Bed and Breakfast Maple Waffle Bake

My husband really loves me today. I made him a Sunday brunch casserole that made him think he was in carb heaven. It tastes like a special Bed and Breakfast treat. He already told me he wants this casserole for Christmas morning. Now that is planning ahead.

By the name, you already have figured out that it is based with waffles. Yes, that does seem to be a theme of mine as of late. Do love that waffle stick maker I got for Christmas. I told them I had lots of ideas for it when I put it down on my list! Now those middle of the night inspirations come to fruition. Yes, I do sometimes dream up recipes in the wee hours, and wake up mulling them over in my mind. Weird, I know. Some would tell me I surely need to get a life. But since feeding a family 24/7 does seem to take a lot of time and talent, it is what it is. For this dish, I added some more of my hubby's favorites. Sausage and eggs.

This is definitely more bready than the typical low carb breakfast casseroles. It is sweet, a bit akin to a bread pudding or a French Toast bake. More importantly in my book, is that delectable blend of salty and sweet--the sausage and the maple infused waffles. Mmm. The eggs hold the base together, and the torn bits of waffle along the top keep a crunchy, crispness for a delightful change in texture. Sure it takes a little longer to put together than most of my breakfasts, but my guys are worth it.

Bed and Breakfast Maple Waffle Bake

Waffle Base:

4 tbsp butter

6 eggs

½ cup sugarfree vanilla syrup

1 tsp maple flavoring

1/3 cup coconut flour

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking powder

Casserole:

8 oz pork sausage

6 eggs

¼ cup half and half

½ tsp maple flavoring

¼ tsp stevia extract, OR

  ¼ cup alternative

¼ cup sugarfree pancake syrup

2 tbsp butter

Prepare waffles: Melt butter in a medium bowl. Stir in the eggs, syrup and flavoring. In a separate bowl, combine the coconut flour, salt and baking powder. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry, whisking well. Alternately, you may use an immersion blender to dissolve any clumps. Let the mixture rest for five minutes to thicken. Bake in a waffle iron 5-7 minutes until brown.

In a skillet, brown the sausage. Tear the waffles into bite sized pieces, layering half of them into the base of a 3 quart casserole dish. Top with the sausage, distributing evenly. Over the sausage, add the remaining waffle pieces.

In a medium bowl, beat 6 eggs. Stir in the half and half, maple flavoring and stevia. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the waffles. Use the back of a large spoon to gently press the waffle pieces down, compacting the casserole so more of it is submerged in the egg.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the egg custard is set. Top each serving with sugarfree pancake syrup and dot with butter.

8 servings:  372 calories  3 net g carb

The sugarfree syrups I can buy locally have sorbitol, so I use them sparingly. I am thinking about trying a xylitol based syrup, Nature's Hollow. Wondering if any of you Diners ever tried a brand without sorbitol or maltitol, and what do you think? Some sugar alcohols are more painful than others. What brands do you like? Perhaps I should just come up with a homemade version...Something for another day. I need to get to more of my prep day baking.

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