Let’s get ready to rock! Start your day off with the most iconic thing since a certain guitar riff that everyone likes to fangirl over. The flavors of Stairway to Breakfast Heaven ascend you to a place you’ve never been before. With just one taste of this fluffy egg bake, featuring layer upon layer of crispy bacon, spicy sausage, creamy maple bĂ©chamel, and lots of melty cheese, you’ll definitely be gettin’ your groove on. You might even find yourself joining a rock ‘n roll band and living life on the road. The good stuff can do that to ya. The Stairway to Breakfast Heaven is about to start a morning meal revolution, so get ready, because you were born for this. Can’t stop, won’t stop!
Ingredients
For the casserole:
- butter, to taste, melted, for greasing the baking dish
- 30 links breakfast sausage
- 30 strips smoked bacon
- 1/2 bunch fresh sage, chopped
- 2 pounds sharp cheddar cheese, grated
For the pancakes:
- 3 cups buttermilk
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup butter, melted, plus more, to taste, room temperature
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- salt, to taste
For the eggs:
- 9 eggs
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- butter, to taste, room temperature
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
For the maple béchamel:
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 4 cups maple syrup, plus more, to taste, for serving
- salt, to taste
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 2 –Use the melted butter to grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Step 3 –Line a half-sheet pan with the sausage links and bake until they are cooked through, about 20-30 minutes. Set them aside.
Step 4 –Fit a wire rack into another half-sheet pan and add the bacon strips. Bake until they are crispy, about 15-20 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the rendered bacon fat. Set them aside.
Step 5 –While the meat is baking, in a large mixing bowl, add the buttermilk, the milk, 3 of the eggs, and 1/3 cup of the melted butter and whisk to combine.
Step 6 –In a second large bowl, add 3 cups of the flour, the sugar, the baking powder, the baking soda, and the salt and whisk to combine.
Step 7 –Slowly whisk the flour mixture into the egg mixture until it is incorporated.
Step 8 –In a large skillet, melt the extra butter.
Step 9 –Add the pancake batter, 1 cup at a time, to the melted butter and cook until the bottom side has browned and is beginning to bubble.
Step 10 –Flip the pancake and cook until the other side has browned and is beginning to bubble.
Step 11 –Transfer the pancake to a plate and repeat the cooking process until all of the batter has been used, using more of the extra butter, as needed.
Step 12 –Square off the edges of each of the pancakes. Set them aside.
Step 13 –Roughly chop the cooked sausage.
Step 14 –Add the chopped sausage and the sage to a food processor and pulse until it is finely chopped. Set it aside.
Step 15 –In a large bowl, whisk the remaining eggs together until they are smooth.
Step 16 –Season the eggs with the salt and the pepper.
Step 17 –In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the extra butter.
Step 18 –Add the beaten eggs to the melted butter and cook, stirring frequently, until they are fluffy and cooked through.
Step 19 –In a blender, add the scrambled eggs and 1/2 cup of the heavy cream and purĂ©e until it is smooth. Set it aside.
Step 20 –In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the reserved bacon fat.
Step 21 –Whisk the remaining flour into the bacon fat and cook, whisking frequently, until the raw flour flavor is gone, about 3-4 minutes.
Step 22 –Add the remaining heavy cream, 4 cups of the maple syrup, and the salt to the flour mixture and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until it has thickened and is the consistency of gravy.
Step 23 –Line the bottom of the prepared baking dish with a single layer of 1/2 of the pancakes.
Step 24 –Pour 1/4 of the maple bĂ©chamel over the pancakes, ensuring they are fully covered.
Step 25 –Evenly arrange the chopped sausage mixture over the pancakes.
Step 26 –Spoon 1/2 of the egg mixture over the sausage mixture and top with 1/3 of the remaining maple bĂ©chamel and 1/2 of the cheese.
Step 27 –Add the remaining pancakes on top of the cheese layer, then top with 1/3 of the remaining maple bĂ©chamel, the cooked bacon strips, the remaining maple bĂ©chamel, the remaining egg mixture, and the remaining cheese.
Step 28 –Bake the breakfast bake until the cheese has melted on top and has started to get crispy.
Step 29 –Let the breakfast bake cool.
Step 30 –Serve the breakfast bake with the extra maple syrup.
