More Hospitality and a Recipe

As I mentioned in the last post, one of my favorite authors is hosting an online book study on her blog based on her book "A Life that Says Welcome."  Karen Ehman is a spectacular at giving practical advice to make daily life special.  Pop over here to see today's guest post and enter the giveaway.  If you haven't been joining in, it's not too late!  Read each post this week and you can still enter the giveaways until the end of the study just before Easter. 

Today she is doing a link up for everyone to share their favorite "company" recipes.  I do make this for my family, but it is especially nice for company.  While it is not hard, it does take a bit to prepare and cook.  However, the payoff is that unless you have a TON of guests staying for a REALLY long time, you do the work once and reap the benefits for several days.  It is very filling and a little goes a long way.  I usually make this unique breakfast casserole on the first morning after our overnight guests' first night (usually anywhere from 3 to 5 people) and then refrigerate leftovers.  I serve the first day with biscuits and sometimes I add gravy for those.  Then everyone morning thereafter I set it out cold with saucers and a variety of pastries and fruit for everyone to reheat as they wish.  Before you get up in arms about serving leftovers to company, I can promise you they all enjoy me getting to visit, they still can have a hot breakfast, and we can get out the door to do the fun stuff we have planned quickly. Most times we can eat off of it three days at least and it reheats fabulously.  No one has EVER minded getting to have it three mornings in a row, and they have other options with the fruit and pastries if they want. 

So, here it is.  I cannot take full credit.  I used to live in Arkansas rice country and this was the rice queen's winning recipe one year.  A co-worker shared it with us at work one morning, and I have adjusted here and there to my family's tastes.  Don't let the ingredients scare you.  It is REALLY good!

Crispy Rice Breakfast Casserole
6 cups crispy rice cereal
5 cups of cooked rice
2 lbs cooked breakfast sausage
8 eggs
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 8oz package of shredded cheese (more if you wish)

Mix sausage and cereal, then layer sausage mix, rice, and cheese in a prepared large baking dish.  (I usually have enough left over to do a second 8x8 dish to freeze....just depends on how large you "large" dish is. )  It works best if you start with sausage, then rice, then cheese and so on.  I have also done this mixing the rice, cheese, and sausage mix in a large bowl and dumping it all in the pan at once and it work fine.  This recipe is full of grace!  ( You might want to bake on a cookie sheet to catch any spills.)

Next, mix the eggs and cream soup in a bowl and beat well.  Pour over the rice and sausage and bake at 375 for 1 hour or until set in the middle.  These are the official directions but give yourself plenty of time.  I have to cook it in my oven at 400 for 1 hour and 15 minutes... just keep and eye on it until you see how it works in your oven.  If it gets to brown on top before it is set in the middle, cover with foil until done.  Once set, sprinkle more cheese on top and put back in the oven until melted and just browning.

You can add in mushrooms, black olives, bell peppers, or just about anything you want.  We have made it with ham cubes too, but with less grease for it to absorb, cut the cereal down to 3 or four cups for this.   If it is too thick, dry, or whatever for your tastes just play with the rice/ cereal measurements until you get what you want.  A word of warning however; be sure to do all of this BEFORE you try it for company:)   Enjoy!