Recipe Background
The Good Day Bake combines smoky Gouda, savory sausage, and soft-set eggs in a comforting, aromatic dish enhanced by fresh sage.
This Good Day Bake is a cozy dish that brings warmth and comfort with every forkful. Smoked Gouda melts into a creamy embrace with the tender grits, while the savory ground sausage adds a hearty bite. Fresh sage weaves through the flavors like a gentle breeze, lending an earthy note. As the eggs nestle softly into the baked goodness, a hint of sharp cheddar punctuates each bite, providing a delightful contrast.
The aroma wafting from the oven is nothing short of inviting—hints of melted cheese mingle with the herbaceous scent of sage, filling your kitchen with warmth. Using smoked Gouda ensures that each bite has a rich smokiness that enhances the dish's depth. Make sure to let the bake rest for about five minutes out of the oven; this simple pause allows the flavors to meld beautifully and ensures your slices come out clean and satisfying.
Perfect for banding together with friends or family over brunch, this dish can be a conversation piece as much as a meal. The optional cherry tomatoes and additional sage finish the bake with a pop of color and freshness, elevating it from simple to special. It's a dish that feels just as good to prepare as it does to share, promising a good day indeed.
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup old-fashioned grits
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 8 medium eggs divided
- 1/2 pound ground breakfast sausage cooked and crumbled
- 2 cups smoked Gouda cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded, plus more, to taste, for garnish
- 2 teaspoons fresh sage chopped, plus more, to taste, for garnish
- cherry or grape tomatoes optional, to taste, halved, for garnish
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large saucepan, bring the water, the broth, the salt, and the pepper to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Gradually whisk in the grits and the flour.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Cover and simmer the grits mixture, whisking occasionally, until the grits are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
- Transfer the saucepan from the heat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk 2 of the eggs together.
- Gradually, whisk in 1 cup of the hot grits mixture to temper the eggs.
- Whisk the egg mixture into the remaining grits mixture.
- Stir in the sausage, the Gouda, 1/2 cup of the cheddar, and 2 teaspoons of the sage.
- Pour the sausage-grits mixture into the prepared pan.
- Cover the pan loosely with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Uncover and bake until the cheeses are melted and the dish is set, about 15 minutes.
- Using the back of a spoon, make six indentations in the grits mixture.
- Crack one of the 6 remaining eggs into each indentation.
- Bake uncovered until the eggs are soft set, about 8 minutes.
- Let the bake stand for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with the extra cheddar cheese, the extra sage, and the tomatoes.
- Serve.
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