Shelly's Recipe

Make-Ahead Breakfast Braid

Category: Breakfast and Brunch

6 oz. breakfast sausage, ham or bacon (I used 4 sausage patties)
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup milk
8 eggs
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup (about 8) green onions (white and green parts), diced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 (8-oz.) cans of crescent rolls
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar, shredded
1 egg white
(parchment paper is helpful)

1. Cook breakfast meat of choice according to package directions until cooked through. Set aside and allow to cool; once cool, chop into small pieces.

2. Beat together the cream cheese, milk and eggs. Heat the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Once melted, spread the butter around the pan and cook egg mixture until set but not dried out.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the cooked egg mixture, chopped breakfast meat, salt and pepper to taste, garlic powder, green onions and bell pepper until thoroughly combined. Set mixture aside; you can make this filling the night ahead of time, kept covered, overnight, in the fridge.

4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375°F. Lay parchment paper on a large baking sheet and spray with cooking spray.

5. Remove the crescent rolls from the cans, and pinch seams together to make a large rectangle. (You could also smooth this out with a quick roll of a rolling pin). Carefully spoon filling down the center 4 inches of the rectangle and top with the cheese. Using kitchen scissors or a pizza cutter, cut 1 ½-inch-wide horizontal strips along the remaining outside edges of the crescent roll rectangle. Your goal is to have the strips be about 3 inches long.

6. Carefully braid the strips over the top of the filling by alternating sides and crossing them over one another. It is okay if there are some gaps, you just do not want gaping holes. You can always pinch the dough together. Once the braid is complete, seal the ends by pinching the excess dough together. I have found that I often have an extra braid strip or two at the bottom that I can rip off and use to seal the ends.

7. Brush braid with egg white. Bake for 20 minutes until gently browned, checking frequently after that point so that the bread does not burn.

Best eaten immediately, but also reheats well at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Yields 12 to 15 servings/slices