Easy Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole / AllRecipes.com

I made this breakfast casserole this morning for some friends from college whom I had not seen in many, many years.  It's easy to do most of the prep (slicing meat and veggies, processing the cheese) the night before and just combine everything an hour or so before you want to have it ready to serve.  One person brought sweet rolls and another, fresh fruit.  Some pretty china and flowers, and  an ordinary meal can make old friends feel as special as they are...

Here is THE LINK to the original recipe at AllRecipes.com with my changes in italics below.

Charleston Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients

• 12 slices bacon  [I used sliced turkey sausage]
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 3 cups croutons [crumbled Ritz crackers]
• 2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
• 6 eggs  [8 eggs for a deep dish]
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1 bell pepper (any color), diced [1/2 red, 1/2 green]
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard [did not use]
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. [sliced sausage and peppers, stored in frig until ready to prepare]
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
3. Melt butter in the microwave, or in a small pan on the stove over low heat. Spray a 9x12 inch baking dish with vegetable spray. Place croutons [crackers]  in the bottom of the dish, and drizzle with melted butter. Sprinkle with grated Cheddar cheese.
4. Crack the eggs into a bowl, whisking to break up the yolks. Add milk, peppers, mustard, salt, and pepper, and beat until well-combined. Pour over the croutons and cheese, and sprinkle with crumbled bacon. [I blended the eggs in a VitaMix and then added all other ingredients, including the cheese,  for one or two pulses, then poured it all on top of the buttered crackers]
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes [I cooked for 50 minutes due to extra liquid (eggs)]. Remove from oven and allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.

You can also make individual casseroles using this same recipe.  Just reduce the cooking time by about 5 minutes or so.