Sausage and Peach Breakfast Casserole—outstanding!

Breakfast for dinner—don’t you just love it? Occasionally serving up breakfast food at the time normally reserved for a “meat-and-potatoes” meal just mellows out the evening like nothing else can. A day can be rough-charging like gangbusters toward a climactic end; then, put a little pancake syrup (sugar-free, of course) on the table—all becomes right with the world.

Have I got your wheels spinning? Then follow with Sausage and Peach Breakfast Casserole. Still hunting for ways to use my bucketfuls of fresh peaches from our exuberant 2011 crop, I did an Internet search for breakfast casseroles using peaches and turned up this jewel of an idea. www.food.com sprang forth with this easy goodie that I stirred up for an evening meal.

Only one warning: as with many breakfast casseroles, it works best if prepared the night before, baked a smidgen, and refrigerated, with cooking completed just before you serve. The crowning glory of this dish is the quick homemade peach/maple syrup that tops it. You just can’t imagine anything better. The fresh peaches were all-stars in this stunning breakfast dish that made its debut in the p.m.—terrific anytime!

Sausage and Peach Breakfast Casserole

2 cups package baking mix (I tried with lowfat Bisquick)

1 cup fat-free milk

1 (16-ounce) package brown-and-serve sausages (I used turkey sausage)

2 cups peaches that have been peeled and chopped

1/4 cup sugar (I used sugar substitute)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

3/4 cup sugar-free maple syrup

1 tablespoon butter

In a large bowl stir together baking mix and milk. Turn into a greased 13-inch-by-9-inch baking dish. In a small bowl place peeled peaches that have been chopped. Use a potato masher to mash the chopped peaches until about 1/4 to 1/2 cup juice is released from them. Drain peaches; set juice aside. Halve the sausages crosswise. Arrange the sausages and peaches on top of batter in this fashion: a layer of sausages, a layer of peaches, a layer of sausages, a layer of peaches. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool for 15 minutes or so; cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. The next day, about 20 minutes before you plan to serve, heat oven to 350 degrees and cook casserole for 20 minutes. Prepare warm syrup as follows: In a medium saucepan whisk together sugar and cornstarch until no lumps remain. Turn heat to medium high; add the reserved peach juice; cook mixture until thick and bubbly. Stir in maple syrup and butter. Serve warm over the casserole. Makes 6-8 servings.