Recipe: Emeril's Breakfast Casserole

March 9, 2007 — -- "Good Morning America's" favorite chef Emeril Lagasse kicks off his annual Mother's Day Breakfast in Bed Contest today.

Emeril will surprise a lucky mom at home on Friday, May 11, and cook her a Mother's Day breakfast in bed.

If you know a mother who deserves this special surprise, click on the links below to read the contest rules and enter. You'll be asked to write brief essay (no more than 50 words) about why an inspiring or heroic mom you know deserves this treat.

In the meantime, you can get a taste of Emeril's bam-tastic breakfast cooking with the recipe for his One Stop Breakfast Casserole below.

Heat the skillet over medium heat and, when hot, add the sausage. Cook until sausage begins to brown, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon, about 4 minutes. Add the shallots to the skillet and continue to cook until meat is golden brown and the shallots are soft, about two minutes longer. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside. Butter a 9-inch square baking dish and line the bottom with half of the bread slices. Top the bread slices with half of the sausage-shallot mixture and half of the grated cheese. Make another layer with the remaining bread, sausage, and cheese.

In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, salt and pepper, and whisk to combine. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the layered bread mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to overnight.

Remove the casserole from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature for about 20 minutes. Position rack in center of oven and preheat the oven to 325ºF.

Remove the plastic wrap and bake the casserole, uncovered, until puffed and golden brown, about one hour. Using oven mitts or pot holders, remove the casserole from the oven and let rest for five minutes before serving.

YIELD: 8 to 10 servings

Recipe originally appeared in Emeril's "There's a Chef in My Family," HarperCollins Publishers, New York, New York, 2004