Sausage Broccoli Bread Bake

I know what you are thinking, what the hell is a sausage broccoli bread bake. Well, its awesome, that's what it is! But I suppose you want a little more explanation then that. Well, its a casserole of sorts and a healthy one at that. It contains sausage, broccoli (duh Jen, that's in the title), sharp cheddar, and caramelized onions, which is probably my favorite part. It's a great way to use up some left over bread, veggies, and cheese you have and makes enough for a couple of meals. And here's the kicker, its a Weight Watchers recipe!!

Now don't go turning your nose up because you hear the words healthy and Weight Watchers in the same post, this 'ish is good! Though it calls for low fat cheese and turkey sausage, you could always use the full fat versions of each, but I promise you that following the recipe as written will be both good for your mouth and your waste line. And if you happened to make the Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Bars, you probably could use a healthy recipe or two. Now this is adapted a bit, so the points aren't going to be the exact same as the original which was 6, but I think my version is probably 9 since I add more bread. 

Adapted from Weight Watchers

Sausage Broccoli Bread Bake

• 3 cups crusty loaf bread, couple days old is perfect, cut in cubes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large red onion, sliced thin
• 3 cups broccoli, uncooked and cut into florets
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 links turkey sausage, hot or sweet, whichever you prefer, casings removed
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 red pepper flakes
• 3/4 cup low-fat sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Fill a large pot 3/4 of the way with water and bring to boil.
3. Cut broccoli into florets if you bought a whole head.  
4. As water comes to a boil, fill a large bowl with water and ice. This will be your ice bath for the broccoli and will stop the cooking process. We don't want soggy broccoli.   
5. Add broccoli to boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Remove and put in ice bath til cook, then strain off water. Set aside. 
6. Cut bread into 1/2 inch cubes. 
7. Once oven is preheated, put bread in oven for 1o minutes until lightly toasted. Remove and set aside.  
8. In a pan, cook onion with olive oil for medium heat until lightly browned. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. 
9. Remove onions and add uncased turkey sausage. Cook until done. 
10. In a large bowl, mix together bread, broccoli, sausage, onions, salt, pepper, and chili flakes until all ingredients are mixed together. Slowly pour the chicken broth over bread mixture making sure to stir constantly to even distribute the broth. 
11. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and put down 1/3 bread mixture and top with 1/3 cheese. Continue until all cheese and bread mixture is used. 
12. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Tips and Tricks 

• You can use any type of sausage you prefer. The turkey sausage works well in this recipe since it doesn't render much fat, so it won't make the bread soggy.
• Bread that is a couple days old is best. If its already crunchy, there is no need to toast in the oven.
• The chili flakes can be omitted if you don't like spicy foods.
• If the bread mixture seems dry, you can add more broth. Just add a little at a time so you don't make it soggy.