Italian Breakfast Casserole {Paleo, Whole30}

 Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash long part only, peeled and sliced into 1/4” rounds*
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil for greasing baking dish and squash, sea salt for roasting
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil for cooking sausage and veggies
• 1 lb pork sausage casings removed if necessary, no added sugar
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 1 onion medium, diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• Pinch crushed red pepper
• 3 oz sun dried tomatoes (Whole30 compliant) chopped, (about 3/4 cup packed), soften first by soaking if too hard
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning blend
• 12 large eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut milk full fat
• 1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast optional, for flavor
• Parsley minced, for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 425 F and grease a 9x13" casserole dish with coconut oil.
• Toss the butternut squash rounds with coconut oil and sea salt to taste (generous pinch for me) and arrange, (overlapping since they will shrink after roasting) over the bottom of your casserole dish, and along the sides if desired.
• Place the casserole dish with the butternut in the preheated oven and roast until softened - overcooking will lead to mushy squash.
• Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over med heat, add a tsp of coconut oil, crumble sausage into skillet, and sprinkle with crushed red pepper. Cook, breaking up lumps, until browned, then remove to a plate and set aside.
• Add another tsp coconut oil to skillet, then add the peppers and onions. Cook until just softened, then add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds.
• Once garlic is soft, add sun dried tomatoes and cooked sausage to heat through, then remove skillet from heat.
• In a large bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast (if using), until very smooth.
• To assemble casserole, arrange the sausage veggie mixture over the cooked butternut crust, leaving excess grease/water in the skillet.
• Pour the egg mixture over the top evenly, then bake in the preheated oven for 22-25 minutes or until egg mixture is set in the center and begins to puff up. Don’t allow it to overcook or turn brown!
• Garnish with parsley or other fresh herbs before serving. Allow casserole to sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. You can also refrigerate or freeze to reheat at a later point. Enjoy!