pretty dish to set out at a breakfast buffet or when you have overnight guests. See the printable recipe below for make-ahead instructions so you can have it ready to pop in the oven first thing in the morning.

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Turkey Asparagus Breakfast Bake

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Change the number in the box above to adjust serving size. Please note that size of cookware and cook time may vary.

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Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh asparagus
• 1 pound bulk mild turkey breakfast sausage
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 8 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt like Lawry's
• Fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat a 3-quart rectangular or oval baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Rinse the asparagus in cold water and break off and discard woody bases. In a saucepan cook asparagus in a small amount of boiling water for 3 to 6 minutes or until just crisp-tender. Drain and rinse in cold water again to stop the cooking process. Reserve 4 or 5 spears for later and cut the remaining asparagus into 1-1/2" to 2" pieces.
3. In a large non-stick skillet, cook turkey breakfast sausage, crushing with a spoon to break it up, until no pink remains. Drain off as much of the grease from the pan as possible. Add onion and red bell pepper and continue cooking until vegetables are just tender. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Arrange meat mixture in prepared baking dish; top with cooked asparagus, reserving 4 or 5 spears for later.
5. In a large mixing bowl combine eggs, milk, flour, Parmesan cheese, ground mustard, seasoning salt, and pepper; beat until smooth with a wire whisk. If desired, ingredients can be processed in a blender or food processor instead. Pour egg mixture evenly over sausage in baking dish.
6. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with the Swiss cheese and place reserved asparagus spears on top, fanning them out. Bake 3 to 5 minutes more or until the cheese is melted.
7. Make-Ahead Instructions: Prepare as directed but do not pour egg mixture over the sausage and asparagus, Instead, cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap and keep egg mixture in a separate covered container. Place both in the refrigerator overnight. When you are ready to bake it, remove the casserole and the egg mixture from the refrigerator, whisk the egg mixture and pour it over the sausage and asparagus. Continue as directed.
8. Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens