Name: Cowboy Christmas Breakfast
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 1/2 hr
Yield: Makes 12 servings (or 8 for cowboys)
Ingredients: 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for greasing baking dish; 1 (1-lb) package bulk breakfast sausage (not links); 1 (15-inch-long) loaf Italian bread (about 4 inches wide); 1 garlic clove, chopped; 2 dozen large eggs; 1 cup whole milk; 2 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 1 large bunch scallions; 1/4 lb sharp Cheddar, coarsely grated (1 cup)

Sausage, egg, scallion, and cheese are layered over garlicky "Texas toast" in the heartiest take on savory bread pudding we've ever come across — just the sight of it could stir a cowboy-size appetite. This stick-to-your-ribs breakfast for a crowd can be completely assembled the night before.

Cooks' note:

Dish can be assembled (but not baked) 12 hours ahead and chilled, tightly covered with buttered foil. Bake as directed above.

Recipe notes

Vodka Gochujang Pasta

This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.

Eggplant Roasted in Satay Sauce

Among the top tier of sauces is Indonesian satay sauce, because it is the embodiment of joy and life. In fact, this sauce is also trustworthy and highly respectful of whatever it comes into contact with—perhaps it is, in fact, the perfect friend?

Caramelized Onion Pasta

Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.

Baked Butter Paneer

I should address the awkward truth that I don’t use butter here but cream instead. You could, if you’re a stickler for tradition (and not a heretic like me), add a big slab of butter to the finished curry.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

White Bean Turkey Chili

A dash of cocoa powder adds depth and richness to the broth of this easy turkey chili.

Smothered Italian Sausage

This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.

Béchamel Sauce

This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.