Southwestern Egg and Sausage Cornbread Bake

It all started when I had a huge craving for cornbread. I do love it but it's not something I think about that often so this sudden urge was unexpected. Nevertheless, I have an easy recipe and all the ingredients in the house pretty much all the time so cornbread got made. I buttered a slice and ate it with a bowl of soup for lunch. So good. But then I wanted more for dinner.

I wasn't about to have a second bowl of soup so I started thinking that eggs and cornbread sounded good together. Maybe an egg sandwich with bacon or sausage. Hmm...cornbread doesn't really hold up well in a sandwich.

So maybe if I put the cornbread in the eggs and sausage? Yes, it's basically a strata or savory bread pudding. And since I associate cornbread with southwestern flavors, I decided to use spicy sausage and add tomatoes and peppers and cheese.

I loved the contrast of the slightly sweet cornbread with the spicy sausage and so my strange mind wanderings led me to a delicious new dinner recipe. It could certainly also be breakfast but I'm not that motivated in the mornings and I like my breakfasts for dinner anyway. Enjoy!

by Hungry Couple

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

6072007

Ingredients (4 Servings)

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 lb. Chorizo or other spicy pork sausage, sliced
• 1 Small onion, diced
• 1 Bell pepper, diced
• 1 Dozen cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 Cups cubed cornbread
• 4 Eggs
• 1 Cup milk
• 1 Cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 
  
• Sweet Skillet Cornbread:
• 1 Stick unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 Cups cornmeal
• 3/4 Cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 Cup sugar
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon baking soda
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 Cups buttermilk
• 1 Egg
• 
  
• Add the butter to a 10" cast iron skillet and place in the oven while you pre-heat to 425 degrees. Whisk together the remaining ingredients. When the oven is ready, remove the hot skillet and pour the batter over the melted butter. Return to the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Add the oil to a large skillet and cook the sausage until it's no longer pink in the center. Add the onions and bell peppers and continue cooking until the vegetables have softened. Add the tomatoes and cook for an additional two minutes, stirring frequently.

Fold the cubed cornbread into the mixture and remove from the heat for a few minutes to cool slightly. Whisk together the eggs, milk and cheese.

If your skillet is oven-proof, pour the eggs and cheese over the cooked vegetables and cornbread. Or transfer the cornbread mixture to a pie dish (approx. 9") and pour the eggs over that. Season and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the eggs are set.

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