Flashback Friday-And a Holiday Recipe

Today an old picture of this weeks birthday girl, Dr. Zira.   Here she is on her first Halloween with us, dressed as a cowgirl introducing

one of my absolute favorite Holiday recipes.  Its stupendously fattening of course (but it is also truly delicious).  One person I served it too said it was the best thing they had eaten all year.   

Cowboy Christmas Breakfast (adapted from Epicurious)

• 1 package Pepperidge Farm Texas toast
• 1 lb hot Italian sausage (either bulk or removed from links)
• 1 dozen eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large bunch of scallions
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 8oz cheddar, shredded

Preheat oven to 375.   Line a nine inch baking dish with texas toast, cut the pieces as needed.   

Cook the sausage in a large skillet over moderate high heat for ten minutes.  Make sure to break up any large clumps.  Drain on a paper towel lined plate.

Whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper together in a large bowl.  Stir in the diced peppers and scallions and 3/4 of the cheese.   Pour the egg mixture over the bread.  The bread may float to the top and if it does push it down with a spatula.  Sprinkle on the remaining cheese and cover with a sheet of buttered foil.

Bake 30 minutes and uncover the pan and bake 20 minutes more.  Until the eggs are puffed and golden and the casserole is browning at the edges.


Note: I am not really sure what on earth this dish has to do with cowboys except that its fattening and they may need energy on the trail, but then again I don't understand what Cowboy Cookies have to do with cowboys either.   Regardless, cowboys are pretty cool I loved the movie Broke Back Mountain (and the short story to) and many of the old school westerns are also great.  Most important, a cowboy outfit is one of the best dog costumes of all time as Dr. Zira proved